The New York Times published a lengthy profile about Yahoo! chief executive Marissa Mayer last week — the then 38-year-old Stanford graduate who was supposed to be the woman to turn around the perpetually struggling media giant. Long story short, Mayer did not get it done, despite acquiring the archives of Saturday Night Live and the hiring of Katie Couric, among other moves. The company’s revenue has since plummeted to its lowest in a decade.
One interesting tidbit to come out of the article, however, is that Mayer, an alleged “higher education snob” who often inquires as to where her employees went to college, reportedly turned down Gwyneth Paltrow for a position as a contributing editor for Yahoo Food because the actress did not finish college. You know, just the woman who single-handedly built a lifestyle empire (albeit an insufferable lifestyle empire) and has written two cookbooks.
Even though the actress Gwyneth Paltrow had created a best-selling cookbook and popular lifestyle blog, Mayer, who habitually asked deputies where they attended college, balked at hiring her as a contributing editor for Yahoo Food. According to one executive, Mayer disapproved of the fact that Paltrow did not graduate college.
Paltrow of course attended University of California in Santa Barbara but dropped out before earning a degree to go be a millionaire actress — a decision I’m sure she is now gravely regretting. Seriously, I finished college but I went to school for graphic design and wrote all of like two papers my entire collegiate experience, but if I can figure out this writing stuff then I’m sure Gwyneth Paltrow would have done just fine. You know, especially since she’s already doing it.
Jesus. If someone wants to hate on Gwyneth Paltrow, then by all means hate on Gwyneth Paltrow, but at least have a reason that isn’t total classist bullcrap. See what you did, lady? Now you’re making me side with Gwyneth Paltrow. I need to go eat a bacon cheeseburger with doughnuts for buns to detox from this.
(New York Times via Gawker/Daily Mail)