I have been informed by people who generally know things that I am a trendy individual. I wore boho head scarves before it was cool, predicted the return of 90s and 70s fashion trends, and own 3 (yes 3) of those chairs made out of bungee cords. That being said, health-conscious is not my middle name. I can’t even tell you the last time that I went to the gym without getting ice cream afterwards. So I decided to explore the health claims being backed by one of America’s most notorious health and trend-icons: Gwyneth Paltrow.
I’m not quite sure whether Gwyneth Paltrow is qualified to give life advice, but she sure is ready to give it. Just a few years ago, you would have recognized her first and foremost as a successful actress. Gwyneth Paltrow starred in movies such as Shakespeare in Love, The Royal Tenenbaums, Shallow Hal, and Iron Man. Yet, in June 2017, Paltrow announced that she would take a break from acting to focus on her business Goop, stating: “I’m still going to do a little bit here and there, but [the company] really requires almost all of my time.”
So what is Goop? Goop began in September 2008 as a weekly lifestyle newsletter, but it has rapidly transformed into the web-based company Goop.com. Goop’s business endeavors have included fashion brand collaborations, a print magazine, podcast, wellness summit, and expansion into e-commerce. Goop’s most recent project is the Netflix Mini Series, “The Goop Lab with Gwyneth Paltrow,” which was released on January 24th.
The series, like many of Gwyneth Paltrow’s claims, has created significant controversy for showcasing expensive products that promote often harmful or useless medical treatments. According to CNN, the series has been slammed by a UK health service chief and called a “win for pseudoscience.” This is hardly a surprise considering the show highlights “energy exorcisms,” the use of psychedelic drugs, and group orgasms, in which women are depicted masturbating to orgasm in real time.
This is not the first instance that Goop has come under fire for its ludicrous advice, or its growing popularity. Some products seem harmlessly ridiculous, such as a vibrator necklace, sold-out $75 vagina scented candle, or pubic hair oil promoted by Emma Watson. Other suggestions, however, have raised serious health concerns. Chrissy Teigen received backlash after being photographed “vagina steaming,” a process designed to serve as a “facial for your vagina” that instead causes infection, burns, and pH imbalance.
Goop has also encouraged the use of “DIY coffee enema machines,” which involves an injection of coffee into the rectum and colon via the anus. The Sun states that Goop was also forced to pay out a $145,000 settlement after claiming that inserting a $66 egg in the vagina would increase fertility. Such promotions have raised the question of how far Gwyneth Paltrow is willing to go in order to profit off of our auras. The New York Times states that the company has received $82 million dollars in outside investment and is evaluated at $250 millions dollars.
So what is Goop really: a life hack or a life hoax?