OK, I admit it: I haven’t yet experienced all of the many changes that “Menopause: The Musical” celebrates, but since the publicity material landed on my desk (it plays The Orpheum April 10-13), I’ve been eyeing it warily. Yes, I get the joke … hey, I’m old enough to remember the hilarious “All in the Family” episodes when Edith turns into a shrew because shes going through menopause. But the premise of this musical, which debuted in 2001, seems a little outdated. Surely it’s not the only way women talk to women about menopause any more, is it? Or how we laugh at it? And maybe I’m just a prude, but I’d no more put a “Honk if You’re Flashing” sticker anywhere than fly to the moon.
Seems like everyone from Nora Ephron to local author Sally Thomason to even the blessed queens (Sweet Potato and otherwise) are perfectly comfortable poking fun and telling their story of aging and menopause. Heck, even Dr. Oz is getting into the act, though his book focuses on staying young, and not menopause, per se.
But maybe I’m just missing the joke. What am I missing?
Responses to “Is menopause really hilarious?”
January 23rd, 2008 at 5:25 pm
The best menopause bumper sticker I’ve seen is
“I’m Out of Estrogen and I Have a Gun”.
For a small percentage of women, I think menopause may fall in the category of this-is-so-terrible-awful-no-good-that-if-I-don’t-laugh-about-it-I’ll-go-crazy. Rick Bragg has a chapter in one of his books: “If you’ve got to kill somebody, it’s best that it ain’t family”…That’s the real challenge of menopause!!
January 23rd, 2008 at 11:56 pm
You know, I think the talking/joking/whatever about menopause is good, because for the girls like me, whose mother only barely told them about menstruation, I have even less idea what to expect for a change that is probably coming sooner than I’d realized.
I want to know what to expect – and mom ain’t gonna tell me, so anyone else who talks about it is educating me.
January 19th, 2008 at 8:44 am
My sister saw “Menopause” in Florida while visiting our mother. They liked it so much that I went with Mom when I visited. We all loved it. It’s just light-hearted, upbeat and full of energy. Makes you feel good!