There was a true fear about what kind of unhinged energy would be brought to the surface when Gwyneth Paltrow‘s ‘The Goop Lab’ finally hit Netflix, and now that it’s here and readily available to be binged en-masse, I’m pretty sure our fears have been realised. At least that’s the vibe I get from combing through the reactions online.
For the uninitiated and/or those who simply haven’t given a rats ass about what Gwyneth and her yoni eggs and vagina candles have been up to, The Goop Lab is essentially her personal brand of off-the-beaten-track and alternative ~wellness~ packaged down into bite-sized episodes.
The first episode kicks off with the exploration of using psychedelics as a method of healing, with a focus on trauma-related mental health issues like PTSD. That should be a big marker as to what the fuck you’re in for over the six-episode short series, how big of a pinch of salt you’ll need, and how firmly you should probably strap in.
From what I can gather, this one tweet sums it up pretty well.
https://twitter.com/G_Luscombe/status/1221908551469338627?s=20
Looking through the conversations happening on Twitter about The Goop Lab, the reaction seems to be just as chaotic as the show itself. Some folks are deeply sceptical about Gwyneth’s praised approaches to wellbeing – which include the deeply controversial Wim Hof method of de-stressing through cold water immersion and controlled breathing, psychics, and energy healing.
Watched the first episode of #gooplab and now want to go and take mushrooms in a forest somewhere. It’s therapy right?
— Amy Tucker (@amymaytucker) January 26, 2020
Show me *Gwyneth* on mushrooms, you cowards! #GoopLab
— amanda clingerman (@aeclinger) January 25, 2020
Others are straight-up labelling it as “pseudoscience”, or straight westernised grifts of Indigenous practices or one long advertorial that shouldn’t be in the ‘documentary’ section of Netflix, and others oscillate wildly between “fuck this” and “this has changed my life.”
Me: I’m gonna hate watch this #gooplab show on Netflix.
Me on ep. 3: I am reborn, I want to work for Goop, I am fully indoctrinated pic.twitter.com/xD7SjmVwDH
— Rowan Knight (@RowanRevolution) January 26, 2020
not proud to admit this, but i watched the first 10min of #gooplab last night & now i fear i’ll never stop hearing gwyneth’s vocal fry in my head advising that “there’s more to life than making out with matt damon”
— valentina is the LAST name (@annie_valentina) January 26, 2020
Watching #Gweneth donate her own plasma to her own self and have it re-injected into her own face. What. Is. Happening @goop lab. Thanks, @netflix this is great television. #GoopLab pic.twitter.com/JyD0KnXhZ3
— Erin Patrick (@ErinLindsayP) January 28, 2020
I watched two episodes of The Goop Lab and had to force myself to turn it off because I’m dangerously susceptible to believing absolutely anything that thin women with good skin tell me.
— Julia Claire (@ohJuliatweets) January 27, 2020
I was on the Netflix thinking I was watching the new David Lynch. Turns out it was just the Gwenyth Paltrow Goop Lab
— Jason Trevino (@jasontrevino) January 26, 2020
If anything, it’s provided an incredible amount of entertainment, and it’s good (not groundbreaking) television viewing – not because it’s clearly good or factual, but simply because it’s very obviously a hot mess.
I mean, one review from the Guardian even questions whether Gwyneth knows what a vagina is, after Gwyn was filmed (and okayed the footage of herself) assuming that the vagina was the whole kit and kaboodle in a very eye-opening third episode. I just…what the fuck.
I had some beers and watched The Goop Lab on Netflix. What I’ve learned is that for someone that makes a shit ton of money telling you what you should do with your Vagina Gwenyth Paltrow has no fucking idea what a Vagina is.
— illjay (@bcuzthenight) January 27, 2020
https://twitter.com/toripartridge_/status/1221918511347519490?s=20
Look, The Goop Lab is great for being an entertaining watch. Hell, maybe get some mates over and make a drinking game out of it. Skol your wine every time someone says “yoni” or whenever Gwyneth praises and champions some kind of method but then probably doesn’t even participate herself or whatever. Feed her the ‘shrooms and make her jump in the lake, now that’s TV I’ll watch.