Dear Gwyneth, (an open letter from a working mom)

From the NY Post...

Dear Gywneth,

I really enjoyed your recent comments to E! about how easy an office job is for parents, compared to the grueling circumstances of being on a movie set. “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,” you said. “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.”

As a mother of a toddler, I couldn’t agree more!
“Thank God I don’t make millions filming one movie per year” is what I say to myself pretty much every morning as I wait on a windy Metro-North platform, about to begin my 45-minute commute into the city. Whenever things get rough, all I have to do is keep reminding myself of that fact. It is my mantra.

And I know all my fellow working-mom friends feel the same. Am I right, ladies?

We’re always gabbing about how easy it is to balance work and home life. Whenever I meet with them at one of our weekly get-togethers — a breeze to schedule, because reliable baby sitters often roam my neighborhood in packs, holding up signs peddling their services — we have a competition to see who has it easier. Is it the female breadwinners who work around the clock to make sure their mortgages get paid, lying awake at night, wracked with anxiety over the idea of losing their jobs? Or is it the mothers who get mommy-tracked and denied promotions? What about the moms with “regular” 9-to-5 jobs, who are penalized when their kids are sick and they don’t have backup child care?

Those women are living the dream, I tell you!

Which reminds me, child care. As you know, Gwynnie, having a staff can be a real drag. It’s so hard to find good help these days! That’s why it’s a good thing there’s all this nationally subsidized, high-quality day care lying around for the taking. It just makes things easier knowing you have such a strong support network and don’t have to pay someone anywhere from $30K to $65K annually to take care of your child full-time.

You mentioned in your E! interview that when someone has an office job, “You know you can do all the stuff in the morning,” and that hit the nail on the head. As someone with an office job, my mornings are obviously pretty leisurely. Sometimes I even have time to drink half of my coffee before it gets cold! After my 6 a.m. wake-up, I have a lot of time to loll around, hopping in the shower and then throwing makeup on my face, hoping that I’ll have enough time to put my tights on before my son starts crying in his crib. Then, when he does start crying, I have to make the decision: Do I get fully dressed, or do I go tend to him with my hair still dripping wet? Talk about being spoilt for choice!

Then I have a few Bellinis and adjust my 401(k) contributions.
After I get home from work, I’m full of energy and ready to cook dinner using one of the recipes you post on your lifestyle Web site, Goop: slow-cooked kale, pancetta and bread crumbs, anyone? After that, I’ll go to yoga, spend a few hours meditating and maybe do some online shopping, picking up a pair of $350 white leopard-printed short-shorts via Goop in preparation for the “spring break” I’ll take with my husband and son.
If there’s one thing I look good in after having a child, it’s short-shorts.
So, Gwyneth, you’ve figured out the secret of working parents everywhere: Livin’ la vida desk job is a breeze compared to the 14-hour days of a film set. Fourteen hours? Who in New York — especially those in the finance, law and tech professions — could possibly work 14 whole hours?
Luckily, those 9-to-5 “ordinary job” hours grow on trees here.
And if you lose one, all you have to do is find another.
Yours,
Mackenzie

Re: Dear Gwyneth, (an open letter from a working mom)

WOW...I didn't see or hear anything about her interview.
But I LOVE this woman's response.

And I can see why so many people aren't a fan of hers.

Re: Dear Gwyneth, (an open letter from a working mom)

Re: Dear Gwyneth, (an open letter from a working mom)

Re: Dear Gwyneth, (an open letter from a working mom)

She seriously needs to get over herself (Gwyneth, not the mom who wrote the open letter)

Re: Dear Gwyneth, (an open letter from a working mom)

Gwyneth Paltrow is an insufferable elitist *****.

Re: Dear Gwyneth, (an open letter from a working mom)

I love everything about this letter....and I'm a sahm.

These celebrities are so disillusioned with reality. Just like when Kim k had her baby and made it a point to say how it's so important for new moms to go out, get their hair and nails done, go to the gym,, etc. Meanwhile I had my baby 2 weeks after her and I have still yet to do many of those things. Sorry, but I don't have a 24/7 baby nurse at my side so I can run off to Paris.

Re: Dear Gwyneth, (an open letter from a working mom)

This is awesome and Gwen is an AzzHat

I know, because all office jobs are done when you get home. I was a consultant that travelled Mon-Fri sometimes, what about those moms that were on the project with me. What a TW@T.

Message edited 3/27/2014 7:23:11 PM.

Re: Dear Gwyneth, (an open letter from a working mom)

if Gwyneth really said that she should be ashamed of herself. look I can only imagine for any sort of job...if you aren't home for weeks on end...how it must be emotionally difficult not to be with your child. BUT **** you Gwyneth....you make so much ******* money you could fly a staff of people anywhere u want and have your kids with you. seriously she should be ashamed. shouldn't matter what path you are on as a mother..working or not...******* support one another or shut the **** up.


can you tell I have my period with all the f bombs I dropped?

Re: Dear Gwyneth, (an open letter from a working mom)

I am not a mom but I have 2 full time jobs.
The "easy" office job that takes an hour to commute to/from and the one when I get home and on the weekends.
Oh those fun times when I do have to travel for work. Gotta love the 2 day California trips. No stress what so ever.

SHE LIVES IN THE FREAKIN ENTITLED BUBBLE WORLD.
Moron.

Love the letter that the lady wrote.

Dear Gwyneth, (an open letter from a working mom)

Wow, I can't believe Gwyneth would say those things...And, that open letter is AWESOME!!

Re: Dear Gwyneth, (an open letter from a working mom)

Dear Gwyneth, (an open letter from a working mom)

Seriously Gwyneth? I was never a big fan of hers but now even less! As someone else mentioned she makes SO much money she can fly her kids to her or fly across the country (or world) at a drop of the dime to be home on off days from set. Don't give me that bs you have it harder than ANY person working a normal office job man or women, with OR without kids. You try cutting a whole lots of zeros out of your $5,000,000 or however much you make per movie and live on that for even just a month and raise your kids.

Kuddos to the Mom that wrote the open letter!!!

Re: Dear Gwyneth, (an open letter from a working mom)

I am hoping a military mom adds her two cents- because a war zone is also so much less taxing than 14 hours on a movie set. I used to like Gwyneth but I'm over her. Can't believe Chris Martin lasted as long as he did, even if they have been apart for a while.

Re: Dear Gwyneth, (an open letter from a working mom)

please... i would not be complaining on how hard I have it if I was making millions of dollars for just one movie.

Dear Gwyneth, (an open letter from a working mom)

I could have written that word for word. It is sick that someone who makes millions for 1 movie talks this way. She should be ashamed of herself.

Dear Gwyneth, (an open letter from a working mom)

that letter is awesome - hope she sees it! Used to like her but not the last couple of years because she is so pretentious and delusional....yes I am sure working 14 hours a day is hard - but you work a couple of months out of the year and I'm sure after your "stressful" job don't have to go home and still worry about cleaning and laundry etc etc. Besides - what is the last movie she was even in???!!!

Dear Gwyneth, (an open letter from a working mom)

I hater her

I posted this on my FB yesterday

She is the biggest asshole ever, I will never see a movie she makes or buy anything from her she is a POS

Re: Dear Gwyneth, (an open letter from a working mom)

Re: Dear Gwyneth, (an open letter from a working mom)

Her and her (ex) husband's net worth is estimated somewhere around $280 million...give or take. So I can see how it must be really hard for them...

Re: Dear Gwyneth, (an open letter from a working mom)

Re: Dear Gwyneth, (an open letter from a working mom)

Message edited 3/28/2014 9:38:32 AM.

Re: Dear Gwyneth, (an open letter from a working mom)

Posted by DiamondGirl

Posted by luvbuffet

Posted by DiamondGirl

I hater her

I posted this on my FB yesterday

She is the biggest asshole ever, I will never see a movie she makes or buy anything from her she is a POS

no, really... tell us how u REALLY feel lol!

I always hated her this just was the icing on the cake

You millions of dollars to do nothing you dumb bitchhhh lol

also I dont think shes pretty

Re: Dear Gwyneth, (an open letter from a working mom)

I was a big GP fan, but this is ridiculous. I didn't realize how out of touch she is. I will be unsubscribing from her newsletter tout de suite.

I thought this was also an (old) but interesting read:

Link

And one of my fave GP quotes:
“I am who I am. I can’t pretend to be somebody who makes $25,000 a year.”

Re: Dear Gwyneth, (an open letter from a working mom)

I would love to know how much of a 14 hour day on a movie set is actual work. How long is she sitting in the makeup chair, sitting around while others are shooting scenes she isn't in, etc? I am not saying acting isn't work, but I don't think you can compare that to the 14 hour day a young lawyer trying to make partner puts in or that an ER doctor puts in, etc.

She lives in a completely different world than most people and I don't think she even sees it. But then again, I am still bitter that she won an Oscar over Cate Blanchett and Meryl Streep for Shakespeare in Love.

Message edited 3/28/2014 10:44:33 AM.