John Connolly John Connolly

Goop

issue 27 April 2019

The other day, as I walked with my partner through Notting Hill, we came across a shop which deserves to be visited just as an experience, or perhaps an education, for people not yet aware how extremely silly the 21st century can be.

We had heard strange and interesting things about Goop, an online store and blog run by the actress Gwyneth Paltrow, famed for its weird and often obviously ill-advised ‘remedies’ (vaginal steaming anyone?), but never knew it had a physical store.

Stepping inside, it’s clear that within these walls Gwyneth is treated as a guru. She’s referred to reverentially as ‘GP’ and before you even get to the products on sale you’re invited to read the gospel according to Goop — the founding story, which is written on the walls. Important dates include when GP did her first ‘master cleanse’ and the time when Peter Arnell jokes to GP that all successful internet companies have a double ‘O’ in their name.

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