Aristocrats Persist?

I find out that George Clooney is Rosemary’s son. And that was a tipping point for me. How many of today’s stars have inherited their places? Really, what is this? Some weird postmodern version of premodern aristocracy? How hereditary is the Hollywood scene? Is it just a function of access and comfortable relationships or is there some deeper dynamic at work?
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.

Ok, so the other night I watch a PBS celebrity bio (!) of Rosemary Clooney and, being of a certain age, I find it strangely moving in an Umberto Eco The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana kind of way. I mean, I remember Rosemary Clooney from when I was just starting to realize that women exist as a separate species. That’s when it hits you, when you are 10 or so, right? The rest of your life you’re just playing defense in various ways -- is that not the truth, guys?

I know some of you know what I mean.

Anyway, I find out that George Clooney is Rosemary’s son. And that was a tipping point for me. How many of today’s stars have inherited their places? Really, what is this? Some weird postmodern version of premodern aristocracy? How hereditary is the Hollywood scene? Is it just a function of access and comfortable relationships or is there some deeper dynamic at work?

Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gwynith Paltrow, Jamie Lee Curtis, Keifer Sutherland—I’m not enough of a People reader to know how to continue, but how long is this list?

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot