Wednesday, October 09, 2013

"In November 2009, she finally came out."

OK, so these days, it's very popular to take artists and Lena Dunhams to task for having gotten where they are through connections, and to discredit works whose creators had any advantages, anything from famous parents to indoor plumbing. And while I understand the sentiment, I tend to think we don't want to take this line of thought too far, because some really great works emerge from people who began their careers on third base, as the saying goes. Do we really want to not adore Rufus Wainwright because his parents were also musicians? Can't we just be glad that he wasn't born into a family that expected him to become an orthodontist?

But what I, even I, might question is when profiles of the children of famous artists insist that it's this great act of courage for such an individual to also go into the arts, to "come out" as an artist. As if whichever neuroses one might understandably feel about not wanting to go into the family business in any way, shape, or form compare to, let alone exceed, the obstacle that is not having famous parents.

1 comment:

Petey said...

"As if whichever neuroses one might understandably feel about not wanting to go into the family business in any way, shape, or form compare to, let alone exceed, the obstacle that is not having famous parents."

While what you are saying is obviously true, isn't Lena really at least trying to balance out the obstacles?