Newsflash: Hollywood Actress Says Something Annoying
I refuse to get involved in any of these crazy "mommy wars" that flare up regularly.
Stay at home? A working mum? Either way is fine by me. I’ve done both, and neither was a walk in the park. I wasn’t a “success” at one or a “failure” at the other. Both involved tradeoffs, challenges, joys, and moments of true satisfaction.
Plan to breastfeed? Stocking up on bottles and formula? Hey, whatever floats your boat. Who am I to judge? Done both. Plusses and minuses every which way to Sunday.
So nothing irks me more than when someone insinuates that one choice—staying home/holding down a job or breastfeeding/not — is harder, requires more effort, and is therefore more honorable than the other.
Now check out this article about Gwyneth Paltrow and her fitness. Or, I should say, her mommy fitness.
I’ve found what works for me. I know if I put in an hour and a half, five days a week, I’m good. If I’m on vacation and, like, “[Expletive] it, I’m not working out,” I know what to do when I get back. A lot of women think, “Oh, my God, I could never get there,” but I don’t think that’s true. It’s simply relative to how much you put into it.'
…'It's not an accident. It's not luck, it's not fairy dust, it's not good genes. It's killing myself for an hour and a half five days a week, but what I get out of it is relative to what I put into it.
...'The reason that I can be 38 and have two kids and wear a bikini is because I work my [expletive] [expletive] off.'
Poppycock.
No fairy dust? Oh really, Gwynnie? How about the fairy dust of your birth? How about the neat coincidence of having Steven Spielberg for a godfather? How hard did you have to work for that?
How about the fact that you probably never have to vacuum your floors, Clorox your bathroom, or mingle with the plebes at Shop’nStop on Saturday mornings, with one whiny-walker and another sick toddler in the cart?
Lemme guess, Gwyn, you have a little babysitting help, right? Or do Moses and Apple just sit by, calmly sharing their toys and not getting on anybody’s nerves while you work out for an hour and a half, five days a week. What mother with young children, whether she works inside the home or out of it, has a spare 7-and-a-half hours per week for sweatin’ to the oldies? That’s a full work day.
The reason you can be 38 and have two kids and wear a bikini is because (and this is just a guess because I don’t know you personally) you’ve never worked all that hard to get to a place where there's piles of money for your various whims, where everyone does all the “icky” things in life for you, and where you’re able to escape on said "vacation" any time you wish. Listen, Gwyneth, it's perfectly okay to say, "I'm grateful for all the help I have. I'm thankful for the money to be able to pay trainers, babysitters, and housecleaners. I couldn't be a 38-year-old bikini-wearin' mum without that." Let's get real.
Is Gwyneth beautiful and admirably fit? Yes. Talented? Yes.
Successful because of blue collar hard work rather than fairy dust?
I think not.
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May '10
Re: Newsflash: Hollywood Actress Says Something Annoying
Come the Revolution...
Dec '10
Re: Newsflash: Hollywood Actress Says Something Annoying
You're reading too much into it.
She's saying that working out (working her ass off) is how she can still look good in a bikini while being 38 years old and after having had two kids.
She's not making some kind of sweeping life choice statement, she's far too vacuous for that, she's just talking about looking good.
That is, essentially, her job. Above all else, she has to look good.
I don't see her impugning anyone else, she's just defending against the notion that pretty people are just born that way.
Jul '10
Re: Newsflash: Hollywood Actress Says Something Annoying
Talented? Really? Her entire miserable career stems from who her father was and from the fact Harvey Weinstein was obsessed with the idea of sleeping with her.
She's one of a number of Hollywood starlets with negligible talent and a long string of box-office flops who somehow manage to snag an occasional job. I would put Kate Hudson, Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon in the same basket.
Edited on Apr 15, 2011 at 5:07pmRe: Newsflash: Hollywood Actress Says Something Annoying
Kenneth: Talented? Really? Her entire miserable career stems from who her father was and from the fact Harvey Weinstein was obsessed with the idea of sleeping with her.
She's one of a number of Hollywood starlets with negligible talent and a long string of box-office flops who somehow manage to snag an occasional job. I would put Kate Hudson, Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon in the same basket. · Apr 15 at 5:04pm
Edited on Apr 15 at 05:07 pm
Ooohh. You might get Rob fired up with that, Kenneth.
