I can’t find any photos of Gwyneth Paltrow at the Met Ball anywhere. I can’t even find an article claiming that Goopy was there… so I’m going with the idea that she didn’t show up to fashion’s biggest night. I wonder why? Was it because Kate Bosworth was there? Or maybe Gwyneth couldn’t get the best dress that she wanted? I have no idea.
In any case, Goopy is still promoting Iron Man 2, which comes out this weekend. She gave an interview to Britain’s New Magazine, and she comes across as… strange. She tells the magazine, “I don’t need to be doing three films a year and be the biggest star. I mean, I could throw myself into my career and then I’d probably lose my marriage. You have to be very mindful of your balance. My family’s super important to me. You don’t want to get too career orientated and lose that.” That’s the kind of quote that would make the feminist in me rear up and get all “You should be able to work when and how you want without fearing the loss of your man.” But we live in the real world, and I know what Gwyneth is saying, basically: that there’s give and take in life, and her priority is her kids and her marriage, rather than a career. Plus, I don’t feel sympathetic towards her in general because she seems like she’s looking down her nose at anyone who doesn’t make a similar choice:
As new! goes to shake Gwyneth Paltrow’s hand, we are struck by how much more beautiful she is in the flesh.
The 37 year old’s skin glows and her legs – poking out of a Victoria Beckham dress – never seem to stop. If the mum of two wasn’t so friendly and normal it would be really rather irritating.
But it’s not as if she doesn’t work hard at it. As the London-based New Yorker explains, to prepare for her new film Iron Man 2 (with Robert Downey Jr), she had to stick to an incredibly strict diet and exercise regime.
Famously, Gwyneth suffered from depression after the death of her father Bruce in 2002, but managed to overcome her demons after giving birth to her first child Apple, five. And since the birth of son Moses, four, she has taken time out of her career to be a full-time mum and wife to husband Chris Martin, 33. But now she’s back with the sequel of the hit film. Here, the Oscar-winning actress reveals all about being a working mum and how she stays so beautiful…
Why don’t you make as many films as you used to?
Because I have kids. I worked so much in my twenties, then I had these two beautiful kids and I just wanted to be home with them. It’s probably not the best thing for your career, but my kids are my priority. They need me at home. When I was doing the last movie, Moses didn’t like it. And I just thought, “I can’t do this again right away.” Some days you think, “Oh my God. They’re in the bath right now and I’m not there.” I’d cry in my trailer.Your mother, actress Blythe Danner, made a similar choice, didn’t she?
Yes, for a long time. So that was my model. I love picking them up from school, and I love cooking with them. It’s such a gift. I love what I do, too, but their needs are more important than my needs. I don’t need to be doing three films a year and be the biggest star.But you already are…I mean, I could throw myself into my career and then I’d probably lose my marriage. You have to be very mindful of your balance. My family’s super important to me. You don’t want to get too career orientated and lose that.
You’ve said you had to work out for this movie. What kind of training did you do?
I have a trainer, Tracy Anderson. She’s amazing. I just did what she said!What’s your diet like now?
When I was getting ready to do Iron Man 2, I was really strict with my diet and working out and trying to get into shape. But then, after a really strict period, I’ll back off. I love bread, French cheese and wine and fried food. So I eat all that.Any beauty secrets?
I think it goes back to diet and exercise. Try and have a lot of greens, vegetables and fruits. Our bodies are incredible if we aren’t eating Doritos and soda. That stuff is poison.Do you manage to keep your children off junk food?
Yes. A year ago, I was working on a cookbook and making organic homemade root beer because I wanted to make it with almost no sugar. My daughter said, “What is that?” And I said, “It’s soda.” And she said, “What’s soda?” And I was like, “Yes! She doesn’t know what soda is.” Now she knows what it is and is always asking me for it.How have you managed to stay so grounded?
Kids keep you grounded. I had a really great dad who told me the truth. And he was a great influence. I’m lucky, because without good parents, I feel it’s so hard to have personal success. It’s a real gift that they gave me. And I have really honest people around me, too. I have old friends, a great brother and a great husband – quality people who keep my feet on the ground.Give us an example of your father telling you the truth…If he thought I was going off course or something wasn’t good for me, he was just very honest with me!
