|
New York, New York - August, 2006 The question of the day isn't what you do or how much you're worth. More and more, it's "Who's your Daddy?" Is that George W. Bush, son of George H. Bush, in the West Wing, or is it Josiah Bartlet, played by Martin Sheen, the TV-star dad of a TV star? Watch out, Mr. President – here comes Jack Bauer, a.k.a. Keifer Sutherland, who got his acting chops – if not his karate chops – from his actor father, Donald. Today it seems every business is a family business. Flip to MTV and see Jakob Dylan and Julian Lennon try to live up to their genes. HBO is bound to be showing a movie with Michael Douglas (son of Kirk), Jeff Bridges (son of Lloyd), Angelina Jolie (daughter of John Voight), Kate Hudson (daughter of Goldie Hawn) or Jamie Lee Curtis (daughter of Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh). Probably directed by Sofia Coppola. The History Channel has a special on the Kennedy family. Check MSNBC for news of Donald Trump and his vice presidents, son Donald Jr. and daughter Ivanka. Last month Trump's fellow billionaire Warren Buffett, calling famous folks' kids "the lucky sperm club," announced plans to give away most of his $44 billion fortune, leaving his kids to spend a mere billion apiece.  Danner and Paltrow: The cheekbones are nature. The talent is nurture. I don't even have room for ESPN, the "Extraordinary Sperm Progeny Network." If it's not Archie Manning cheering sons Peyton and Eli, it's Mario Andretti cheering son Michael and grandson Marco at 220 m.p.h.; Dale Earnhardt Jr. chasing his grampa Ralph's and dad Dale's records at 200 m.p.h.; Prince Fielder hitting his 22nd career homer (297 to go to catch Cecil); Barry Bonds, that giant asterisk, clubbing his 722nd (390 more than Bobby); or Kobe Bryant elevating despite the burden of having a father named Jellybean. What's behind the rise of so many second and third-generation stars? Is it nature, nurture or nepotism? Bonds, Fielder and Ken Griffey Jr. have talents that are clearly genetic – the reflexes required to turn on a 95-m.p.h. fastball, the vision to see the spin that telltales it's not a slider. The same goes for the strength, timing and rifle wrists of Bobby and Brett Hull, and even the cheekbones Emmy-winner Blythe Danner bequeathed to her Oscar-winner daughter Gwyneth Paltrow. But there's more to MLB, NHL or even PG-13 stardom than DNA. If genes were the whole story, Pete Rose Jr. would have been odds-on to match his pop's 4,256 hits. Instead he fell short by 4,254. If success were genetic, Robbie Knievel would have been as good as Evel, and Bobby Bonds Jr. (never heard of him, did you?) would have made it out of Triple-A ball.
|
Newswire 
