Celebrity Family Clans

[royalwave]

I mean yeah, a lot of us put on performances for our parents or grandparents even if our family isn't in showbiz. My sister and I used to come up with little skits and musical numbers when we were kids. But most of us don't think it's realistic to pursue acting as a career and wouldn't know the first thing about how to find an agent. So I do believe that Zoe deciding to make a career in Hollywood had a bit more to do with who her family was than she may like to think. But I do appreciate her acknowledging her privilege in having a massive foot in the door. Much better than those who try to act as if they are entirely self-made.

Going back a few pages, that's pretty interesting about Madonna's son using a pseudonym to try to make it as an artist. I mean, I guess maybe I can appreciate him trying to have at least the appearance of doing this on his own but how do you escape that fact that mom undoubtedly pulled a few strings to get him a gallery showing? And probably promotes him to all of her wealthy friends? I loved this line in The Guardian: "He is a mysterious, up-and-coming artist whose work has been championed by the likes of Madonna and sells for up to five figures." As if having your mom as a client is a big badge of honor, lol. In other breaking news, Victoria Beckham raves about Brooklyn's cooking.

[Ladybug]

Or Rocco was trying to hype himself as some kind of Banksy-type artist with a mystery identity?

[royalwave]

Chet Hanks is reinventing himself as a personal trainer with a website and a program he calls Hanxfit.

He released a nearly 14 minute video about his struggle growing up the son of Tom Hanks and, the upside is that he drops the wannabe thug persona. But he also talks about not having a strong male role model to turn to when he was getting picked on as a kid by people he feels were just jealous of him...which seems like a bit of a dig at his dad. And the whole video is largely an attempt to drum up interest in his business, which I have to side eye.

I do find myself empathizing to some degree with celebrity kids and their dilemma as they try to sort out whether people are interested in them for themselves, or for their association to fame. But at the same time, videos like this seem to me to be a blatant attempt to further capitalize on that association to fame, and I'm not a fan of trying to have it both ways. Rather than quietly building up his business and his reputation as a fitness guru the old fashioned way, Chet is drawing attention to his struggles growing up in the spotlight to get people to say "oh cool...I can get customized personal training from Tom Hanks' kid." So, once again, is he building up a clientele based on his own skills, or is he building up a clientele that think it's cool to say their personal trainer is a famous actor's son?

One person I think did it right is Harrison Ford's son, Ben, who is a well respected chef. I didn't hear about him and his connection to Harrison until well after he had already established himself and his restaurant. I can't say what kind of investment Harrison had in his career, but he didn't seem to me to be playing off the family name. And he's been at it long enough, with enough strong reviews, that clearly the talent is his own.

[Ginger]

This is what Chet Hanks texted to his girlfriend after he abused her:

"I watched my mom domineer and control my dad for my entire life and he just sat there and took it. When I feel like I’m not being respected as a man it strikes a nerve with me because it makes me feel like I’m allowing the same thing to happen to me and I’m becoming what I hated most in my father."

He's a complete POS in too many ways to list.

The other Hanks sons seemed to have turned out wonderfully. Being thanked occasionally in an Oscar speech does not seem to have wrecked their childhoods.

[tiggertoo]

I did not know that about Chet Hanks. Yuck.

I’m currently watching Life in Pieces. Colin Hanks is in the cast and he is delightful. I now want to avoid reading anything about him for fear I’ll dislike him.

[royalwave]

I didn't know that about Chet either. What is his problem? I suppose he realizes that Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson are pretty beloved and he can't say anything too negative in public, but he definitely gets his digs in where he can. Guess when you have a handful of kids you're bound to end up with a bad apple every once in a while.

The other Hanks kids seem fairly impressive. Elizabeth is a Vassar grad and Truman graduated from Stanford. And Colin does seem to be delightful.

[chiqui]

This kid has a chip on his shoulder.

[MrsOldManBalls]

But why? From what? Was he the neglected middle child? All I know about him is that he was on Empire, and he says stupid shit on social media every so often.

[Mouse]

Chet seems to be this family’s Charlie Sheen.

[Auroranorth]

I didn't know he existed till this thread.