How are you coping with your father’s death now?
It’s still hard. But it has taught me that to fear bad things happening is a waste of energy. Everything happens for a reason.
[From New Magazine]
Apple didn’t even know what soda was? Oh, Goopy. You crazy bitch. I can understand not wanting your kids to drink soda, but to not even know what it is? For real? As far as the whole “I could throw myself into my career and then I’d probably lose my marriage” thing, why doesn’t it occur to Gwyneth that Chris being on tour for a year every other year probably isn’t great for her marriage either? Why does Goopy have to be the only one to cut back on her career again? Oh, right. It probably has something to do with Kate Bosworth.
Plus, I just want to put this out there – “I don’t need to be doing three films a year and be the biggest star.” Who was asking? Seriously, who wants to put Gwyneth in three films a year? Who is asking her to be “the biggest star”? She’s box office poison unless she’s playing the fifth lead in a superhero film.
By the way, Gwyneth is still looking pregnant, isn’t she?
Gwyneth Paltrow in New York on April 29 & 30, 2010. Credit: AAR & Fame Pictures.
Isn’t she raising her children largely in England, though? Because if she did there’s probably a perfectly good reason why Apple doesn’t know what soda is: we just don’t call it soda over here.
Maybe on some level she is aware that she couldn’t have an insane blockbuster career anymore so this is how she copes.. “Well I don’t want a career anyway..”
Also, how old must her daughter have been when she didn’t know what soda was? 4? I don’t think I knew what soda was at that age either. She probably knows what tempeh is though.
I think Gwyneth is referencing a career specifically as an actor. There is a reason why relationships, let alone marriages, do not last in that business – a successful ambitious actor must be away and on the go whenever and wherever the work requires. The only other profession in the entertainment business that is even more transitory would be musician. I respect her decision to consider her relationships with her family as important enough to compromise her career. If you’re not working the floor as an entertainer you’re soon forgotten, something really difficult for a dedicated actor (as they are naturally self-conscious narcissists) to ignore. I hope her marriage and her family stay in tact, and that it does so because she understands balance and priorities.
I am an unabashed gwynophile, so feel free to call me a GOOP-er!
Holy 1950s crap! She annoys me sometimes. Nice message to younger girl fans, like she has any, I know, but still… What is that saying? Don’t be a big success or you could lose your man! Um, only a man not worth having in the first place.
I wouldn’t want my young children to know what Soda is either, do you know what’s in it? I don’t know why that makes her a “crazy bitch”.
She’s a grounded person?!?! Yeah…ok.
Am i the only 1 sick of seeing this b!tch’s face??
Meanwhile, her hubby does seem to continue HIS career regardless of his marriage or children. He’s also rumored to be cheating.
I think I’m actually starting to like Goopeth… she comes across as, yes, a little snobbish, but still pretty cool. She’s so pretty too, now that I’m actually looking at her. Jealous of her legs. D:
I really, really don’t like her, but I begrudgingly must admit everything she said here sounds fabulous to me!
First of all, it’s not anti-feminist to decide that your family is a priority! I think it is very brave and honest of her to admit that she can’t be dedicated to her kids and be an in demand actress at the same time. It is the nature of her job.
Also, she’s not saying don’t have a career or your man will leave you, she’s just pointing out that spending so much time apart is really hard on a marriage – my fiance and I sometimes have the same problem – I work days and he works days and nights (two jobs) so sometimes we really need to decide to move our schedules or blow off time with friends in order to see each other. I definitely don’t see it as giving up my girls or anything like that. If it is important to you, you adjust. I think that is a healthy and really realistic message to send to young girls, not telling them that you can “do it all” and never have to make compromises.
I am totally on board with her statement about soda, soda is a treat in my house for the kids. And I only drink it on occasion with a very good rum in it.
I really like what she had to say. Is it a vouge or popular thought? No, but it is truthful.
Being a teen in the 80’s (yes dating myself) We were bombarded with “YOU can do it all!” Yes a woman can do it all, but they forgot to tell you just how very hard “doing it all” is, and that unless you have some sort of balance, it will eat you alive!
Kinda like the truth about parenthood, as hard as you think it is going to be, you actually wish it were that easy. And these life lessons are only figured out by living them. No one can prepare you for them, this is most def a trial by fire type learning thing.
