Gwyneth Paltrow covers InStyle Magazine October 2012 to whom she’s given (somewhat pious) soundbites about her perfect, ’50s-style home life; the same life she’s shilling in her GOOP newsletters. The perfection for which you, too, can strive if you just purchase $425 colon cleanses and $90 plain white cotton t-shirts.
A soundbite for which she’s receiving a lot of flack today, probably unfairly though: wanting her children’s only access to television to be educational, of sorts. Paltrow tells InStyle of Apple Martin, 8, and Moses, 6: “I only let them watch TV in French or Spanish” about which her son is “cross.” She continued: “When I’m in France, I go to [Boulevard] Beaumarchais and buy all their cartoons.”
On turning 40-years-old next week: “I’m taking stock and really looking at everything. I’m trying to accept myself. There’s a Rumi poem, “The Guest House,” about welcoming in all aspects of yourself: The dark, the light, the jealous, the happy. Let them all in. But know that you’re not defined by any single one of them. I’ve become much more serious after experiencing all the ups and downs of life; heartbreak, the death of people I love…These days I feel pretty grounded.”
On why she “works so hard”: “I’m hard on myself, so I’m working on shifting perspective toward self-acceptance, with all my flaws and weaknesses. The positive thing that drives me is a curiosity and momentum. The negative is a need to validate myself or feel special.”
On her kids: “When Apple was born, she had the hugest blue eyes. I looked into them, and she was looking at me, and I felt like, ‘You are here to teach me everything.’ After [Moses] was born I had postpartum depression. It was a difficult time, and because of that I believe I have an extra empathy for him, and he for me.”
On how GOOP readers are superior: “Goop readers trust my taste and know that I know where to find cool stuff. A city guide is a fast and fun way for them to have access to where I actually eat, shop, get a manicure, and hang out.”
On the hardest part of her marriage to Chris Martin: “Probably our artistic temperaments. Artists are sensitive; there are ups and downs mood-wise. Musicians need a certain gravitas and focus in order to write. The temperament that goes with someone who is creative can be challenging. I focus more on understanding than being understood. The positive thing… is curiosity and momentum. The negative is a need to validate myself or feel special.”
More on her marriage: “We laugh a lot, and at the same jokes,” says Paltrow. “We like the same music and we like to do the same things.”
On whether she’s going to have more kids (this is such an obnoxious, arbitrary question): “My brain says, ‘Oh, I think I’m done, the kids are so big now, and I don’t want to go back to changing diapers.’ But a part of me would love to have another. Of course, I’m old now!”
On sacrificing for her family: “I haven’t starred in a movie since I was pregnant with my daughter; I can’t be away from home that long. I look for an interesting supporting part I can do about once a year. That’s the most I can manage. Some women can do it and that’s fantastic, but I can’t. You make choices as a wife and mother, don’t you? You can’t have it all.”
On her diet: “I was very strict for a while; I was macrobiotic for a couple of years, then I got pregnant and just ate ice cream. What I’ve learned is that I want to enjoy my life, and food is a big part of it. I love to cook and feed people. I cook every day. My indulging is a fresh baguette with cheese and a glass of red wine or french fries and fried zucchini. Or a turkey burger.” - via InStyle Magazine.
