Jessica Alba thinks her new book is more grounded and not as extreme as Alicia Silverstone's and Gwyneth Paltrow's

Jessica Alba Slams Silverstone’s and Paltrow’s Philosophies

18
by Allyson Koerner March 20, 2013
Categories: Entertainment, Film/TV
Tags: , , .

With the launch of Jessica Alba’s new book, “The Honest Life,” she is getting a bunch of press, but her most recent interview might have Alicia Silverstone and Gwyneth Paltrow fans up in arms.

In an interview with NY Daily News, Alba had some choice words to say about the above actresses, their books and their websites.

“Alicia Silverstone is a vegan, so she’s the extreme side of it,” she said. “Gwyneth Paltrow probably lives a very similar lifestyle, but I didn’t grow up with a bunch of money, so my tips are much more grounded: Repurposing things and making things at home.”

Now, she might not have meant to come off catty, but that’s sure how it reads. Calling Silverstone’s vegan philosophy “extreme” might make some vegans angry, because it sort of sheds a bad light on the animal-friendly lifestyle. Saying Paltrow isn’t “grounded,” because she grew up rich, could even upset others.

Similar to Alba, both Silverstone and Paltrow are popular for their franchises. Silverstone is widely loved for her website, The Kind Life, not to mention her book “The Kind Diet.”

Paltrow is recognized for Goop.com, which at times does suggest higher-end products, and for her new cookbook, “It’s All Good,” which offers extremely healthy recipes, some vegetarian, that every family should try.

Alba is known for being a green mom and is widely popular for co-founding The Honest Company. She also isn’t afraid to say how she feels, but do you think she went too far?

She did continue to say, “You can take what you want from the book,” and not everyone has to follow exactly what she does.

Photo Credit: Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com

About Allyson Koerner

Allyson Koerner first found her love of writing while attending Westminster College in Pennsylvania, and that passion evolved while she was earning her Master's in Print & Multimedia Journalism at Boston's Emerson College. She's an experienced writer dabbling in all things vegan, green, entertainment and TV-related. Feel free to keep tabs on her over at Twitter: @AllysonKoerner.

View all posts by Allyson Koerner →
  • Rachelle

    She should do some research before speaking about something she knows very little about–or stay silent. Calling veganism extreme is something I would expect someone to have said maybe 30 years ago. Veganism has come a long way and is by no means an extreme diet/lifestyle.

    • captaindash

      Of course it’s extreme. It takes a lot of work to make sure that you eat properly, and that you don’t wear/use animal products. In the modern western world, it’s considered “extreme” to check the ingredients of your hand lotion, or to refuse a garlic supplement because the gel cap can contain animal bits.
      I’m vegetarian, and less than 5% of people are vegetarian. That’s kinda extreme. Vegans are 1%. If you are different than 99% of people, that’s extreme. By definition.

      The issue here is that you are taking that word as an insult. Top athletes have “extreme” diets to stay at peak condition. Doesn’t make it a bad thing. This is why I hesitate to tell people I don’t eat meat (or drink alcohol, for that matter). It’s because veggies and vegans are usually whiney pouters who need to worry more about what they put into their bodies than about what other people say. Stop being offended by everything. Seriously.

  • http://www.facebook.com/iesha.mcinnish Iesha McInnish

    Calling a Vegan lifestyle extreme frustrates me. Has she been watching what is going on around in our world today or is she too busy bashing other celebrities while listening to herself talk? The “extreme” is the way these animals are treated and slaughtered. Tee extreme is the fact that our country is fat and dying. The extreme is being too arrogant and ignorant to say “take what you want from the book” as if she just wrote it to hear her own view and you can well, take it or leave it.

  • http://www.facebook.com/levi.bosolasco Levi Bosolasco

    she’s way too ignorant.. and a really bad actress.

  • http://www.facebook.com/olivia.jano Oliviana Janoslavski

    Eating and exploiting animals for your own selfish needs is extreme! I’ve lost respect for her.

  • http://www.facebook.com/Tidbitz Jennie McCluskey

    Who cares! Like most people, she stated an opinion. She is allowed to have one, even if it doesn’t agree with everyone. Seriously, who cares.

    • captaindash

      Thank you. Plus, by demographics, she’s correct. Even if it was fully meant as an insult, who cares? Did she say it at your baby shower in front of your grandma? Let it go, people.

  • Stephanie

    I have to agree with the below comments. Don’t call a vegan lifestyle extreme when the animals that are being forcefully used for your food are going through extreme measures which include being tortured, killed, and living an impossibly horrible life. That, is the definition of extreme. I’m sad to see that she doesn’t connect her eco-consciousness with eating a plant based diet. The two go hand in hand.

  • GT

    She explained where her approach fits in relation to the other two and the mainstream, tactfully or not. Since most of the population eats meat and has a pretty thoughtless diet, she’s saying she’s gone in the same direction as Silverstone, but not as far. I think it’s silly to slam her for stating that accurately.

  • Teena Simon

    Wow I had no idea how ‘extreme’ it is to eat plants but perfectly normal to slaughter/butcher/abuse/mistreat animals. Hummm… learn something new every day. I am proud to be ‘extreme’ I guess…..

  • Mary Smithson

    Its sad that she had to criticize others in order to promote her product. Makes her look desperate.

  • Flora Fauna

    Oh people, get over yourselves. Just as you have the right to perpetuate vegan stereotypes by being uptight and self-righteous, Jessica Alba has the right to her opinion. And this is coming from an animal advocate who knows what our “food” goes through.

    • VNN

      Sad to hear that you support opinions that support animal abuse! Ms. Alba’s tragic lack of knowledge clearly supports animal, environmental, and human health abuse.

  • Lisa Clark-kahn

    UMMM BEING VEGAN IS EXTREME YEP EXTREMLY NICE TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND ANIMALS YOU CLAIM TO CARE ABOUT,THE MORE YOU TALK JESSICA THE NASTY YOU SOUND.

  • Wanda Smythe

    i think she’s pretty stupid. anyone who investigates these issues has realistically only one viable option…..stop eating meat and dairy IMMEDIATELY

  • Bridget Curran

    To say Alicia Silverstone or the vegan lifestyle is “extreme” is laughable and shows Alba’s ignorance on the subject. Perhaps she should do research before she embarrasses herself like that again.

  • Gabe Kopca

    I wonder what her thoughts are on “bullying”. What does she think Animal Slavery, Abuse, cruelty, exploitation, torture and mass killing of defenseless, innocent creatures for profit is? People can talk all they want about bullying, racism, sexism, and every other “cism” that is so popular out there, but unless they open up to the fact that all of them are openly and freely applied to others who can not speak, or defend themselves, gladly sponsoring and taking
    pleasure in the practice of the very things they deem unjust, unacceptable, immoral, unethical and utterly criminal and barbaric is convenient self deceit.The excuse “They are just Animals” is the same excuse used before by others, “They are just Indians”, “They are just Blacks”, “They are just Gypsies”, they are just Gays, they are just Retards, they are just Savages, “They are just Pagans”, “They are just Infidels”, “They are just Jews” and on and on. To insist on using the same reasoning regarding Animals, places us in the same category as those we so self righteously accuse of being in the past, and even today in other parts of the World.

  • designby

    As Forks over Knives said so eloquently, over 500,000 people annually have their chests cracked, their hearts stopped and put on a heart/lung machine, veins taken out of their leg and grafted onto hearts. *That’s* extreme!

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