In defense of nepo babies

How Patrick Schwarzenegger's performance in 'The White Lotus' shows a shifting dialogue about wealth, privilege, and talent

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This piece does not contain spoilers.

We’re almost a month out from the last episode of The White Lotus, Season 3.

There were many defining moments online throughout the airing of this show about a vacation resort, which is run by at-times questionable hospitality workers and under-appreciated by very flawed, very rich tourists. There was hyper-focus on Amy Lou Wood’s physical appearance and publicity around K-pop star LISA’s acting debut, but one plot point has lingered with me the most – the public opinion arc regarding Patrick Schwarzenegger.

See, the public started out as critical of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son, who played a fratty, finance bro on vacation with his family. (Arnold, most notably, played the Terminator in the The Terminator and was once the governor of California). Ugh, not a nepo baby again, the internet posts, blogs, complains.

According to Oxford Languages, nepotism is defined as “the practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives, friends, or associates, especially by giving them jobs.” Hence the phrase “nepo baby” used for the child of a famous person.

In 2022, New York Magazine published a “Year of the Nepo Baby” series, looking at how “Hollywood was run on an invisible network of family ties.” On the landing page, the main tagline reads, “We love them, hate them, disrespect them, and obsess over them.”

Patrick’s character, Saxon Ratliff, was spoiled and inappropriate, hitting on every woman he saw, using his self-righteous smirk as a get-out-of-jail-free card. Plus, he’s a nepo baby himself, working for his father’s company. Unlikeable, on paper. But – don’t miss this – purposely written to be unlikeable.

“Patrick being both a Schwarzenegger and a Kennedy makes everything about this casting even funnier and all more perfect,” one person wrote on X. Typecasting?

Then, let’s just say, things begin to happen in Saxon’s life that lead to some character growth. One of his final moments in the season was reflected on with the same reverence as one of Meghann Fahy’s last scenes in Season 2, which was called a “master class” in face acting.

“I love an unforgettable finale facial expression from a White Lotus character who had the most unexpected character development over the course of the season,” Sam Stryker wrote on X.

As White Lotus viewers grew more sympathetic of Saxon, so, too, did they grow more sympathetic of Patrick. Maybe he does actually have talent, they whispered. Maybe we were going too hard on him. (Or perhaps, maybe, you were projecting your feelings about his character onto him? But we’ll get there).

Patrick was active on social media throughout this season, reposting popular memes about his character on X and showing surprising vulnerability in interviews as well as in his personal social media posts. He cleverly side-stepped questions about his and his family’s similarity to the Ratliff family. He was patient – he didn’t attack anyone for attacking him. He did explain his perspective, though:

“I know there are people who’ll say I only got this role because of who my dad is. They’re not seeing that I’ve had 10 years of acting classes, put on school plays every week, worked on my characters for hours on end or the hundreds of rejected auditions I’ve been on. Of course, it’s frustrating and you can get boxed in and you think at that moment, I wish I didn’t have my last name. But that’s a small moment.” –Patrick Schwarzenegger in an interview with The Sunday Times

Patrick waited the negativity out and gave his audience the space to see him in a new light.

“I teared up last night in the finale… First — because It was this beautiful yet devastating & profound ending - but secondly, because It was also the end of this chapter for me in my life,” Patrick wrote on X in early April. “One that I’ll never forget. One that I made everlasting relationships. A chapter That I learned immensely from. That I grew as an actor and a Human. Just a moment in life that I’m forever grateful for. I just wanted to come on and say THANK YOU TO EVERYONE. Everyone that watched the show. Supported me. That didn’t count Saxon out !!!”

Part of the risk in playing a television “bad guy” is that people can associate the actor with the characteristics of that character. This is parasocial¹ projection – now audiences feel better about Patrick because they feel better about Saxon. But again, I’m getting distracted. I think this influenced public opinion and played a part in the dialogue around Patrick’s nepotism, but it’s not the whole dialogue.