She’s still married? I haven’t seen Brother Martin with her in…
…..
…..
Well, she’s STILL married?
I was a teen in the 80s too and I remember an epidemic of middle aged women with cheating husbands ending up divorced with no job history or education. Sometimes they give it all up, only to have the same outcome. I love how it is always the woman compromising. Sorry, not how we are raising our girls.
@Lenore what do you call soda ther? We call it pop.
I like gwennie too, and I have to say she is dead on about soda and doritos being poison. I fully think its great her kids dont come near soda. I dont even think kids should be allowed to drink it and hope they tax the shit out of junk food and soda and high fructose corn syrup because this stuff is making everyone fat-its not about fat. its about chemicals. obesogens and things that mimic hormones are the culprits of america’s weight problems.
When you do three movies a year, you lose yourself, I think Chris doesn’t like her working too much. She is a big star, she doesn’t have to make 3 movies a yr. Angelina somehow seems to make it work with one movie a yr, bringing her partner and family to every location and doing her humanitarian work even while filming. So clearly Gwen can’t multi task and doesn’t seem to have a very supportive hubby. Too bad she treated Brad like crap, see how he is with his family and partner as compared to Chris. Chris loves his family but is not willing to move to be with his wife while she films. She always goes with the kids but not her husband, then he cheats on her because she is away.
Admitting that it’s hard to be a superstar and have a healthy marriage is fine (and probably true). The problem is that her husband hasn’t changed his ways to keep the marriage healthy, and in fact is widely believed to be cheating on her – given that, her devotion to the relationship does make her look old-fashioned and lame.
Did anyone see her on Letterman making the ever so slightly snarky remark about people in England having bad teeth? For shame Goopy, for shame!
I usually can’t stand her, but I get what she’s saying, and have to respect it. Though I think it’s very specific to a film career, not a general statement to ALL women with careers.
To me feminism is about the choice to do what you want rather than be stuck into a certain role in life – she chose to get married and have a family, and to spend more time with them than months away on a film set. She also has the luxury of not having to work – most of us aren’t so lucky.
I can’t blame her for wanting to be around as her kids grow up, especially since her husband is touring a lot. We’ve seen the results of absentee Hollywood parents, and I bet Gwenyth has also.
Gwen – excellent point, I think the compromise should come from both parties. I still don’t think what she is saying is wrong, but you’re right, her husband should be showing through his actions that he feels the same.
she did something on her face?!
I think we’re forgetting something here….She can AFFORD to not work constantly!
I see more of a kate bosworth/claire danes similarity….
Goopy is such a bore….nothing about her interests me at all
I think the issue she is ignoring is that she is in a financial position to choose not to work-or work and take all her kids, staff and trainer with her. An option very few of us have.
It’s easy to talk about your choices when you can afford them.
“Too bad she treated Brad like crap, see how he is with his family and partner as compared to Chris.”
Yup, because Brad Pitt looks so thrilled to be alive these days, doesn’t he?! *Rolls eyes*
I like Gwynnie – she’s stuck with her Goop thing in the face of near-universal derision and she prefers family time to clogging up our movie screens. The former being far more entertaining than her cinematic offerings…
Biology decides that women have to sacrifice more when there are kids involved, because they already sacrifice 9 months being pregnant, then a couple more breastfeeding and such, eventually you get attached and don’t want to leave home. I understand feminism, which isn’t about having what a man can have IMHO, but about the right to choose what type of life you want, so Chris Martin doesn’t have to a selfish neanderthal because Gwyneth chose to put being a mother first.
I wonder what little Apple thought when it dawned on her that she is
a) named after a fruit
b) the only one to have that name
Imagine the confusion to a tiny kid and about a day’s worth of pointing at an apple going ‘apple???!’. Hope the girl has a wicke sense of humour and walks around calling Gwyn ‘rhubarb’ 🙂
I think it’s great and normal for a 4 or 5 year old to not know what soda is….what’s strange about that?
If she was 8 or 9,that would seem sheltered. But for a preschooler to not know soday,not so strange.
It’s frankly abnormal to me that kids in preschool in the US drink soda all the time. We expose them to stuff,and then we judge people for NOT exposing them to what amounts to toxins and poisons? Please. The norm is out there,and it’s up to each person to determine if they want the norm or not.
