This clip features actress, entrepreneur and lifestyle writer Gwyneth Paltrow in conversation with a correspondent from the Extra celebrity news show. In it, Paltrow discusses her experience doing a “Food Stamp Challenge,” in which she spent several days using $29 or less – the amount the average person on food stamps (now called the SNAP program) – receives as support to purchase foods. “You cannot eat fresh, whole, affordable food if you are living at the poverty line,” Paltrow remarks, adding that it was an “eye-opening” experience that gave her a greater understanding and more gratitude for her own position in life. She continues with a discussion of her lifestyle brand Goop, including its web presence and product line.

discussion

What do you see as the positive aspects of taking the “Food Stamp Challenge”? Are there any potential downsides?

Is Gwyneth Paltrow a good messenger to raise awareness about poverty and the lack of access to healthy foods that some people experience? Why or why not? What types of audiences might respond well to her message, and what types of audiences might respond negatively?

What discussions of poverty and hunger have you seen in the news or entertainment media before? Whose voices have been featured and what solutions have they offered to fix this problem?