hollywood is known for its blatent nepotism (see: the entire copolla family including indie stars sophia and jason schwartzman and fading star nicholas cage) however few manage to pull off reproducing strictly cool kin and thrusting them into the spotlight with grace. serge gainsbourg and jane birkin, as shortlived or volatile as their relationship might have been, not only produced some of the best pop culture grand oeuvres of the century (see: je t'aime... moi non plus) but also reproduced one of the coolest 'it girls' of our generation. charlotte acts and sings, but started her it girl career as the muse for some of her father's most controversial work, lemon incest and charlotte forever.
you can also see charlotte work her magic in michel gondry's 'the science of sleep' and the bob dylan biopic 'i'm not there' and showcase her pretty voice on her platinum album 5:55 released in 2006.
jane birkin, although not quite as popular as brigitte bardot in her heyday, has managed to age with grace and dignity and continues to actively participate in the arts community (bardot on the other hand has made quite the name for herself as an animal activist and france's top racist). the maman of chère charlotte herself played the role of muse in her time, a fashion icon forever immortalized in the 'birkin bag' by hermès. The bag is so desirable and popular, birkin suggests the popularity of the bag exceeds her own, telling the new york times "now when my daughter goes to America, they ask her if she is the daughter of the bag."
despite his passing nearly 20 years ago, serge gainsbourg maintains his popularity as both an old-fashioned chanteur as well as a french new wave artist, the musical equivalent of godard or truffaut. a reissue of 'histoire de melody nelson' early in 2009 proves his staying power and influence over popular culture today. the national treasure now passes his legacy on to his daughter who has proven herself to be a talented singer and actress as well as a worthwhile contender as the next national treasure of france; like mother like daughter like father.
