“I have a passion for wanting to do things. I want to be a part of things that are going on.” So says Kate Hudson in October’s Marie Claire cover story, a no-doubt harrowing journey into the id of the actress, mother, and athleticwear mogul that is sadly not online in full. The magazine chose to emphasize the line by blowing it up and running it next to a full-page glamor shot of Hudson, which, though the magazine has likely been out for more than a month, on Tuesday happened to catch the discerning eye of illustrator and Twitter user Hallie Bateman:
Though Hudson is obviously saying so much here, clearly, what, um, exactly is she saying? Like Kylie Jenner, who was mocked for calling 2016 the “year of realizing stuff,” Hudson’s wisdom will be lost on some, and for them we feel nothing but pity. For the enlightened among us who want to actually engage with and mine insight from Hudson’s koans, let’s try to parse this. First off, Hudson has passion, as she states. That’s never a bad thing. And she reserves that passion for wanting to do things. This is not to be confused with actually doing things; no, Hudson is passionate about wanting to do the things she does. There’s a lesson in there for all of us: Don’t get so caught up with doing things that you lose sight of what you really want. It’s aspirational but relatable at the same time—classic Hudson, tbh.
Onto the second sentence. Hudson declares that she wants to be part of the things that are going on. Again, her use of want is so telling here: This is a woman who listens to her heart’s desires. Hudson’s wish to be a part of the things that are going on shows us how humble she is, how she doesn’t need to be the center of attention at all times but merely a part of a larger, collective whole. She doesn’t feel the need, either, to dictate the things that are going on. All she wants to do is join the things that are already in progress. She will go with the flow. But she will do so, as always, with passion.
You may ask, is it at all possible that Marie Claire is oh I don’t know, ever so slightly shading Hudson here by giving prime print real estate to a meaningless word jumble of a quote? You’re rude, first of all, but second of all it wouldn’t be the first time: Remember when the New York Times Style section ran a piece last year headlined, “Her Films May Flop, but Kate Hudson Remains a Fashion Star,” calling Hudson’s stardom “a mystifying paradox”? Because that happened. And Hudson paid it no mind. She just kept right on promoting Fabletics, Snapchatting with abandon, and wearing stunning gowns. When you’ve got a passion for wanting to do things, after all, what other choice do you have?
