The idiom “keeping up with the Joneses” evolved from a 1913 newspaper comic strip of the same name that ran until 1938. The subject matter of the strip was the McGinis family who struggled to keep up with their neighbors—the Joneses. Ever since then, the phrase has been used to reference those people who strive to accumulate wealth or other goods that others have. Perhaps no one locale reflects this mindset among its residents more so than Hollywood.

It is Hollywood that has become fertile ground for transgenderism, giving rise to at least 70 stars who have announced their transition. But with this wave of transgender revelation, it seems to be a matter of keeping up with the Joneses as one-by-one various Hollywood celebrities proudly announce support for their transgender or non-binary children.

While a parent’s support for children is all important, the question arises as to whether it is necessary to publicly announce it rather than simply just to provide it—however misguided that “support” may be. But as these celebrities continue to make such announcements, it really seems to be a contest. Could this be the reason that so many top Hollywood actors claim that their children identify as gender non-conforming?

An earlier study, published in 2022 in Pediatrics and using a large national database of U.S. adolescents, provided evidence that an outbreak in transgenderism was more likely attributable to “social contagion” rather than true identification as such. If so, the contagion appears to be in freefall. A subsequent self-reported transgender and non-binary survey indicates the percentage has dropped from 6.8% in 2023 to about 3.8% in 2025—with the decline most pronounced among undergraduate students under the age of 24.

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis recently went on line claiming no one can tell which of her two daughters is trans and she “wouldn’t have it any other way.” (Sorry, Jamie, we can.) But the transgender issue has become so prevalent in Hollywood that an interviewer asked Sylvester Stallone’s wife, Jennifer Flavin, 57, about the rise of trans children.

During an appearance on “The Katie Miller Podcast,“ Flavin said, “I just think Hollywood is, you know, it’s all about expression. So, you know, however you want to express yourself. If you feel like a cat today, you’re a cat. And it’s so loosey-goosey.”

Flavin then added a comment that should cause Hollywood’s trans parents a moment of self-reflection. She said,“I don’t think that we’re really understanding that these kids are not our accessories. They’re little human beings that need structure. And structure is really important for them because it helps their brain organize everything.”

Hollywood has actively played a role in promoting families as dysfunctional and in undermining traditional family values. The destruction of the nuclear family does nothing to help nurture a positive environment in which children can thrive in pursuing all they want to be in a structured setting that helps point them in the right direction.

It is predicted that transgenderism, as a fading fad among young Americans, will continue to decline in the years ahead. This will undoubtedly create a quandary for Hollywood’s transgender and non-binary parents struggling to keep up with the Joneses.

UPDATE: This essay has been edited to remove a reference to an alleged study showing 94% of Hollywood stars have gender non-conforming children. There is no such study.

Image from Grok.