Not to be outdone by fellow celebrities, Jay-Z debuted a lifestyle website, Life + Times, on Tuesday. With articles on the new Rolls-Royce Ghost and designer shoes, it has drawn immediate comparisons to another well-to-do celeb's lifestyle project: Gwyneth Paltrow's GOOP. Since launching in 2008, Gwyneth's weekly newsletter and website has oft been ridiculed for its apparent lack of awareness that not everyone is rich, blond, lithe, and macrobiotic — but is nevertheless about to expand. Is Life + Times just Jay-Z's GOOP?
Yes, this is GOOP all over again: You can imagine Life + Times sprang from a "rowdy tea time at Chris Martin's crib, with Gwyneth Paltrow pushing Hova to branch out with a GOOP of his own," says Amos Barshad in New York. Still, his "aesthetically pleasing" site boasts a "mind-boggling" range of content, from an interview with chef Daniel Boulud to a video of a soccer prodigy. Like Gwyneth and Oprah, Jay-Z also wants you to "Live Your Best Life."
"Jay-Z has launched a lifestyle site, and it is bonkers"
It's certainly as tone deaf as GOOP: "This sure feels like another rich person trying to tell us we're not good enough because we can't afford all the fancy things he likes (and probably doesn't even pay for)," says Brian Moylan at Gawker. While Jay-Z has clearly devoted "serious cash" to this ambitious site, will his fans really care about an interview with a fancy chef? "When will celebrities figure out that we already feel bad enough about being poor...?"
"Jay-Z's new website tells you how to live your life"
Nah, it's better than GOOP: Life + Times is "already better than GOOP," simply because it makes no mention of Gwyneth, says Jen Carlson at Gothamist. While it's still unclear what the mission of the blog is, and it may well "still be a work in progress," it does have a "nice visual aesthetic" and, seemingly, a capable staff of writers. It looks as though there's also a section where Jay-Z himself will be contributing. Time will tell.
"Move over Gwyneth: Jay-Z launches lifestyle website"
