Why Gwyneth Paltrow's Commercial In Super Bowl 2022 Is a Win for Vulvas

It's not just an Uber Eats commercial; it's a small step towards oral sex equality.

Whether you were glued to your screen for the entire Super Bowl or simply tuned in for the advertisements, there's a good chance you caught sight of the Uber Eats commercial which prominently featured several celebrities consuming items generally not categorized as food. The ad questions with Jennifer Coolidge asking if you can "eats it?" while she humorously holds a box of aluminum foil, fortunately not attempting to ingest it. (We can all agree that wouldn't be a pleasant experience, even with a sprinkle of sea salt and a dash of olive oil.) Besides the comedic presence of Coolidge and the spectacle of Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun) from Succession guzzling down dish soap, what truly stole the show was Gwyneth Paltrow savoring her own vagina candle.

Not exactly tucking into her personal intimate area but her famed candle, dubbed "This Smells Like My Vagina." While her thumb tactfully hides the "gina" part of 'vagina', you don't have to be a fervent Goop follower to recognize what's happening. If you missed the commercial and are curious about the taste of such an unusually named candle, Paltrow shared her thoughts: "This candle tastes peculiar," she remarks. "Not unpleasant, just peculiar." My feelings align when it comes to wasabi, hence she captivated me with her product. As expected, whenever someone nibbles on a candle allegedly replicating their own vagina scent, Twitter erupts — at least for those clued up.

Several people may have been left puzzled when they first saw Goop's uniquely named candle, "This Smells Like My Vagina." Released in January 2020, this product quickly became a hot topic of conversation. The backstory according to People magazine is that when Gwyneth Paltrow and perfumer Douglas Little were developing fragrances for the candles, Paltrow quipped that one particular scent reminded her of her vagina. The online buzz surrounding this peculiarly named candle was swift, leading to its sell-out during a test run within hours. One can't help but wonder if the demand came from curiosity about Paltrow's vaginal scent or the novelty of having such an audaciously named candle as a conversation starter. A case in point is myself, who even purchased it as a birthday gift for my mother, a scented candle enthusiast. Paltrow's appearance in a Super Bowl commercial might raise eyebrows given her acclaimed acting career, including an Oscar win. However, two factors are worth considering here. Firstly, Goop has recently partnered with Uber Eats, and secondly, it was a Super Bowl advertisement — a prime spot for major celebrities like Salma Hayek, Seth Rogan, Paul Rudd, Zendaya, and Hannah Waddingham who also featured in ads during the game. If one speculates why Paltrow picked this particular candle for the ad amongst Goop's extensive product range, it could be viewed as a bid to normalize and destigmatize discussions around women's bodies, albeit in a humorous way.

"It's a common experience for many women to feel varying levels of embarrassment about their bodies," says Paltrow in an interview with Seth Meyers on his late-night show back in January 2020. "This candle is somewhat rebellious, designed for all of us." In the same conversation, she referred to the name as being "slightly punk rock". This leads me — and likely several others — to suspect that her exposure to punk rock has been minimal. But that's not the main point here. The key takeaway might be that oral sex for vulva owners needs to make a strong comeback in 2022. Research consistently shows that those with penises receive more oral sex than vulva owners – an outrageous fact, given Samantha Jones' famous line from Sex and the City: "Darling, they don't refer to it as a 'job' without good reason." Although this may seem like a far-fetched conclusion drawn from a one-minute food delivery ad, we need to prioritise reducing sexual shame, starting with promoting cunnilingus. (Every small step counts towards this goal.) While it’s amusing to see Paltrow indulging in her own vagina-scented candle – described on Goop's website as an "amusing, beautiful, sensual, and pleasantly surprising aroma… crafted with geranium, citrusy bergamot, cedar absolutes contrasted with Damask rose and ambrette seed" – let's also remember that vaginas aren’t meant to smell (or taste) like candles. They are expected to smell like, well, vaginas. In conclusion, hats off to Gwyneth for bravely biting into her vagina-scented candle. It was a minor move for Goop but represents a significant leap forward for vulvas everywhere.