In Defense of Gwyneth Paltrow

Why Her GOOP Newsletter is a Weekly Treat

We may live in a celebrity obsessed culture, but a funny thing happens when celebrities invite fans into their world. Suddenly, people begin to look down on them.

Recently, Gwyneth Paltrow has taken a lot of criticism for producing a weekly newsletter called GOOP, in which she gives advice on everything from food to exercise and travel to spirituality. Is it ridiculous? Absolutely. But that's part of the fun.

Criticisms of GOOP

But many people have criticised GOOP and Paltrow's intentions with the newsletter. They think she's pretentious and bitchy and that it is condescending of her to suggest how other people should live. Clearly these people don't get it.

There was a joke on Sex and the City in which Stanford and Carrie discuss therapists. Stanford mentions that Carrie has an appointment with a celeb shrink who is so good even Paltrow goes to see her. Carrie then asks why Gwyneth Paltrow sees a shrink. Stanford simply replies: "She suffers from very high self esteem."

And why shouldn't Paltrow have high self-esteem? She is gorgeous. She has a fabulous body. She is best friends with Madonna. She is a very talented actress. Her husband, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, writes her beautiful songs. She gets paid to kiss Robert Downey Jr. She has an Oscar.

GOOP likes to travel in style. And while many of its readers could never afford its recommended restaurants and hotels, that doesn't matter. Reading GOOP, you get to see things that are fabulous. Paltrow isn't showing off, she's simply telling people they haven't lived until they've spent their life savings on one small meal. It may be ridiculous, but would it kill people to be a little ridiculous sometimes?

Paltrow Offers Advice Like Everyone Else

People also give the GOOPster a hard time for dolling out advice on how to be a better person. But it seems the biggest haters of Paltrow's advice are the people who are first to jump in line and give others their unwanted opinions.

Gwyneth Paltrow and GOOP are about standards. Perhaps Paltrow thinks she's better than everyone else, and why shouldn't she? She may have high self-esteem but what is so wrong with that? The world would benefit more if people actually had some of the confidence that Paltrow exudes.