The upcoming documentary series on Netflix, debuting Jan. 24, is the latest brand extension of the thriving Goop business enterprise.
Founded by Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow (“Shakespeare in Love,” Marvel Cinema Universe) in 2008, the lifestyle company has expanded into a web site, print magazine, podcasts, pop-up shots, seminars, cruises and now, a streaming show.
Netflix has ordered a six-episode series.
“the goop lab with Gwyneth Paltrow,” small caps, is the latest platform to promote her company. Each episode showcases Paltrow and her Goop team, including Elise Loehnen, Goop’s Chief Content Officer, discussing various topics, such as energy healing, psychedelic drugs, cold therapy and female sexuality.
Prior to release, “the goop lab,” like the company, has come under fire for promoting pseudo-science. It’s known for selling products that traffic in “wellness” with little science to back up its claims.
For example, in an upcoming Netflix episode on energy healing, Reiki practitioners say they can see energy fields and manipulate them, though there is no evidence to support the practice.
The Atlantic notes that watching the show is “to wonder where to locate the line between open-mindedness and gullibility. It is to wonder why Gwyneth Paltrow, celebrity and salesperson, should be trusted as an arbiter of health.”
The New York Times pegged the privately-held company’s worth at $250 million in 2018.