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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu to think Brooklyn Beckham getting a pro photography job is nepotism at its best?

51 replies

coffeeisnectar · 01/02/2016 21:59

So young Brooklyn, just 16 years old has landed the plum job of shooting the new Burberry ad causing much angst among professional photographers.

Some may argue he takes good selfies on instagram and has a huge following. But is that because of his photos or are his followers teenage girls hoping to bag themselves a Beckham boyfriend?

Is Brooklyn destinies to be another playboy drifting from one thing to another, living off his parents name and money?

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 01/02/2016 22:38

Has he got any photography qualifications?

Lweji · 01/02/2016 22:40

Do all photographers have qualifications?

Sparklingbrook · 01/02/2016 22:43

Don't know. if I was employing a photographer I would like to see some certificates of competency.

ILostItInTheEarlyNineties · 01/02/2016 22:45

All pupils have to stay in education until 18 I thought? Maybe this is work experience and his mum has pulled a few strings?

roachslayer · 01/02/2016 22:46

did you copy paste this from the guardian yeh?

if you were his age and this opportunity came up...why wouldn't you take it?!

Stillunexpected · 01/02/2016 22:47

Brooklyn Beckham is still 16 and legally has to be in some form of education until 18 so I fail to see how he has time to jet all over the world and try out all these different careers. He must be spending at least some of his time on some kind of course or in a classroom surely?

ManneryTowers · 01/02/2016 22:48

It's a massive PR stunt. Burberry are getting more out of it than he is. It's just a new type of advertising campaign for the Instageneration.

Sparklingbrook · 01/02/2016 22:49

Bit of a grey are this education til 18 malarkey. Basically no claiming benefits til you are 18. Apparently nobody is that fussed about the education bit.

Last thing I heard he was his Mother's apprentice or something.

GrumpyOldBag · 01/02/2016 22:50

It's not nepotism, it's just clever marketing.

VagueIdeas · 01/02/2016 22:51

They will have it all set up so he only has to press the shutter. Total nepotism. But he is huge on Instagram, apparently. Those are the only qualifications he needs, in terms of the publicity he will bring for Burberry.

This all genuinely makes me feel like an old miserable fart Grin

Sparklingbrook · 01/02/2016 22:53

Who buys Burberry? As in who is their target market?

DS1 is the same age as BB and thinks he's Hmm so he won't be buying.

shutupandshop · 01/02/2016 22:55

Why not? can he take photos

MrsJayy · 01/02/2016 22:57

Lots of rich people pull strings for their children its not a new thing

Canyouforgiveher · 01/02/2016 22:57

Clever marketing by Burberry.

I can't understand why his parents are letting him become a hanger-on "celebrity" at such an early age. he should be in college or doing an apprenticeship or something that he can do without fanfare. it is an awful thing to do to a kid to make them famous for no reason and with no talent at age 16. I actually thought the Beckhams would do better than that for their children.

MrsJorahMormont · 01/02/2016 23:01

Of course it's nepotism and of course there are better people for the job. But while people act like idiotic sheeple and blindly follow slebs then we'll have to endure more and more of this 'news'.

Sparklingbrook · 01/02/2016 23:04

I actually thought the Beckhams had been out of the news lately. Haven't seen them at all for ages. it's been great.

VagueIdeas · 01/02/2016 23:04

Who buys Burberry? As in who is their target market?

It's a fragrance campaign I think, so I'm guessing they're targeting BB's hordes of teenage fangirls.

BoneyBackJefferson · 01/02/2016 23:05

As has been said, its marketing and its free.

As to whether the lad believes that he is a photographer remains to be seen, but its very very clever marketing.

Sparklingbrook · 01/02/2016 23:06

Burberry perfume? Well I never. Grin Not all beige raincoats then?

Valentine2 · 01/02/2016 23:09

OP, I so agree with your point about them turning into something of a Kardashian clan. Ohhhh!!

TheHiphopopotamus · 02/02/2016 00:07

I can't understand why his parents are letting him become a hanger-on "celebrity" at such an early age. he should be in college or doing an apprenticeship or something that he can do without fanfare. it is an awful thing to do to a kid to make them famous for no reason and with no talent at age 16. I actually thought the Beckhams would do better than that for their children

I agree. For such a media savvy couple as the Beckhams, I think this is a real mis-step. But as Brooklyn appears to have no discernible talent, throwing him at 'projects' appears to be the best they can do.

And I realise he's only 16 but surely the best thing to do would have been to keep him out of the spotlight until he find his 'niche'. They're addicted to the limelight, the lot of them.

ginghamcricketbox · 02/02/2016 00:10

Why do You give a shit? Grin

Original poster
coffeeisnectar · 02/02/2016 00:14

He reminds me a bit of Prince Andrew. Lots of pointless stuff but trading on the name and not actually doing anything.

I guess it must be difficult when your dad is a talented footballer and your mum was a bad singer and is now a famous clothes designer. But why he can't work his way into a career I don't know.

David Bowies son is a prime example of staying below the radar and working hard and gaining experience without hanging with the slebs all the time.

OP posts:
Canyouforgiveher · 02/02/2016 00:21

Why do You give a shit? grin

Well I don't give much of a shit to be honest but I do feel sorry for that boy - he will never be able to point at anything and say "I did that all because of my talent/hard work/the friends I made at work who believed in me/etc". All the things that the rest of us living functionally if not brilliantly in the world take for granted. Because for most of us there is a moment when a teacher says "that's great well done" or a boss says "I'm very impressed" or a customer says "thanks so much" or even you finish an assignment,submit it and want to read it over because you think it is great - whether or not it is the greatest or not. We do it ourselves, are beholden to no one and it can sometimes feel great.

Their fame and how they handled it seems to have robbed this teen from any of that. Maybe he'll be fine with doing photo shoots he must know deep down are because of his name not his talent but I think it is a recipe for disaster for most teens who are striving for the future- to be someone - to be separate from their parents.

Still, I care far more about teens who are ignored/abused/neglected/given crap education etc. But since someone asked the question, it does all seem a bit of a waste to me - to be a marketing ploy for a global brand at age 16. not what I would want for my children.

PedantPending · 02/02/2016 04:56

Simply goes to show how downmarket the brand has become.

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