She’s got it all, beauty, brains, money, crazy talent and a list of exes which is almost the who’s who of Hollywood A-listers. So, it’s understandable why people around the world love and love to hate her. But is it?
Jennifer Lawrence has the same list of credentials, and yet, people don’t hate her. Jennifer Aniston, same thing, people don’t hate her either. But Nicole Kidman, she’s in the same boat as Paltrow. And yet, Katie Holmes isn’t (now that she’s divorced).
Are you starting to see the pattern? Where lies the discrepancy?
Paltrow has this air of “I’m too good for you” which she manages to exude in spades. The woman is the epitome of snobbery. She’s had her head so far up her own ass, that I don’t think she understands how far from reality she actually is.
She has a sense of entitlement and self-importance, and tries to be down to earth, but fails epically in her attempts. She’s proven time and time again that she’s not from common every man stock, she’s Hollywood royalty. So what, so is Maya Rudolph (Paltrow’s good friend from childhood), and she’s relatable and likeable.
I stumbled across the latest in a long line of “I’m so normal” pieces for Paltrow, in an attempt to be more relatable, in Vogue. It was a piece saying that Paltrow is no longer on that weird lemon cleanse diet where you basically ate a child’s snack equivalent in a day, and if you got hungry, drink a cup of hot water with 2 lemon slices in it. Do you recall that?
Anyway, in this new piece, the ever earthy goddess lists the following in her daily consumption: coffee, smoothie, big salad with grilled chicken, and whatever she wants for dinner (stir fried chicken and broccoli or pasta).
So, yes it is a little more human and perhaps even sustainable. But realistically, that’s basically a meal for me. No matter how “big” a salad is, I am hungry at the end of it, and need something more fulfilling. As for the smoothie, that’s the drink you have with the meal, right? So, that would be lunch for me. It might explain why I am not of a model build and don’t have a thigh gap. Oh sad.
Honestly, there is nothing wrong with wanting to be liked by your audience, you’re an actor and a part of your craft is managing your public image. Whether that be one of haunting beauty or girl next door, you have to choose.
We don’t like it when you cross lines and try to be everything, then, you’re just a try-hard. Remember that term from the early 90s? When the shoe fits, it fits.
I think Paltrow has always tried way too hard to be liked, and at the same time, not caring what people think. That’s hard to do. She alienates every day women, yet at the same time, a lot of them aspire to be her. Her Goop empire is an interesting one. She’s found herself a loyal following. She’s loved by many, but hated by many more. In one year, she was simultaneously voted the most beautiful woman in Hollywood and the most hated. Oxymoron at it’s finest. Am I using that term correctly?
I will concede that actors work hard, it’s not all glamour and no substance. They have long days, they have to endure the tantrums and directions of others. And often, endure great rejection at the expense of their looks, age, ethnicity or ability. It is a harsh world they live in, so, theoretically speaking, they should understand the struggles with which we all face, one way or another.
And yet, Paltrow comes across as though she’s just not quite all there when it comes to being “one of us”. Is it because she’s always flawlessly beautiful and styled? Is it because she’s outspoken? Is it because she’s intelligent and talented?
Most recently, she came under fire for doing the $29 food stamp challenge. The woman was actually doing a service, and trying to prove how hard it is to live off of $29 a week for food. Her article wasn’t the most well written piece, nor her outrage remotely genuine or critical of how so many Americans are living on or below the poverty line.
The online community went viral, attacking her for purchasing kale (“rich white people food”), 7 limes (“WTF?”), gluten free wraps and brown rice (“get a reality check, poor people can’t afford that shit”). The criticism just goes on. And honestly, if you had only $29 to spend on food for a week, why the hell would you buy shallots or coriander, those are garnishes. You’d buy staples, meat and carbs.
Yes, I don’t agree with what she purchased, but she was just trying to make a point that you cannot make ‘healthy meals’ on such a low budget. She even mention that she bought the avocado and limes because they’re cheap in Southern California.
Paltrow was trying to do a public service, but highlighting how hard it is to live off such a small food budget, and yet this is a reality for “47 million” Americans.
Even when she’s trying to do something that is socially responsible, she’s coming off as a spoilt brat who is out of touch.
Maybe I will do the $29 challenge and see how I go. I am suspecting an epic fail and a feeling of wanting to snatch food from other people’s plates. Who knows, I may be just as out of touch as she is?
Ranter & Banter 