Gwyneth Paltrow is in hot water – and not the exfoliating and pore-cleansing kind. This time, the former A-list actress/turned health beauty and wellness guru and her website Goop are under attack for the alleged fake science behind many of her acclaimed beauty and medicinal regimens.
This isn’t the first time Paltrow has courted controversy and it most probably won’t be the last. From naming her first born after a nutritious snack to consciously uncoupling from her rockstar husband Chris Martin, Paltrow definitely has a knack for getting under some serious skin. And now this Goopy goddess has caught the eye of the medical community with some of her brand’s health and wellness tips offered up to her legion of loyal followers.
Let’s back it up a bit – Paltrow first burst onto the Hollywood scene back in the 1990s. Clearly a force to be reckoned with, the actress had an interesting and fresh-faced beauty that set her apart from the plasticky side of the biz, not to mention a real talent for acting. We can’t forget she won the best actress Oscar in 1999 for Shakespeare in Love – and then came marriage and then came Apple in the baby carriage.
Soon after, the bloom began to fade on her rose. As with many mothers I have encountered in my life, Paltrow’s foray into motherhood transformed her into the be-all and know-all of all things parenting. And it all started with a baby name choice that rocked the internet to its very core (see what I did there?)
From there, she made the tricky maneuver from silver screen to internet idol when she birthed her lifestyle blog Goop in 2008. And thus began Paltrow’s reinvention of herself – less actress and more health/wellness/beauty expert. Standing at the helm of Goop, Paltrow had a platform from which to tout her advice on what to eat, various beauty and health treatments as well as must-have products – all served up with a heaping side order of judgment.
Cases in point – her pronouncement: “I would rather die than let my kid eat cup-a-soup” followed closely by this nugget of wisdom: “I would rather smoke crack than eat cheese from a can”.
Really? I mean – for real?
When you’re raking in the big bucks and have access to pretty much any and everything your A-list heart desires, it’s easy to forget that not everyone has the means to follow suit. Which is why her colossal meal plan failure in 2015 should have brought her crashing down to reality. Paltrow was tasked with planning a week’s worth of healthy meals for the average American family on $29 (roughly the amount of money allocated to people relying on food stamps). She hit the ground running with her initial grocery purchase comprised of veggies, beans and brown rice – but quit four days later because it proved too difficult if not downright impossible.
Did she swallow her pride and issue an enormous mea culpa to the masses for her previous judgmental dismissals? You tell me – Goop’s recipe for a Moon Juice breakfast smoothie – which is clearly the breakfast of extremely rich champions – is comprised of ingredients running up a tab of more than $200!
While Goop is clearly quite popular and working out well for Paltrow (extravagant luxuries touted as essential must-haves or not), some of the medical advice put forth is questionable at best. Here’s a sampling:
- Women should be ingesting iodine supplements for increased thyroid health
- Women should insert jade eggs into their vaginas for restorative purposes
- And my personal favourite – women should pamper themselves with a vaginal steam (or a hot douche as the case may be) for a cleanse as well as hormonal balance reset
In Goop’s defence, there is a disclaimer on their suggestions disguised as advice stating they are meant to be viewed as alternative ideas and not to be confused with honest-to-goodness medical diagnoses and/or treatment.
Thank God – as much of Goop’s health and wellness tips are supplied by a medical medium – not an actual doctor. If you are wondering what exactly a medical medium is then join the club. It is someone who intuits advice leading to better health and wellness with a bit of help from the spiritual world. In a nutshell – when the entertainment industry joins leagues with the medical community – medical mediums and/or Dr. Phils are born. Hand to heart, I am not creative or hilarious enough to make this crap up!
Many genuine medical professionals are taking Paltrow and Goop to task for the hooey it is slinging (and expensive hooey at that) to the hordes of desperate women enraptured by Paltrow and the glitz and glamour she represents.
Canadian born U.S. OB/GYN Dr. Jen Gunter is one such professional. A self-proclaimed debunker of all sorts of medical rumours and wive’s tales affecting women’s health, Gunter aims to fix any and all bad science she comes across. So while definitely not her sole target, Goop definitely falls into her occasional line of fire.
There’s no denying the fact that Paltrow’s got a lot going for her so perhaps it’s time she turns her attention back to what she’s great at and leave vaginal health to the OB/GYNs and allow mediums to get back to their business of contacting Elvis. Money, fame and power can sometimes inflate an ego in zero seconds flat. I suggest she put a pin in it and return to where her true talents lie:
In acting – In case you’ve forgotten, it was Gwynnie’s character who lost her head (we can only assume) as Brad Pitt’s adorable wife in the 1995 psychological thriller Se7ven.
In singing – She provided her own vocals for her role in the 2000 movie Duets directed by her father Bruce Paltrow.
In parenting – She obviously loves and wants only the best for her children – as any parent worth their Pink Himalayan salt does.
In beauty – There’s no arguing here – Paltrow has an extraordinary elegance and grace that not everyone has been blessed with.
In comedy – She does possess a sense of humour – even about herself. And if you don’t believe me, just watch one of the three times she hosted Saturday Night Live.
Gwyneth Paltrow – she has it all and then some. From Oscar winner to internet sensation peddling magic elixirs to the masses, it’s clear she’s chock full of charisma and clout. When she speaks, people listen – which is why she needs to harness this celebrity and ensure she uses it for good and never evil – and definitely not to promote unfair judgments, extravagant spending and bad science.
And Gwynnie please – when it comes to medicine and the spiritual world – never the twain shall meet.
I am really enjoying your posts. You are a gifted writer, and quite deft at turning a phrase.