There are few celebrities more divisive than Gwyneth Paltrow. Whether you’re a fiery critic of her oft questionable wellness claims or a devoted fan soaking up everything in the Goopisphere, you are likely aware of her new Netflix venture entitled “The Goop Lab with Gwyneth Paltrow.” Each episode in the series focuses on a different topic ranging from psychedelics to energy healing.
As you might imagine, those of us here at Maze were particularly interested in Episode 3, “The Pleasure is Ours.” So, I skipped right over ‘shrooms and sub-zero therapies in favor of sexuality. And despite a good deal of skepticism, I was glad I did.
Gwyneth and her intrepid team are no strangers to the female genitalia conversation. It’s just that – from an evidence-based perspective – they don’t always get it right. Sometimes they even get it very, very wrong. But this time, they sought out experts (shout out to Betty Dodson, PhD!) who have been doing clinical research on the subject for decades. We watch as Gwyneth and her co-workers publicly own their misconceptions and mistakes about vulvas and vaginas (Lesson 1 – they are NOT the same thing), and that was refreshing! But even more so was the conversation about women of all ages who are learning about, embracing, and harnessing their sexuality (despite stone-aged societal norms and double standards). In fact, viewers watch as Dodson’s business partner, Carlin Ross, demonstrates how to masturbate with Dodson by her side, coaching Ross in a method she developed to help women achieve orgasm.
Ultimately, the episode teaches women why it’s important to get to know their bodies and to learn about what feels good to them. I never expected to say this about a Goop enterprise but I found it uplifting, educational, and empowering. I applaud those involved for creating a useful, progressive, and normalizing show that I hope will help women honor themselves, their needs, and their preferences.
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