Is there something inherently wrong with nepo babies? Forgive me if this argument is tired, but the question has been bothering me.

Is it the privilege people take issue with, or not acknowledging the privilege? Is it having money people take issue with, or not distributing that money to good causes? Does the hatred come from a desire for accountability, or is it jealousy?What, particularly, is the root problem with nepotism babies? Because it can’t just be about how they were born, can it?

The way I see it, the biggest issue the public takes with nepo babies is when they are afforded opportunities they don’t deserve. Music gigs, acting gigs, artistic gigs. You ain’t good, get off the stage, son. (Refraining from controversy helps as well). But as soon as the baby proves their talent, bam! All is fine and dandy.

“Many very talented people have to give up, many chase their dreams forever without ever catching them, while a select few get to dedicate every bit of their energy to acting, because the issue of survival just isn’t on their radar. And that is perfectly fine and good; they should do what they want. Except complain about it to the rest of us, publicly,” Rebecca Shaw wrote for The Guardian. “In recent years, a few nepo babies have decided to be direct and honest, and it’s absurdly refreshing.”

I’ve always associated the anti-nepo baby fad with the “Eat the Rich” movement, disliking the children of celebrities more because of their abuse of wealth and power than what they choose to do with their lives. The Patrick Schwarzenegger example subverts this, though. Patrick defenders are arguing that it is about talent.

Negative public opinion surges when the line into immense wealth or privilege is crossed – and not acknowledged. Suddenly favoritism isn’t forgivable anymore. Patrick’s nepo baby-ness wasn’t punished because he acknowledged the fact and moved on. Yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger is my dad, but I still worked hard for my accomplishments. Okay. End of conversation, I guess?

“I just have to say it - I know Patrick Schwarzenegger is a nepo baby, but I am really impressed by his acting,” one Reddit user wrote.

Being a nepo baby becomes a matter of meritocracy – if you’re good at it, congrats! You pass the test. If you’re bad at it, boo! Why do you get to get a leg up? Frankly, Patrick did a good job at his job.

If the fear is that these children will abuse their fame, power, and prestige, the public isn’t enforcing any sort of accountability. The dialogue around Patrick wasn’t about whether he was doing “good things” with his fame, just about whether or not he deserved the fame. The flak blew over as quickly as it came.

According to Forbes, “as of 2025, only 24% of four-year colleges consider legacy status in admissions, a sharp decrease from 49% in 2015,” showing a wider societal shift away from preferential treatment in academics.

I wonder to what extent we’re willing to excuse nepotism in our regular lives. How do we feel about a friend putting in a good word as a favor? How do we feel about legacy college admissions? How do we feel about people in the local community giving their family member jobs? How about when that role is not local anymore?

Is using the resources you have available to you…bad? Nepotism seems fine when it helps the little man, but as soon as the little man gets a little too ahead, a little too cocky, beware.

If a nepo baby can intelligently answer the question, “Do you think you had an unfair advantage?,” they’re already one step ahead from their peers. Gratitude goes a long way. Examining personal privilege, even further.

So, are all nepo babies bad? According to nepo babies, no.

Read my last story: Why is it so hard not to dox yourself?

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My weekly roundup:

🎶 What I’m Listening To: Read my album review on Blondshell’s “If You Asked for a Picture”

🎞️ What I’m Watching: I just finished the limited Netflix series, “Adolescence”

🔎 What I’m Reading: Read my book review on “Fireweed” by Lauren Haddad

📱 What I’m Scrolling: SubwayTakes with Kareem Rahma

⚠️ What’s On My Radar: The Wall Street Journal on how to delete yourself from the internet adds to my piece on how to protect yourself online nicely

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Read the full Gen Z Dictionary here.

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1. Parasocial: A one-sided relationship where one party feels like they deeply know the other, going so far as to consider themselves friends when they’re not