But what kills me is how ‘healthy’ is seen as ‘strange’,in our society. You’re the alternative,weird one if you eat,you know,actual food. ‘oh,you eat brown rice,you are so healthy’.
It’s actually backwards,and retarded,IMO. so,good for Goopy on that front. It sounds like she simply created the world she wanted for her young children-she didnt go out of her way to ‘not’ expose her kids to soda;it just wasnt part of her own life and realm,and therefore,they became familiar instead with what their mom eats. That’s not excessive,it’s normal.
All kids are exposed to their parents choices,which usually are dictated by t.v. commercials and billboards. That doesnt mean it’s overboard to NOT run your life like that.
I think celebitchy tries to hard to dis paltrow sometimes. She’s snotty,but not everything she says or does is ridiculous.
Funny story about my niece and soda. She went to a friend’s house and drank Dr. Pepper thinking it was healthy because it said doctor. I think she was 5 or 6 when this happened. She just hadn’t encountered soda before – no one in the family really drinks it. We’re water and coffee people.
she’s also not even talking about ‘as a woman’,she is speaking as a person,as herself,about marriage,career and choice. why do these posts have to end up about feminism and womens so often? it’s so boring. and i’m a woman. obviously,it’s not lame to choose a family and your relationships,if that is what you want. it is lame to judge someone for doing that,however.
A bit pompous to say if she worked more she wouldn’t have a marriage, when by most people’s standards she doesn’t have a marriage anyway.
sorry but someone has to cut back on their career when you have kids…it’s usually the mom because most moms want to more then men do, it’s just a fact…it’s selfish to have to have 2 parents working full tilt when you have kids that need you so much…a lot of people don’t have a choice, she does so i commend her for that actually.
“my family is super important to me…”
oh goopy…who says “super” after the age of 23?
@rraven – So true. I am 7 weeks pregnant and suffering immensely. Gosh what we go through to have children. Had I known it was going to be this bad I wouldn’t have gotten pregnant, but now that I am I’m just trying to think about the little bundle of joy that will be the end result. Of course if I didn’t have to work I wouldn’t mind being nauseous all day as long as I could chill at home. But trying to fake it at work is difficult. And we have to sacrifice even more if we breastfeed, you still are controlled by what you eat, drink and the clock. It never ends.
I hate that sanctimonious bitch.
Goodness me, somehow Meryl Streep managed it, didn’t she?
@cake: I really hope you aren’t trying to justify Chris Martin’s alleged cheating.
She’s right. It’s VERY difficult to have it all w/out going crazy. And, actors have all the HELP in the world, so they should hardly be the STANDARD by which the rest of us are judged. I bet these actors could never imagine what us little people must go through to make ends meet. I personally had to give up the bigger career for the family. It just wasn’t worth the stress and bad feelings. I work part-time now. Oh well, you can’t have everything.
Crash, I think a big difference is that Meryl’s husband is a sculptor (I think) which means he probably works at or near their home, so when Meryl was off filming, there was always a parent there for the kids.
Not so with an often traveling musician like Chris. Maybe since Coldplay has really hit it big, they decided to sort of take turns with their careers, and once his slows down, Gwenyth will work more?
Or maybe not, maybe those rumors are true and he’s a cheating jerk so she’s worried about being gone a lot. Who knows!
i everything want you see go to ready love you keep joy body.
She looks really matronly in that lace dress. I get what she’s saying. There is a certain confidence that comes from knowing your loved and being able to give that to your children is priceless. It seems she benefited from that and wants to give that to her children.
As for Kate B. I wouldn’t be surprised if St. Goopy didn’t give her approval. She doesn’t seem like the sexually-explosive type. Heck, she doesn’t even seem sexually available. Why not let Kate do the heavy lifting – gotta preserve the marriage you know.
It’s nearly always like that for women when they get married and have kids, for some reason they are the ones that make the changes and put the focus on family/kids over career, but the husband his life pretty much goes on the way it was before he got married just like chris martin.
