There was a minor kerfuffle online yesterday as a new Goop post went up on Instagram. Goop is Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle/pseudoscience/retail site which sells jade bajingo eggs and overpriced vitamin packets. The new Goop IG was the thing you see above, “The Diapér,” which is described as the “new disposable diaper lined with virgin alpaca wool and fastened with amber gemstones, known for their ancient emotional-cleansing properties. Infused with a scent of jasmine and bergamot for a revitalized baby. Dropping tomorrow at 11a.m. EST at $120 for a pack of 12.” People thought “well, that’s completely on-brand for Gwyneth.” Turns out, it was a stunt. A well-intentioned stunt.
The point of the Goop fake-diaper was to highlight that several states tax diapers as luxury goods rather than essential items. Goop has teamed up with Baby2Baby – a very popular celebrity nonprofit – to highlight the need to drop taxes on essential items like diapers. Baby2Baby provides diapers, formula, clothing, cribs, wipes and more to families living in poverty. There are annual Baby2Baby fundraising galas held in LA and they are always well-attended by Hollywood A-listers. This is new for them though, to team up with a company like Goop to highlight diaper tax inequality. I have to say, the stunt worked. People were outraged for several hours because an amber-bejeweled diaper sounds exactly like a Goop product.
She’s so smug in this video! But again, well-played.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Instagram.
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- 2019 amfAR Gala Los Angles held at Milk Studios in Los Angeles, California. Featuring: Gwyneth Paltrow Where: Los Angeles, California, United States When: 11 Oct 2019 **ONLY AVAILABLE FOR SPAIN & USA**,Image: 539204907, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: USA and SPAIN DIRECT SALES ONLY – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: WENN / Wenn / Avalon
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- ** RIGHTS: ONLY UNITED STATES, BRAZIL, CANADA ** New York City, New – Gwyneth Paltrow at the ‘How Do You Stand Out From The Crowd’ Seminar in New York City. Pictured: Gwyneth Paltrow BACKGRID USA 26 SEPTEMBER 2019 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Beverly Hills, CA – 2019 ELLE Women In Hollywood held at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel. Pictured: Gwyneth Paltrow BACKGRID USA 14 OCTOBER 2019 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Hollywood, CA – Gwyneth Paltrow was seen arriving at the Gucci Fashion show wearing all red. Pictured: Gwyneth Paltrow BACKGRID USA 2 NOVEMBER 2021 BYLINE MUST READ: PeBu / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
Finally, Gwyneth! Using your platform for good.
Cloth diapers that you wash and re-use. Much better for the environment.
Great if you can do it, but let’s remember this isn’t an option for everyone!
Yikes, lots of smug judgement here, May. Not everyone can or wants to nurse. Not everyone has the time to do cloth diapering. I had four kids. Nursed them all for at least a year because I had the luxury of being home with them and the ability to nurse. I also cloth diapered, and it absolutely is a huge investment of time and energy. And a big cost outlay upfront. You sound terribly entitled and judgmental. Maybe work on that.
Ok crunchy, we get it. But not every mom is able to produce enough milk to nurse.
It’s also not an option for many who use childcare & those already struggling in other areas (like PPD or PPA). The privilege in some of these comments is gross.
Well, there are biodegradable diapers these days so it’s not as bad as it used to be. You need a washing mashine (how environmentally friendly that is I don’t know) and you need the time to do even more laundry. Also, they’re not cheap and how many do you need in the beginning? Here they start around €10 per item, that’s a lot of money for a lot of parents to spend at once.
Diapers like period products should not be taxed at all. And my stance on the environmental aspect is the same as it is regarding my period. If that’s what’s going to kill this planet, well then so be it. Having a newborn is hard. Use whatever diaper you want.
its also only marginally better for the environment– it is a lot of water and soap used to launder them.
And electricity. And coins, if you don’t have your own machine but have to go to a laundromat. I cannot imagine how difficult that all must be.
