Gwyneth Paltrow Incurs Internet Backlash Over Hunger Awareness Challenge
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Activism may have backfired for actress Gwyneth Paltrow.
As CBS2's Jill Nicolini reported, while the Academy Award winner recently raised awareness about hunger, she wound up leaving a bad taste in many mouths.
Last week, Mario Batali reached out to his celebrity friends via Twitter and asked them to take part in the Food Bank for New York City Challenge.
Paltrow accepted, and in an effort to raise awareness for hunger, said she would live on the amount equal to $1.38 per meal for the week.
"She is a wealthy woman and she isn't always realistic in her suggestions to her fans or readers of her cookbook that she came out with 'It's All Good,'" said Bonnie Fuller, editor in chief of Hollywoodlife.com. "She actually has recipes that if you were to follow would add up to $300 a day for three meals."
Reba Mcentire, in town raising awareness for Outnumber Hunger, came to Paltrow's defense.
"I never missed a meal. I can't fathom that, so I am 100 percent in helping people making sure that they have three good meals a day," she said. "(Nicolini: And so is Gwyneth, so we're all working together.) Way to go Gwyneth, 100 percent for ya."
According to the Food Bank for New York City Challenge, each week families in need are given $29 per person as part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP.
Paltrow tweeted a picture of her food choices totaling $29, including brown rice, black beans, eggs and fresh vegetables, which sparked all the criticism.
"It's important to make awareness about hunger. I don't know if we need celebrities to do it," said New Yorker Steve Ross. "I think poor people are a better choice."
But not everyone agrees with the criticisms being handed out.
"Any kind of awareness being brought to people in need is a good thing for everybody and if Gwyneth Paltrow has more followers on her Twitter than the average joe, then who am I to judge," said Mark Birnbau, with EMM Group.
So far, Paltrow has not posted nay updates on how she is doing.
Sting and Blondie were among other celebrities Batali asked to take the challenge.
