Long before nepo baby culture was the new wave of reality television—Calabasas Confidential, Next Gen NYC—MTV was ahead of the curve. If you’ve been living under a rock, a nepo baby is, according to many celebrities, a typically derogatory term to describe the offspring of the rich and famous.
The early aughts gave us some really whacky programming like Next, Parental Control, The Osbournes, and Flavor of Love. Rock the Cradle was different, though.
MTV was the first network to have a show dedicated to nepo babies
Set more to the tune of American Idol on Fox, Rock the Cradle gathered up children from 1980s and ‘90s musicians and pit them against one another. The show was extremely short lived, airing just six episodes before cancelation.
For the most part, the kids were already grown, so competing on a show like this wasn’t exactly the best look. Some of the parents of the contestants included MC Hammer, Bobby Brown, the late Olivia Newton-John, and Dee Snider. The winner of the season, Crosby Loggins, is the son of Kenny Loggins.
Rock The Cradle failed to find an audience on mtv
Although MTV’s long history is rooted in music, the show failed to connect with an audience. It was originally scheduled to air eight episodes, but due to poor ratings, was axed. Additionally, the show aired video packages for the audience to learn more about their upbringings.
For some of the parents, the experience totally backfired. Chloe Lattanzi—Newton-John’s daughter—described her memories of childhood including living inside big empty houses because her mom wasn’t around. The public wasn’t too happy hearing that tidbit, and it caused a lot of backlash for the “Physical” singer.
The difference between American Idol and a concept like Rock the Cradle is Idol gave people something to root for. A working class musician plucked out of a small town in rural Illinois? Sign me up! Well-off children of famous musicians with plenty of their own connections? Not so much. But I guess not every music progeny can be Wolf Van Halen, Julian Casablancas, or Gracie Abrams.
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