"Hotdog-water" supplier makes a splash on the Vancouver Goop wellness summit
"Extraction Experts" provide free samples of Hotdog Water to people outside the Goop Summit at Stanley Park in Vancouver on Saturday. Hotdog Water is a parody of healthy lifestyle marketing products, and is a concept developed by artist Douglas Bevans, as an exercise in critical thinking.
A man in a hot dog broom tried to storm the Goop wellness summit on Saturday to give samples of his "restorative" warm water to the participants.
Artist Douglas Bevans said he hoped to inspire critical thinking about how businesses use health claims to boost sales, advertising bottles of his homemade Hot Dog Water (including wiener) for $ 37.99 outside the Stanley Park Pavilion where Goop's first Canadian Summit was held.
The lifestyle brand, led by actor Gwyneth Paltrow, has been criticized for making false health claims on products, including their now-infamous jadeegg, which would balance hormone levels and increase bladder control.
In September, the California company decided to pay $ 1[ads1]45,000 to settle lies that it made unjustified marketing requirements.
The eggs were sold for sale in the Goop Store Saturday (shown under a shelf of crystals to be cleaned with "salvation smoke" or moonlight), although the packaging no longer seemed to make any reference to their dubious health benefits.
A goop spokesman confirmed 200 people attending the Vancouver Summit, the company's first "In Goop Health" show outside the United States. Tickets for the sold out event were priced at $ 400.
Media was asked not to film participants when they moved between a yoga class and a makeup. There were at least a dozen security officers who ensured that the event was a "safe place".
An "recovery expert" sends free samples of Hot Dog Water to people outside the Goop Summit in Stanley Park in Vancouver on Saturday. [19659011] Jason Payne /
[19659000] PNG
Attempted to offer Hot Dog Water samples to several participants on the public sidewalks outside the room was largely rejected.
A woman accused the artist and his friends of using "bullying" tactics on women who were there to do yoga and have fun together.
She also pointed out that participants were able to listen to speakers on a number of important topics, including how to use "breathing work" to help with ailments, rather than drugs.
"It's much more important to protest than this," she said before going away. She did not respond to a request for her name.
Bevans said he was not at the event to make fun of Goop participants, but he was uncomfortable with how the company seemed to be riding on coattails by the female empowerment movement to market their products.
The artist was not surprised Goop chose Vancouver for his first international summit, given the promise of "healthy lifestyle quackery" in the city, he said.
In November, Goop returns to Canada for a "special event", with a conversation with one of Goop's most prominent mind leaders. It is unclear who to talk. Paltrow was not present at the Vancouver event.
Although Bevans was told that the Goop store was closed for lunch when he tried to go in, he continued to offer samples to people passing by.
"Cold and salt" said Rob Cable when asked to describe the drink. Cable that did not attend the Goop Summit tried the hot water water "for fun."
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