Gwyneth Paltrow kind of strikes me as a self-important snob, but not necessarily one who doesn’t think the rules apply to her. However, the New York Post brought up an interesting question regarding one of her latest entries on that crappy highfalutin lifestyle site she runs, GOOP. Apparently Gwen raves on and on about her recent visit to the Mamounia Hotel in Morocco where she was attending a junket with Jennifer Aniston and Orlando Bloom. The problem with that? According to new FTC guidelines, bloggers now have to disclose any and all information about gifts and services they receive for free. Odds are that if she was staying at the hotel for a junket, she wasn’t picking up the tab.
My guess is that Gwynnie wasn’t trying to pull a fast one on the housewives and desk jockeys that actually read her blog so they can follow her advice, I’m guessing that she was just clueless to the rule. However, it’s quite important to keep in mind that someone like Gwyneth is not really a regular blogger. Your average blogger might get a free hand cream or book to review, but celebrities who have blogs? Totally different ballgame. I’m not sure it’s even fair for the same rules to apply. Beside, don’t we all kind of assume that famous people get just about everything for free except their houses?
Slow news day? zzzzzzzzzzzz
I know. Seriously, who cares?
She was “working” – it wasn’t free, they actually paid her to be there.
She’s talking about gifts GP received while there, aka from those fun gift bags that, unlike the ones I get with some dopey chocolate and crackers and maybe cheese in it, have Rolexes and Gucci sunglasses.
swag is actually considered taxable income
if she was comped and gave an endorsement about it without indicating she was comped, she’s in clear violation of the law (the freebie also becomes taxable income)
I don’t think her site qualifies as a blog either. She “recommends” a store, product, restaurant for a fee, I’m sure. It is pure advertisement, and I’m sure she reports her revenue from it. I seriously doubt she writes the content or even reads it.
Of course she thinks she’s above the law – this is Gwenyth Paltrow we’re talking about. NO rules apply to this precious flower.
Wouldn’t matter would it? I mean she doesn’t consider herself American does she? Hasn’t she had the Brit change Madonna experienced? So I guess she wouldn’t have to pay US taxes.
Oh shut up Gwynnie. Nobody thinks you are fabulous except you and your mirror.
amen to the last line – tiger didn’t pay for that escalade he crashed. way to go, gm.
(i just found that out and it pissed me off cause it reminded me that the way our world works is that the highest earning pro athlete (over $100million in 2009) gets for free a car that cost more than my college education. fuck.)