She has been everywhere this week. All up in your face with her cooking and cookbook and her famous friends. But Gwyneth had to slum it with the regular people yesterday at a book signing at Barnes & Noble in New York, grudgingly engaging the public as she aims to take her recipes to the bestseller list.

Imagine that?

Gwyneth Paltrow, Oscar winner, singer, mother, exerciser, and Bestselling Author?

You’ll be grinding your teeth down to nothing every night if it happens. At the same time, ironically, she needs your help to make it happen. It’s YOUR money that she’s asking for after all.

Note though that in an effort to make this happen, G opted for flats yesterday with her leather capris so as not to tower too much over civilians. She can condescend, even in her choice of footwear. It really is an amazing gift. Look at her expression too: noblesse oblige, benevolent Gwyneth charitably offering your advice and recommendation on how to be more like her. Which actually is how I like her. She never used to have to apologise or explain. She used to float around all privileged and sh-t, almost oblivious. Now … all this effort… and the admission that she has to work hard, to TRY, to reinvent herself, NEEDING US to support her as a voice of the Modern Mother. Is she identifiable as such?

Well, she does have fans. But she knows she also has haters. Many of them. And how does she deal with the hate? How does she explain it?

“I think there's a part of me that because I think I do a lot, I think my work ethic is the reason why I'm successful. I think that a lot of people don't want to put in effort and it's easier to not change, not do something good for you, not work on your relationship, not make yourself a meal, not work out. [They're just] pissed off at someone else doing that. Everything in my life that's good is because I worked my ass off to get it and to maintain it. I also think, for example, like Mario Batali used to make fun of me all the time if I had soy milk in my coffee or if I was doing a cleanse or something. He used to grill me like, "Oh what are we eating? Squeezed out asparagus and seaweed?" And now he's the one doing a cleanse and having almond milk. I think people mistake me trying to be the best version of myself for me telling them you're not, or they just think well, what does that make me then, you annoying f**king person on the soapbox. But I can't please everybody, all I can do is focus on the people who seem to appreciate what I do and put into the world. I'll just do what I'm doing because, especially now, we live in a world now where everybody is able to express their opinion.”

Duana and I talked about the comment that I highlighted last night. It reminded me of the very “hard” day she had back in November when she had to take her kids to school and try on some clothes and talk on the phone. Click here for a refresher. In her mind, I really do believe she thinks this is exhausting. Because it’s all relative. She’s had a head start. Having said that, though Tina Fey defended her a few weeks ago, can you imagine G with Tina’s schedule?

Click here for Gwyneth’s full interview with Popeater. Um, at one point, she starts speaking Spanish to someone offline. See? More of this! Less of the goddamn onion chopping!


Photos from Wenn.com