I can’t see how a single use product like a diaper (that takes hundreds of years to decompose) is better for the environment than a reusable cloth diaper. There is a lot of water, harmful chemicals and plastics that go into manufacturing a regular disposable diaper, not to mention the energy for transporting the diapers to your neighbourhood. A cloth diaper can be used multiple times by multiple children. Yes there is water used but it’s like washing your clothes. We don’t think twice about that.
There is some upfront cost to cloth diapers and not everyone has time and facilities to do the washing but that doesn’t make disposable diapers better. It will save so much money in the end, especially if you have multiple children or get the cloth diapers for free, like me. (Lots of people give away their diapers for free)
This country is insane. Good for Goop for doing something worthwhile for a change.
Lol, ok, I’ll give her this. Even funnier than the alpaca and amber is the accent aigu on the “e” – how do you pronounce that – Diapayer?
Montrealer here, and if I had to pronounce it with the accent it would probably sound something like ‘Dia-pay’. Putting the R afterwards is kind of redundant but hey, it makes it all the more funny IMHO.
Of course, you’re right – much more elegant and only the truly cosmopolitan people would pronounce it correctly.
If you watch the video you’ll get Gwyneth’s pronunciation.
I had to stop when I got to alpaca lined. I crochet and alpaca yarn is crazy expensive. 🤣
Good for her for doing something worthwhile I guess.
I crochet and knit, too – alpaca is kind of hairy and fills the air with fibers. Plus, it’s super insulating – that baby would be roasting…and sneezing…
Our state finally got rid of the sales tax on feminine hygiene products, so maybe diapers are next.
It’s incomprehensible to me that states tax female products, but NOT mens. Now we are paid LESS than men, but we are always supposed to be continuing to be pushed further into less wealth than men by being taxed for our feminine products. On top of which many POC, and WOC, are paid significantly less than we are!! Caucasian women average about $0.82 v WOC are paid $0.63. It’s disgusting. Plus we are 51% of the workforce.
Good for her. If diapers are taxed as luxury goods in states with sales tax, they’re not excluded like groceries usually are in order to fix the inherent regressiveness of sales taxes.
I only just found out that diapers can’t be bought with food stamps.
I’ve been saying for years that Gwynnie is trolling y’all (all the way to the bank) and doesn’t take herself nearly as seriously as most people think. I think this is hilarious and a good cause.
Same with Victoria Beckham and her dour looks and gloomy stares! Posh was always my favorite Spice Girl, and my instincts proved me right when the Beckhams had that reality TV special when David played in the US and Victoria was drolly hilarious. Both women long ago realized that most can’t see the tongue in cheek, and just go along with the character constructed for them.
Russia invaded Ukraine. There is potentially a WW3 brewing. We’ll go over the 1,5 degree threshold in the next 5 years and we’re going through the worst recession since at WW2.
Makes sense that Paltrow does something likeable. The world is upside down.
lol. Didn’t know where you were going with that!
Yikes– that’s a whole lot of privilege and ableism in one paragraph.
I’m still a hater.
It’s horrifying watching families choose between diapers and food, and this is a powerful image, just maybe from the wrong messenger. I work for a child abuse non-profit, and we host a weekly diaper bank, where families can come in and take what they need, for free. We work with Baby2Baby as well, and have received many diaper and wipe donations from them over the last several years. I appreciate what Gwyneth was trying to do here.
@ Tara, my heart goes out to you! I couldn’t imagine being in your position but thank you for the work you are doing!! Yes, it’s unacceptable that for a country like the US, that families have to decide whether they will eat or pay to keep the lights on.
Agree that it should have been a different messenger but at least it’s out there highlighting the issues families face everyday.
She’s one of my least favorite celebs, but even I will give her a round of applause for this one.
Glad she is drawing attention to this.
Also the formula shortage and price increases….. I was at Sams club the other day and happened to be near formula and it was $45 for a can!! I never used formula so I don’t know how much it was or how long it lasts but $45 is insane! I hope women get support if they want and can breastfeed because these formula issues are awful.
Good on her. She knows how much she triggers folks and that they would pay attention to what she posts. She used the “outrage” to draw attention to a real issue.