Valentino's new fragrance campaign was supposed to sell seduction. It has instead exposed a double standard in how Hollywood's nepo babies get judged, depending on which parent made them famous.
Dakota Johnson and Alexander Skarsgård were unveiled as the faces of Valentino's 'Vendetta' perfume this week, and the internet reacted fast. Both stars come from acting dynasties: Johnson is the daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith, and Skarsgård is the son of Stellan Skarsgård, although only one of them is currently being torn apart online.
Why Dakota Johnson Bears the Brunt of the Valentino Perfume Backlash
The chemistry complaints piled up fast. 'Negative. Chemistry. Negative!!!!' wrote one Reddit user, adding that the pair looked 'like they're brother and sister'.
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Another argued that Skarsgård 'could have sexual chemistry with a mop', putting the blame for the ad's flatness squarely on Johnson, claiming 'it's like she goes out of her way to be bad at her job'.
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One commenter summed up the general verdict on Johnson's performance with a blunt 'go girl, give us nothing'. Even viewers who called Skarsgård one of the most attractive men working today admitted the ad left them cold.
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Hollywood's Nepo Baby Double Standard
This is where the story stops being about perfume. Two commenters distilled the split perfectly. One called the Skarsgårds 'talented enough in their own right' that their industry advantages get forgiven, while dismissing Johnson as 'so bland that you constantly wonder how she's still getting jobs, oh wait, nepotism'.
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Another argued that nobody minds a nepo baby who is 'actually skilled at the thing you're doing', since entertainment families have always existed.
Johnson has spent over a decade building a career well beyond the Fifty Shades franchise now being mocked in her name, with acclaimed turns in A Bigger Splash and Suspiria, and a dry, deadpan public persona that has made her one of Hollywood's more distinctive talk show guests.
Skarsgård's own filmography includes plenty of divisive, widely mocked work, from True Blood to The Northman.
However, none of this seems to contribute to the backlash he's currently facing.
Is this criticism truly about talent, or do male legacy actors get categorized under 'industry tradition', while their female counterparts are seen as 'unearned' in the same position?
Is the Valentino Campaign Bad Acting or Bad Direction?
It is also worth asking whether the ad itself is the real culprit. Several viewers said the campaign felt more like sketch comedy than seduction, with one joking it 'looks like an SNL sketch every time the camera is on her'.
Others pointed out that a perfume literally named 'Vendetta' was always going to invite comparisons to V for Vendetta rather than high romance.
The campaign certainly didn't lack pedigree. Shot on 35mm by acclaimed director Romain Gavras, set to Pet Shop Boys' 'It's a Sin', and backed by print photography from Inez and Vinoodh, it carried all the weight of a high-fashion blockbuster. Yet it still fell flat for a vocal corner of the internet.
A stiff performance often results from direction and concept issues rather than one actor's fault. However, online commentary has unfairly blamed Johnson alone. Turning '50 Shades of Nepo' into a joke at her expense allows the rest of the team, including her privileged male co-star, to escape scrutiny.
