to not feel sorry for Gweneth

[badhairdecade]

Poor Gweneth. She is reported to having implied that her work and life balance, as a multi-million-earning film star, is far more difficult than that of normal parents working a 9-to-5 job.

"It's much harder for me. I feel like I set it up in a way that makes it difficult because…for me, like if I miss a school run, they are like, 'Where were you?'," Paltrow said.

"I think it's different when you have an office job, because it's routine and, you know, you can do all the stuff in the morning and then you come home in the evening.

"When you're shooting a movie, they're like, 'We need you to go to Wisconsin for two weeks,' and then you work 14 hours a day and that part of it is very difficult. I think to have a regular job and be a mom is not as, of course there are challenges, but it's not like being on set."

I think she has missed the point that many
Parents with office jobs may also have to travel at short notice for two weeks.

Yes it's all a bit Marie Antoinette isn't it. Love Gwynnie apologists and Somalia invokers.

As someone else has already said, you'd be right to kick me in the head if I claimed that it was still quite tough for me, though I don't live in Somalia, because they have such lovely communal huts for living in and it must make sleep training so much easier...

That's what she's doing. Also just generally, and this applies to all showbiz people really - can you just stop speaking? I know you keep getting invited on chat shows and stuff but you really are annoying and quite often a bit thick and we all have to treat your words as if they are really valuable and then we end up dissecting them and discussing them on MN when we really should remember you are basically are fundamentally very ordinary, as we all are, but you have been sprinkled with stardust due to the accident of being beautiful. It doesn't make your words at all valuable although we treat them as though they are.

Yes, Quangle - let's not forget Gwyneth's totally-in-touch-with-the-world-too best mate Cameron Diaz telling everyone Gyyneth has done something uniquely 'brave' and 'extraordinary' by deciding to get divorced.

Again, I don't think it's any less painful to get divorced when you're rich and painful and I feel sorry for anyone in this situation - but if you and your friends are going to try and paint it in some kind of uniquely, heroic and faux positive light (poor kids - how confused must they be being told how wonderful this 'conscious uncoupling' is when they feel sad) AND imply your lot is harder than the proletariat's - then fuck you.

Oops rich and famous!

"Also just generally, and this applies to all showbiz people really - can you just stop speaking?"

I sense a MN campaign!!

God people on Mumsnet fall over themselves to appear fair, liberal, good hearted, worthy without actually thinking about the shite they are spouting!

Are you saying that there is something actually wrong about trying to be fair to people or being goodhearted?

Bugger me.

Doesn't she have a point? Having to go away for weeks on end and not be able to be there for your kids must be shit.

She doesn't HAVE to, that's the point

That bit is fair enough, it's the implication that "regular" people don't also have that challenge sometimes.

Oh come on! Yes, she's away for her kids for weeks. Then she's with them for weeks - or months til the next $10m film! They can go with her on set - she only has to have it written in her contract that they need a tutor and assistants and that's that. Loads of Hollywood actresses do that.

And she doesn't have to work for years or ever again with the money they have. She chooses to. That's great, fair enough - I love my job too - but don't compare it to 'normal' people who have to work and might not be away from home for two weeks but are for 8/9 hours a day.

I've said many times I do feel for them as they are going through a painful time, just like anyone else splitting up.

But I can't abide her disgraceful out-of-touch, offensive comments.

I would like to know how many weeks a year this actually happens? 5/6 tops I'm guessing.

God people on Mumsnet fall over themselves to appear fair, liberal, good hearted, worthy without actually thinking about the shite they are spouting!
Comeatmefam - love this. So bloody desperate to appear absaloutely 'right-on' , 'feminist' and FAIR- bloody boring...

I'm not desperate to appear a feminist. I am one. Aren't you?

I am indeedy :)
I am also a socialist, liberal, empathetic etc etc
The difference is : I am not desperate to have these ideals reflected in every little thing i say.
I have my veiws, but I also have a personality and I am human. Sometimes I am a bitch. It's allowed.

I'm a feminist, yes.

I don't like Gywneth's opinions or attitudes and won't accept them because she's a woman, mother, working mother, whatevs.

Ah, i forgot the classic "you mustn't say how you feel about something unless it goes along with other people" or the "say something bitchy because I'd hate people to think I was worthy" part of Mumsnet.

quite simply, OP asked if she was being unreasonable. I think yes.

Surely being a feminist and thinking Gwyneth was spouting ludicrous crap are not mutually exclusive positions?

A million name changes later : you can answer the op and have your own opinion... I wasn't aware the two are mutually exclusive?

Spring heeled - crossed post classic!

I remember reading an interview with G.P - she apparently told the interviewer that her (interviewer's) children would be OK if she died because they were a bit older than her (G.P.'s) children. The interviewer was quite rightly .

Wtf, persimmon?

I accept that although she's in a privileged position, there may be bits of her life that are hard, and I'm sorry for anyone who's marriage is going down the Swanee.

What I don't accept is that her hard bits are so very much harder than mine. On the occasions when I'm on-call, doing a 14 hour day, I don't have hot and cold running nannies to pick up the slack, nor do I have a salary that gets into the top tax bracket to compensate me.