Jul '10
Re: Newsflash: Hollywood Actress Says Something Annoying
Ursula Hennessey
Kenneth: Talented? Really? Her entire miserable career stems from who her father was and from the fact Harvey Weinstein was obsessed with the idea of sleeping with her.
She's one of a number of Hollywood starlets with negligible talent and a long string of box-office flops who somehow manage to snag an occasional job. I would put Kate Hudson, Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon in the same basket. · Apr 15 at 5:04pm
Edited on Apr 15 at 05:07 pm
Ooohh. You might get Rob fired up with that, Kenneth. · Apr 15 at 5:14pm
Why? Does Rob have a Reese Witherspoon jones?
Mar '11
Re: Newsflash: Hollywood Actress Says Something Annoying
CoolHand:
That is, essentially, her job. Above all else, she has to look good.
I don't see her impugning anyone else, she's just defending against the notion that pretty people are just born that way. · Apr 15 at 5:00pm
And I must say, she is the Tony Stark of her expertise. No, not acting. Witherspoon to (that should balance out Kenneth's ) remarks.
Edited on Apr 15, 2011 at 7:02pmJun '10
Re: Newsflash: Hollywood Actress Says Something Annoying
Kenneth: Talented? Really? Her entire miserable career stems from who her father was and from the fact Harvey Weinstein was obsessed with the idea of sleeping with her.
She's one of a number of Hollywood starlets with negligible talent and a long string of box-office flops who somehow manage to snag an occasional job. I would put Kate Hudson, Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon in the same basket. · Apr 15 at 5:04pm
Edited on Apr 15 at 05:07 pm
She's going after a younger fan base these days, and having some success I think....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwS41jY8hXw
Jun '10
Re: Newsflash: Hollywood Actress Says Something Annoying
etoiledunord
Kenneth:
She's going after a younger fan base these days, and having some success I think....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwS41jY8hXw · Apr 15 at 6:36pm
Ugh, that was awful.
Jan '11
Re: Newsflash: Hollywood Actress Says Something Annoying
Kenneth: Talented? Really? Her entire miserable career stems from who her father was and from the fact Harvey Weinstein was obsessed with the idea of sleeping with her.
She's one of a number of Hollywood starlets with negligible talent and a long string of box-office flops who somehow manage to snag an occasional job. I would put Kate Hudson, Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon in the same basket. · Apr 15 at 5:04pm
Edited on Apr 15 at 05:07 pm
Can I add Cameron Diaz to the list (there are plenty more but she's the most obvious. While I'm at it, "Something About Mary" was one of the worst movies ever made and Ben Stiller hasn't done anything funny since his short-lived TV show - his Charlie Manson as Lassie is a classic.
Edited on Apr 15, 2011 at 8:45pmRe: Newsflash: Hollywood Actress Says Something Annoying
Okay, I'll say it: Paltrow is a good actress, and she nailed it on Glee. Good voice, slammin' bod, good moves -- it takes real chops (and guts) to sing and dance around at the age of 40 in front of a bunch of teenagers and not look totally ridiculous, and she did well. No axe to grind here -- I wasn't at Dalton with her and our kids don't mingle at preschool -- just credit where it's due.
As far as the quotes Ursula was referencing are concerned, I think Paltrow was trying to puncture the "I'm effortlessly fabulous!" image that tends to prevail in Hollywood. The clumsiness of the attempt at bonding with the masses actually made me laugh out loud -- as a mother of young children without access to a battalion of assistants, nannies, chefs, personal trainers, laundry-doers and dishwashers, the idea of someone publicly congratulating herself on having the time to do a physical workout five days a week is hilarious. But I've always had the sense that Paltrow's heart is in the right place, and we can't really condemn the woman for the accident of her patrician birth.
Oct '10
Re: Newsflash: Hollywood Actress Says Something Annoying
As long as those Hollywood bozos condemn me for my flyover country birth, I can and will do so, with pleasure!
Re: Newsflash: Hollywood Actress Says Something Annoying
Mike LaRoche
As long as those Hollywood bozos condemn me for my flyover country birth, I can and will do so, with pleasure! · Apr 15 at 10:52pm
Touche, good sir.
Nov '10
Re: Newsflash: Hollywood Actress Says Something Annoying
She did a terrific job as Austen's Emma (PBS).
