Entertainment For Lively Minds
The Family Way
Posted by Graeme Thomson on 8 June 2009 - 11:28am.
I’m currently reading (and enjoying) the late Alan Coren’s collected words of wisdom, which is edited by Giles and Victoria Coren, two of history’s less persuasive arguments for nepotism.
So simply, the question is this: which stars with famous parents are sufficiently gifted in their own right that we can forgive them a large helping hand from mum or dad?
And, conversely, who gives nepotism its bad name?
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Well,
have you ever seen Sofia Coppola act?
Yes...
...but she was given the whiffy end of the stick, the Godfather 3 role being forced on her at the last minute when Winona Ryder cancelled at the last minute.
On the other hand, her directing career has been interesting at the very least and The Virgin Suicides is a thing of beauty.
I'd nominate Zak Starkey (The Who, Oasis) as a worthy successor to his dad.
Maybe it's a drummer thing
but Bonham Jr. is pretty decent, too.
Are you sure?
Simon Collins?
andrew collins
has got a son who's a drummer ?
Very good riposte sir
No, I was thinking of son of Phil:
http://www.myspace.com/simoncollins
Breaking news on his myspace page:
"Barack Obama prepares for UFO arrival, open alien contact"
As is
Lost in Translation
In F1
you've currently got Rosberg vs Piquet. Then you had the son of Villeneuve winning the title in 1996 before the son of Hill. The Mansell boys aren't actually very good and are off in the states in sports cars. There's a lot of that sort of thing about.
Dweezil Zappa
can hold is own as a stunt guitarist
Pitt the Younger?
(since politics is on all of our minds at the moment)
Those Geldof girls
Bob should put his foot down.
Bob
should put his foot down on both their swollen heads.
Bob
Should put the boot in
sorry if it's old hat
but the give away papers refer to Geldof brood as the "Boomtown Brats" which made me smile.
Also I have only just got used to the fact that headlines that include the line "Pixie barred from Pub" aren't about Kim Deal having one too many!
The only example
Of child out doing a genius parent must be the film director Jena Renoir who would be genius of cinema even if his dad hadn't been able to handle a brush. i know it's difficult to untangle this sort of thing but if his dad hadn't existed and we where left with Jean films alone that would still be magical thing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Renoir
Jean Renoir
A very good call that - well done sir. La Grande Illusion is in the very top drawer of cinema.
My vote goes to
Teddy Thompson, son of ... well, you know.
Help me out
Steven,I have no idea. Peter Thompson(Liverpool winger of the 60's) ?
That would be
Richard & Linda's boy ...
Paul Kossoff
Lisa Tarbuck
Is very acceptable - unlike her old man.
Dan and Peter Snow both seem to have presenting talent.
The Redgrave family over several generations and branches.
Kingsley and Martin Amis.
The Frank Lampards senior and junior.
Examples where parental prominence has overcome talent:
The aforementioned Corens.
Edwina Currie's untalented daughter whose name escapes me.
Prince Charles and his mum (although he has outshone his dad).
I think
when it comes to the Royal Family, nepotism is pretty much a given.
Tarby
An interesting fact about dear old Tarby is that he got 2 years probation in 1960 for nicking Terry-Thomas's gold and diamond cigarette holder. He tends not to mention that between his stories of going to school with John Lennon and anecdotes about Brucie on the golf course. Frankly, he's an absolute shower!
Sidekick
Surely a mention of Lynchy should be shoe-horned in?
the case for the corens
benefiting for so long on nepotism is nonsense you might not like them as writers but Alan coren's name wasn't good enough to justify them having writing careers for 15 years plus. I'm sure there are loads of people who don't even know who their dad is who enjoy their writing.
I like 'em both
Giles and Victoria are excellent in their own right. Hardly their fault their Dad was good too.
I agree
over Victoria but I cannot abide the egregiously loathsome Giles - longstanding nemesis of hard-done-by sub-editors everywhere and purveyor of the puerile in perpetuity.
Anyone who thinks a tawdry gag about 'nosh' is amusing beyond the age of 14 has a few issues, I suggest.
Hank Williams III
I think the family talent skipped a generation here...
Loudon Wainwright III & Kate McGarrigle's sprogs...
... have certainly made names for themselves (for the right reasons).
Sean Lennon has rather gone under the radar, but pops up on occasions and seems to have some credibility - despite probably having one of the hardest tasks by following in the family footsteps.
Smiley Virus is a prime example of... well, I'm not quite sure.
Indeed...
Sean Lennon's Friendly Fire is a chamber-pop doozy. He's taken more inflence from Paul (and quite a bit from Brian Wilson) than his old man. Good for him.
Any
offspring of a Beatle ever. Stella's done OK in the rag trade, I guess, and Zach fires off a reasonable paradiddle or two, but there's nowt to remotely resemble anything their respective paters have achieved. John's offspring have enough contend with without me sticking a critical size 11 in.
Then there's poor Victoria Sellers
who got her mother's brains and her father's looks.
In the Arena of the Kicked Ball ...
... Nigel Clough is building a very nice career as a manager, just as he did as a footballer, with lots of good things to be said about him regarding loyalty, modesty, application of intelligence, going his own way, etc. His dad was certainly a hard act to follow, but Clough Junior is acquitting himself very well indeed.
Emma Freud
I still have fond memories of her late-night C4 shows in the 80s.
Lily Allen must deserve a mention.
And what about the Thatchers? Mercenary Mark and Golliwog-mentioning Carol - the thing is that their mother probably *is* proud of them.
Freuds
They get everywhere, and in connection with Murdochs too. Compound nepotism.
Actually, I'd say that Sigmund was the weak link
Just one vowel out for a really appropriate surname
Sometimes a cigar...
Every mother is proud of their offspring
it goes with the job.
How about
Paul Theroux and his sons Marcel and Louis?
Some of these may be real
Gordon Brown and daughter Sam.
Paul Daniels and son Phil.
Graeme Garden and Scissor Sister son John.
Winston Churchill and that nodding dog.
Ernie Wise and son Denis.
Andy Stewart and daughter Moira.
Michael Palin and daughter Sarah.
Stork to Mork to Peter Tork to Bjork
Kelly Dalglish is good value
When she presented Fighting Talk she asked the panel to name anyone in the public eye who is only there due to having a famous daddy.
But
her brother Paul was awful on loan to the mighty Scunthorpe United a few years back
Jay Rayner
Son of Claire.
Well, I like him, restaurant critic beyond compare, wouldn't know a bon mot if it was on the menu, so adept is he in the death of a thousand sly asides. His casual critique of his probably good chum Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall in last sundays Observer was a masterclass in taking away all the fun received by a glowing review of your restaurant.
That Ross McManus's boy's did quite well for a bit
But that's about it from me, music-wise. Film is a bit more nepotistic : Martin's Sheen's lads outstripped him for a while but he's probably better known that they are now, while Donald Sutherland's Kiefer is probably bigger box office than his dad ever was.
The Wakeman Sprogs
Adam & Oliver. Ivory tinklers in the family.
Aaron Emerson plays the odd jazz club
Finally Elton's son Jamie Cullum. Or is he the son of Bilbo Baggins ?
Auberon Waugh
Father Evelyn (who was once married to a woman called Evelyn) is surely one of the greatest English writers.
Auberon was terrific fun as a columnist & chat show guest - managed to wind up Polly Toynbee enough that she penned a less-than-glowing obituary:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2001/jan/19/news.comment
only for this to be countered by Francis Wheen:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2001/jan/24/fiction.comment