Exactly my point, no one knows who has what connections in the industry, it's easy to say robin thicke's parents helped him out, but you don't think timberlake's mother putting him on star search with that cowboy hat on and then being involved with one of the biggest companies on earth and then lou pearlman bringing him to the masses as the lead singer of a boy band isn't getting help in some kind of way? Granted out of the boy bands that came out, he was one of the most talented singer, but lets not act like his success is self-generated, because honestly, no one's success at that level is. timberlake has been in the industry since he was a child.
The reason why Robin Thicke gets a pass is because he seems less industry polished, more mature, more into the craft of making music. Timberlake has stated before that he was burned out on making music and wanted to give it up. and this was before his second album came out.
I'll put it another way, Robin Thicke comes across as a guy that has always been around black people and absorbed the culture without reverse kooning. timberlake comes across as the guy infatuated with the culture, but keeps it at arms length, but will wear cornrolls and bandanas to show people that he's down. It just comes across as inauthentic and forced to me.
(I'm stealing that smilie though)