One thing I’d like to point out here is that Ms Paltrow doesn’t HAVE to work. There are a lot of women who would LOVE to have that ‘choice’ that some of you keep going on about (as in “isn’t Gwyneth wonderful that she puts her family first…”) which is a hell of alot easier when putting your family first doesn’t mean getting in the dole line immediately afterward…
As a staunch feminist I agree that it is not anti-feminist to decide to stay at home when your kids are young. What is problematic though is when people like Gwyennie are held up as some sort of ‘example’ for other women without an acknowledgement of the ‘sites of privilege’ they occupy. I have never liked her sanctimonious,holier than thou attitude. Not a very reflexive or humble person given some of the things she says in interviews.
An aside: I have four children and they all have a moderate amount of doritos and fizzy drink (which is what we call pop in New Zealand) as a treat. They are all healthy, happy, well rounded individuals. My second oldest child has yet to have a cavity..the rest have very few. Demonising food and drink to your children is never a good idea. Moderation is a better trait to leave them with 🙂
I think she’s right about the soda. I’m a “health freak” by many people’s standards. I’m determined to not let my kids eat sugar until they’re older. And I hate chemically processed food as well. The McDonald’s arch is the modern day scythe to our society. It’s not to say that I don’t eat that sort of thing…ever. But I’m not one of those people who eats it even once a week, let alone everyday as some people do. I actually hear people talking about how you get all the things you need from junk food: “you get your meat from the burger, your vegetables from the lettuce and tomato, and healthy carbs from the bun and fries”. Really, I wish I were lying. So on that front, I have to say I back her. America eats like shit.
@cindy: yes, I have to say that for the most part, I agree with you. Women make huge sacrifices. But I know lots of people who did it the other way around, and the wife is the bigger breadwinner while the husband stays home. It can work either way, but I DO think that a lot of women feel the need to be home. My career is definitely one where I need to be working full-time in order to stay relevant. But I couldn’t leave my hubby with my daughter. I want to be with her. So I’ve made it work the best I can.
It isn’t her choice that bothers me, why would I care? It’s the overall message that success = losing your man. Not if he is a good man. And my other point is that often women who do give it up to “keep” a man will lose him despite the sacrifice. If the cheating rumors are true (and since he never did sue the tabloid as he loudly claimed he would, I assume it happened) then she is making a public fool of herself spouting this BS and letting him make an ass out of her.
This is just too much information about her life. Boooooorrrringgggg 🙂
I forgot all about that Kate Bosworth rumor. I amsupposing it was false…?!
***NOTE: I’m sorry to some commenters, I accidentally deleted several of your posts while I was re-editing this page! I apologize.
I’m agree Chris should take a bit of time off for her.He seems to go on doing his own thing so should she…and I gotta agree with her looking a little pregnant as well.She looks like she has the glow,you know 🙂
I dont get the Gwen hate. I didnt find anything wrong with what she said. She put her family over her career. If it was the other way around people would still have somethin to say, she cant win!
I completely agree when she said that distance is tough on a marriage. Im married to the military and the divorce rate in the Corps alone is 80%!!!! Thats because of all the separation the families endure. If she can find a way to work with the distance and still have a successful (the rumors about Chris Martin and Kate Bosworth are just unfounded rumors) than I commend her. Maybe she could send some advice our way of making it work long distance.
Her face has changed lately. It looks harsher!
Probably changed like that bcz everyone knows Poopy’s marraige is on the rocks.
My boyfriend and I saw her on the morning show the other day. She was gabbing about buying her first million-dollar house at age 23 and accomplishing “SO MUCH” that it made her friends jealous. Finally, they wanted in on her secrets. That’s why she did Goop, so she could show the peons how it’s done. My boyfriend (who is usually easy-going) said, “WHAT a snobby in- love-with-herself bitch!” I laughed so hard.
How “enlightened” of her. All we need to know is that if a woman doesn’t neglect her career in order to stay with her husband she will get dumped — she makes women go back to the 50s.
This interview actually made me like her a little bit. I don’t see anything wrong with her choices. Everyone is allowed to make the choices that work best for them.
Kaiser…tell me how you really feel abt Gwen! Wow, hate her much? Ha!
My kids still don’t know about soda/coke/pop either. We mainly drink water and juice. My kids are under the age of 4.
I find her statement about placing her family first refreshing. Not too many parents these days are focusing on raising their kids full time and opt to hire nannies and or put them in daycare. Which is not a crime… Someone got to pay the bills. However, some Parents egos and selfishness get in way. Personally took me a while to figure that out about myself.
