Finneas O'Connell as you would know is
Billy Eilish's brother just clap back at
trolls who attributed his and Billie's
success to their parents connections and
privilege what is up you guys it's Sussan
we're out here with clever news and yes
some people really did just claim that
Phineas and Billie Eilish are successful
only because they were born and raised
in LA and of their parents's connections
in the industry in case you didn't know
their parents Maggie Baird and Patrick
O'Connell have worked in the acting and
film industries throughout their lives
but regardless of who they know the
amount of success Billie and Finneas
have achieved is above and beyond what
any connections could have got them
together they collectively won ten
Grammys this year and they are still
breaking records left and right but over
the weekend Phineas wrote a piece of
advice for young artists that sparked a
debate about nepotism and privilege real
quick Merriam Webster's definition of
nepotism is the practice among those
with power or influence of favoring
relatives or friends especially by
giving them jobs
Phineas wrote quote a piece of advice to
young creatives shooting your shot is
promoted widely and I think honestly
it's a little overrated work super hard
alone or with your closest friends make
so good it speaks for itself don't
pester people to work with you let them
come to you and before we get into all
the responses I'd love to know where
your initial reactions to this statement
up get the conversation going right here
in the comment section below and you
won't want to miss what upset fans had
to say to him and Billy some fans
thought that Phineas's mentality was
only because of the privilege and
connections he and his family apparently
have one person said quote easy to say
when your sister is Billy and your
family supported your career not
everyone has the luxury and white
privilege to be so lucky I fought to be
on h NW h and shade 45 i'm an indie
artist with a vision working to live off
my dream another said spoken like
someone born to two actors in LA here's
my piece of advice check your priveledge
some of us have full-time jobs and are
desperate to escape those conditions my
dad was a mechanic I can't even afford
his funeral
I have $700 in my bank account so yeah
I'll shoot my shot and another road
I think the point most people are making
is that the statement you made still
reeks of privilege let them come to you
is easy for you to say as a white man
but people of color don't exactly get
offered opportunities left and right but
vineyards took to Twitter to set the
record straight
in a sense deleted tweet he said quote
during my lifetime our parents were
never able to fully financially support
us off their work as actors our dad
worked 12 hour days seven days a week as
a construction worker for Mattel and our
mum was a teacher our parents gave us
love but knew no one in the record
industry he went on to say quote they
paid off their mortgage last year and
Billy pays them each salaries to tour
with us full-time though they have told
us many times they would work for us for
free and Phineas added that quote anyone
who saw us to eighteen twenty nineteen
knows our dad insists on sweeping the
stage each night before we perform so
Phineas made his side of the story clear
and many of his fans rallied behind him
and Billy saying that they don't have to
explain themselves to the trolls one
person said just so you know Phineas you
don't have to justify yourself to these
people we love y'all no matter what
another said you do not have to prove
yourself especially not to haters
everything you have is yours by hard
work and great talent and you deserve it
all and so much more please I love you
another fan wrote the connections
argument alone is tiring because
sometimes even people with connections
don't make it because public simply
doesn't enjoy their art you can't buy
people's heart
we love Billy's music that's just it and
both Billy and Phineas have praised
their parents for encouraging their
creativity while growing up the siblings
were home-schooled and according to
Phineas were surrounded by music in
every nook and cranny of their house
last year he told a wall that quote just
being afforded the opportunities I was
afforded living in LA making music being
homeschooled having time in the day to
make all that music it was just this
gift that I was given of time and
resources and we all know that their
success came from just that they shot to
fame in 2015 when
song ocean eyes went viral on SoundCloud
when Phineas was only 17 and Billy was
only 13 they recorded the song in
Phineas childhood bedroom where they
also recorded the majority of Billy's
Grammy award-winning album when we all
fall asleep where do we go and what you
might not know is that Billy still lives
in that same two-bedroom house where she
grew up with her parents and their
parents actually slept in the living
room so that Billy and Phineas had their
own rooms to record music Billy has also
openly talked about the misconceptions
surrounding her family she told NME
quote people just have a different
vision of how I was raised and that's
not correct they think I'm just a little
rich girl from LA Billy also explained
that her family lives in Highland Park
but moved there when it quote wasn't a
great neighborhood but it was affordable
for them so regardless of how Billy and
Phineas got to where they are now their
success speaks for itself but now I want
to turn it over to you what are your
thoughts on Phineas initial tweet and
subsequent tweets and also what do you
think about all the responses get
chatting right here in the comment
section below
oh and while we're talking about Billy
Eilish click right over here to see all
the ways she dominated last year as
always be sure to hit that subscribe
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oh and we also have some exciting news
for you guys
clever music is actually coming back
next month March 2020 so stay tuned for
that
I'm your host Sussan Mourad thanks for
hanging with me and I'll see you later
