Book Review: ‘Gwyneth' is a portrait of a pioneering and polarizing ‘It girl' and wellness mogul
In both phases, she struggles with likeability in the press and from the public, often coming across in interviews as elitist and out of touch with 'normal' Americans. But that hasn't stopped her from succeeding on both fronts.
Blond, glamorous and patrician, Paltrow is the ultimate nepo baby, the daughter of actor
Blythe Danner
and TV producer
Bruce Paltrow,
acting from an early age at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts.
In the first half of the book, Odell charts Paltrow's rise from chain-smoking party girl at elite New York private school Spence to Hollywood 'It girl.' She starred in 1990s classics like ' Emma,' 'Sliding Doors' and
'Shakespeare in Love,'
for which she won an Oscar at 26. She was on the cover of Vogue and constantly in the tabloids with movie star boyfriends like
Brad Pitt
and Ben Affleck.
But she eventually soured on Hollywood and turned to her burgeoning interest in lifestyle and wellness. She started Goop as a newsletter in 2008.
Goop promoted some dubious wellness theories and was hit with the same press bashing as she had gotten as an actor.
'Gwyneth has, to her extraordinary credit, found a way to be even more annoying,' the Guardian wrote when Goop launched in 2008.
But Odell — who didn't have access to Paltrow or any close family or friends, but based the book on more than 200 interviews with people who know or worked with Paltrow — shows Paltrow has a masterful control of her image, working negative press to her advantage.
At Goop, a $66 jade egg meant to be inserted vaginally and a $75 candle called 'This Smells Like My Vagina' were ridiculed in the press — and sold out in short order.
When Goop launched a travel app, an advertiser sponsored it with the promise that it would reach 10,000 downloads. 'Call it G. Spotting,' Gwyneth told an executive, according to Odell. 'Everybody will make fun of me for being an idiot and we'll have the 10,000 downloads we need right there.' It worked.
'Gwyneth: The Biography' is a satisfying read about the pioneering and polarizing actor and business woman.
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New York Post
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USA Today
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USA Today
11 hours ago
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The Sydney Sweeney American Eagle ad controversy, explained
There's been A LOT made out of a series of American Eagle ads starring Sydney Sweeney, the actress in films like Anyone But You and the upcoming Christy Martin biopic, along with TV series like Euphoria and The White Lotus. And you might be confused or you want to catch up on the news about all of this. That's what we're here for: To fill you in on this whole thing that's blown up all over the internet and has led to so many people in culture and politics commenting. So let's dive in and answer all the questions you might have about Sweeney and the American Eagle ads that have caused such a stir: What is the deal with Sydney Sweeney? She's starring in some American Eagle ads that people are buzzing about. What are the Sydney Sweeney American Eagle ads everyone is talking about? The ads are based around the concept that "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans." Check out an example: What's the controversy with the Sydney Sweeney ad? Some folks have taken that concept and criticized it for sounding like a veiled attempt to promote eugenics, as in "Sydney Sweeney has good GENES." But it seems like the anger is more aimed at American Eagle and not necessarily at the actress. What has American Eagle said in response to the Sydney Sweeney ads? You can see it below, but: "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans" is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We'll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone. Did Donald Trump say anything about the Sydney Sweeney American Eagle controversy? No, but White House communications director Steven Cheung posted this on X (formerly Twitter): "Cancel culture run amok. This warped, moronic, and dense liberal thinking is a big reason why Americans voted the way they did in 2024. They're tired of this [expletive]." Has Sydney Sweeney said anything about the American Eagle ads? Not yet as of publishing this.
