To me, Gwyneth Paltrow is the inevitable peak of white privilege, someone who was born rich and well-connected who parlayed those advantages to even greater wealth, fame and better connections. She has historically used her privilege to shill fake science to other wealthy, gullible white women. Gwyneth has done racist sh-t before too, but it’s not her “brand.” If I’m being generous, I would say that while Gwyneth seems like she would be a total Karen, she’s more of a clueless Becky when it comes to conversations about race.
That being said, I’m all for white celebrities using their platform to do anything beyond the bare minimum. While Gwyneth was quiet for a week about the murder of George Floyd and the protests, she decided to use her Instagram to not only push back on the All Lives Matter people, but provide links to organizations doing good work. This was her message:
If you feel compelled to comment “all lives matter” in response to this post and you’re not a bot (which you probably are), nor an agent provocateur trying to create instability and division in our country, you might want to consider that you are reacting from a blind spot of white privilege. Saying “all lives matter” is a denial of how dangerous it is to simply live as a black person in America. “All lives” do not live in fear of getting killed simply because of the color of their skin.
#BlackLivesMatter. Here are some ways to join me in taking action.
Donate:@bailproject, a national jail fund that fights racial and economic inequalities in the jail system
@blackvisionscollective, a social justice organization and legal fund based in Minneapolis–St. Paul
North Star Health Collective provides health care and other resources to activists and organizers on the ground: https://www.northstarhealthcollective.org
@NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the country’s first human and civil rights law firm
@aclu_nationwide provides a broad range of legal services for civil rights issues
@Colorofchange, the nation’s largest online racial justice organization.
Campaign Zero, an organization outlining guides and resources about civil and human rights legislation: http://joincampaignzero.org/
I may balk at Gwyneth’s lack of self-awareness 99% of the time, but I don’t have any problem with anything she’s doing here. It’s better than the “blackout” posts other celebrities were doing. She highlights important work and encouraged her followers to donate. And she talked about white privilege. It’s better than most celebrities and corporations.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, IG and Avalon Red.
Her post is good. It’s not all about her and she focusing on how to do action.
Exactly. Kinda what I was saying somewhere else. White people need to talk about the problem without inserting themselves.
I’m going to acknowledge that had she and Angelina not spoken up about Weinstein, Harvey would have simply dragged the original accusers through the mud and the story would have gone away. It was only because A-listers were confirming this that Harvey’s cronies finally threw him under the bus.
So yeah, sometimes Gwyneth can use her privilege for good
ITA re: Weinstein, the early A-list confirmations were central to how the narrative could be shaped in the following weeks.
And I think that Goop lives mostly inside her own head, but she’s able to engage with reality when she cares to. (Which might be the ultimate form of privilege, really – having brains and not needing them)
“And I think that Goop lives mostly inside her own head,’
She’s a pisces rising. I’m a pisces rising too, and I can assure you that’s 100% true lol
Now here’s a woman who was smart enough to consult someone either in PR, or someone very well versed on race. Or both. That’s good. She should give their number out to her friends.
Well done, Goop. She is actually spot on with this message.
The post is a good start.
Better than Enna Watson and Evan Peters.
What did they post?
Gwenyth got it right. Good.
Good for her!!!! Others should follow suit!!!
For once I like what she’s conveying.
Now I feel less guilty for watching Shakespeare in Love this weekend and marveling at her performance. Good on you, Gwyneth.
I’m legit shocked
Also, hello from Minneapolis