Oct '10
Re: Newsflash: Hollywood Actress Says Something Annoying
Judith Levy
Mike LaRoche
As long as those Hollywood bozos condemn me for my flyover country birth, I can and will do so, with pleasure! · Apr 15 at 10:52pm
Touche, good sir. · Apr 15 at 11:22pm
Well, they say revenge is a dish best served cold. And tonight it is very cold in Texas. For April, anyway. ;)
May '10
Re: Newsflash: Hollywood Actress Says Something Annoying
And heck, look at her. OK, I'm as pretty, but not on stage. We can't circumscribe our entertainment choices to who hasn't said really stupid lefty things. Who remains.
Oh, Kelsey Grammer. I think it (say it with me) A Stain On Our Conscience that he's not been on a podcast. What, do all the cast members not take Rob's calls anymore? We haven't yet heard from John Ratzenberger. Though he may have been busy, being Pope and all.
Jul '10
Re: Newsflash: Hollywood Actress Says Something Annoying
Kennedy Smith: And heck, look at her. OK, I'm as pretty, but not on stage. We can't circumscribe our entertainment choices to who hasn't said really stupid lefty things. Who remains.
Oh, Kelsey Grammer. I think it (say it with me) A Stain On Our Conscience that he's not been on a podcast. What, do all the cast members not take Rob's calls anymore? We haven't yet heard from John Ratzenberger. Though he may have been busy, being Pope and all. · Apr 15 at 11:32pm
I have little concern the contrary politics of waiters, sports stars, bus boys, hotel maids, flight attendants, zoo keepers, bartenders, barbers, or stars. If they make me aware of same, it can only hurt their chances of serving me.
And I second Kennedy on the Kelsey Grammer suggestion. He appears to be very accessible these days and has been known to have an amusing idea every now and then.
Sep '10
Re: Newsflash: Hollywood Actress Says Something Annoying
Ursula, let Hollywood stars talk about their diets and workouts, and let smart pundits like you write. She's at quite a disadvantage in the reading and writing department - she's never had cause to question anything. Your brain is toned and sharp, hers is weak and addled.
Why are you reading this crap anyway?
Jun '10
Re: Newsflash: Hollywood Actress Says Something Annoying
I'd venture a guess that Ursula read the Paltrow piece because lately she has been ubiquitous. Her publicist is a genous! I find her completly devoid of talent as an actress. The nasal voice alone ruined The Royal Tennenbaums for me, and she was horrible in Iron Man! I'd rather be boiled alive than watch Glee, so I can't comment on her singing. She and her creepy husband make anti-American cracks all the time.
Paltrow is spoiled and out of touch. I read a funny (but vulgar) celebrity blog called DListed. She is raked over the coals there, and it's not based on exaggeration. Just her own words from her own silly blog called GOOP. Paltrow is preachy and disdainful of the masses --- her heart is definitely not in the right place. An hour and a half of workout time, plus time to get there & shower & back, is absolutely a luxury for many moms. The fact that she has no idea of how privleged she is makes me chuckle.
Re: Newsflash: Hollywood Actress Says Something Annoying
Franco: Ursula, let Hollywood stars talk about their diets and workouts, and let smart pundits like you write. She's at quite a disadvantage in the reading and writing department - she's never had cause to question anything. Your brain is toned and sharp, hers is weak and addled.
Why are you reading this crap anyway? · Apr 16 at 5:12am
Franco, this is very nice of you to say. However, I do think entertainers add great value to our life here on earth. We need writers, singers, dancers, actors. I love 'em all equally! I don't think writing is somehow more honorable a life choice than acting, actually. I love movies, so I am often drawn to stories about actors. I do think, however, that there's a way to say the same thing w/o such condescension. Many actresses, when asked similar questions, are quick to point out the luxury of having sitters, trainers, etc. They "get" it. Paltrow? Not so much.
Jun '10
Re: Newsflash: Hollywood Actress Says Something Annoying
I should add that years ago Jennifer Aniston was questioned about her ability to look so good. She gave answers that were the polar opposite of Paltrow --- she started off making it known that her life is not normal -- she realized the vast majority of women have lives that would never allow them to fit in the amount of exercise she can. She recognized that her ability to make healthy food choices is also much, much easier than the average person who is juggling family & career without help from staff, or contracts that have clauses included to guarantee exercise facilities and healthy nutrition. She's a huge star, but came across as humble & grateful for her success.
Paltrow could have shortened the interview by just coming right out and saying that she is fit because she's not a lazy slob like most Americans. That's what she was thinking.