Gwen already had a great movie career and even won an Oscar, so she’s accomplished a lot in her early 20s. If she can afford to stay at home and raise her children full time, that’s great! So glad that some people out there are putting their childrens needs above their own. Obviously, it’s harder for single parents to stay at home with their kids while they are young…and there are other circumstances that can’t allow it. However, if it’s possible, go for it! Even if you have to downsize so that one parent can work and one can be home full time to raise the kids. It’s so worth it. You only have one chance to raise them… You’ll always have time afterwards to finish your graduate work, find that job, or in Hollywood world: make that movie, etc.
I cosign with Miss Bitch. Has Paltrow straightened her nose? She’s tampered with her face again, but I’m not sure how. Is the constant plastic surgery another way you “keep” your man, Gwynnie?
“I don’t need to be doing three films a year and be the biggest star.”
That’s the sort of snide desperado comment that is a deliberate put-down to all the women who ARE working hard on their careers. And it’s like she’s saying “If I DID apply myself, I’d be the best.”
It’s very childish and insecure to talk that way. If she was really secure about her situation, she’d never have to cast shank eyes at anyone out of jealousy.
Gah! I had a looong comment…hate to retype, but I felt really strongly on this one. Basically:
I think that she said nothing wrong regarding her marriage-career balance. In life, you have to make sacrifices. The sad truth is that we don’t usually get to have everything we want when and how we want it.
Every relationship/marriage is different. Different personalities, situations, dynamics…Maybe with a different partner/husband Gwyneth wouldn’t have to “neglect” her career. But, clearly, this is what she feels she has to do to hang on to Chris.
Their marriage always seems really tenuous to me. For whatever reason, she wants to hang on to her man and marriage, and she is doing what she feels is necessary to do that. It doesn’t mean she’ll be successful, but good luck to her.
The problem with her statement is if she really said “orientate”. “orientate”, like its cousins “presentate” and “conversate” aren’t frakin words!!! It’s CONVERSE, PRESENT, AND ORIENT! Geesh.
“It’s easy to talk about your choices when you can afford them.”
I agree, which is why I don’t have any children even though I make a good living. Maybe down the road I will but right now I can’t afford to cut back on my work hours AND still raise a child. Nobody is making anybody have children, if anything we have too many people in this world. If it’s too difficult to afford children while spending time with them and being a present mother then maybe you shouldn’t have had any.
I admire her choice. For the rest of their lives, her children will reap the benefits of having their mommy home.
I hate to agree with anything Goopy says, but in this case I do. I absolutely do believe that women can have it all; just not all at the same time. You can’t be home and be a doting mom if you are busy building your career. You can’t devote yourself to a successful, high powered career if you are distracted and wishing you were home with your kids.
There is nothing wrong with either choice. It’s just a simple matter that we have to make choices as to where we expend our time and energy. We can’t do it all at once and do it all well.
I think part of the problem is that they both have the kind of jobs that require insanely long hours when you’re working – hours that aren’t compatible with putting kids to bed etc. In that situation, someone has to compromise. Plus she obviously gets a lot of personal satisfaction from spending time with her kids. I admire her for not just “talking the talk”, like Nicole Kidman who went on about how she wasn’t going to work after Sunday was born and then went straight to work on Nine. I don’t have a problem with mums who’d rather be working, but don’t lie about it!
I also admire her for keeping her kids off junk food. It’s a lot more work to prepare healthy meals all the time. (And I do believe she does a lot of the meal preparation). I often end up giving my kids less healthy food than I would like, just because I’m in a rush and it’s easy.
“It’s CONVERSE, PRESENT, AND ORIENT! Geesh.”
hehehe Damn right, Mistral!
Also, I know utilize is an actual word, but I hate when people say that instead of USE, which is what they mean. It’s pretentious! Stop it!!
I have worked and I have not worked and I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that a) looking after kids is much harder and b) that when you are focused only on them there is an intensity in the relationship that does not exist when you are balancing career and other pursuits. So I get what she is saying.
No wonder Chris Martin is always on tour.
soda is poison. period. I would not want my children accustomed to drinking it in a regular basis either.