Apparently Gwyneth Paltrow said this:

"I love the English lifestyle, it's not as capitalistic as America. People don't talk about work and money, they talk about interesting things at dinner. I like living here because I don't fit into the bad side of American psychology. The British are much more intelligent and civilized than the Americans."

- Gwyneth Paltrow told Portugal's Diario de las Noticias on Saturday


I'm going to pick apart her comment.

"I love the English lifestyle."--me too. I love the European lifestyle. I am with her on that one. They really have time to enjoy life. Here, we are forced to work and work, and hardly have time to give back to ourselves. I wish that would change. I love England's proximity to a plethora of countries.

"it's not as capitalistic as America"--Yes, America has made much of its money due to capitalism. I agree. I feel sad when I see buyouts of large businesses, and 5000 people lose their jobs. America is young, and growing, and it's not like other countries which have been around for centuries. Hopefully people will realize a plateau isn't a bad thing. With globalization, most countries are buying into capitalism. McDonalds near the Sistine Chapel? Starbucks in France, a place renowned for their cafes? That's capitalism.

"People don't talk about work and money, they talk about interesting things at dinner."--All that means is that you need better company. I don't know a lot of people who talk about money. Work--yes. I choose not to surround myself with people who are money-centric anyway. Frankly, I don't know too many Americans who can't deviate from work and money as a topic. At dinners I have been to, people have talked about travel, entertainment, day to day life, parenting, philosophy, politics, you name it. She needs to expand her social circle.

"I like living here because I don't fit into the bad side of American psychology."--What is she talking about? It sounds like she's fitting into a snobby side of any psychology.

"The British are much more intelligent and civilized than the Americans."--Intelligent is Intelligent anywhere and Dumb is Dumb anywhere.

I have 2 things to say to her: "Don't bite the hand that feeds." and "Be the change you want to see in the world." I don't see her helping out any.

I hate (yes using the word hate) individuals who make these mass claims about a group of people. Plus it's very ironic that a person who has made millions of money in a particular country and from hard working people would so carelessly and easily make this type of statement to do nothing but insult them. She has every right to say what she wants but she could show some same class and ethics while doing it. I am happy she has found happiness in the UK.

If she had said something about the healthcare and education system, I may have agreed with her. For example, Why can't the richest country in the world not give its citizens free or cheaper health care? or Why can't the richest country in the world subsidize educational expenses, or invest our tax dollars back into the public education system?

I have travelled many places, and I love America. I've had good and bad times here, and there are good and bad things about this place. I am sad that the current administration has really messed up, making us look awful to the rest of the world.

I love driving the open road here. I love how we have so many different types of people. I love how you can really be anything you want to be (I saw something about a "Laughing Yoga class" today. I love how generous people are, especially when our government fails them, like in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. I love how the government does not define all the people in this country. I love how random people will talk to you while waiting in line. I love small town fairs.

But one thing about her comment...at least she's not living here and saying it. She just has a house somewhere here. Her generalization of everyone bothered me. Quite frankly, her comment really struck a negative chord with me. I think because as I take care of my niece, I find so many of her friends parents ready and willing to help me, and friends whom I have had for well over 25 years, and she shouldn't be insulting them.

I'm just waiting for her fake British accent to emerge.