Happy Spring! I’m serving up some media reviews this week. Since midlife women are underrepresented in culture, I keep an eye out for programs that speak to us. Here are four that have caught my attention in the last month.
Podcast
First up is Julia Louis-Drefus’ new podcast, Wiser Than Me. You know her as Seinfeld’s Elaine and Veep’s Selena Meyer. Julia steps away from acting to interview women ages 70+ who are “an untapped resource of wisdom.” I listened to the episode with best-selling author Isabelle Allende, who wrote her first novel when she was 40. I find Julia smart and engaging, and I love that she’s created a platform for women who’ve lived, worked, learned, and loved longer than most of us.
Music
The Bengsons are a married musical act I recently had the pleasure of discovering. I was immediately drawn to their authenticity and creative songwriting. Listen here to get a taste of Abigail’s resonant voice and Sean’s musical chops. This is a midlife couple who share life’s ups and downs through music. They’re genuine and infectious.
Since midlife women are underrepresented in culture, I keep an eye out for programs that speak to us.
Television streaming
Leanne Morgan’s new comedy show I’m Every Woman premiered on Netflix this month. If you don’t know Leanne, she’s a Tennessee comedienne for midlife women—tapping into personal stories of motherhood, marriage, and becoming a grandmother for the first time. While watching this show, you’ll hear the women in her audience howling with laughter. Netflix filmed Leanne at the end of her 100-city tour called The Big Panty Tour. I love watching her career accelerate in her 50s.
Online content
Oprah Winfrey is offering The Menopause Class on her Oprah Insider subscription service. Maybe you saw the ads in your social media feeds too. Menopause is having a moment; The New York Times has published a couple articles on it recently, highlighting the market for beauty products, supplements, and influencers that cater to midlife women. When Oprah steps onto the stage to talk about it—given her access to doctors and other experts—I naturally want to listen so I bought a subscription.
The class consists of a video conversation with Maria Shriver, Drew Barrymore, and Oprah, along with two doctors and a studio audience that includes Oprah’s bestie Gayle King. She also offers a number of articles on the topic. I was a little sad that this content was behind a paywall, likely because I used to watch and learn from Oprah’s TV show back in the day. I’m a fan, and she’s a queen.
But I’ll be honest: I’m not sure the menopause content alone equals the value of an annual subscription. One notable exception was this article: How to Hack Insurance So You Get the Hormones You Need. I don’t promote or dissuade hormone replacement therapy; it’s an individual choice. I do know that getting access can be difficult for women. Even without a subscription, Oprah’s site grants one free article per month, so if this is something you’re interested in, check it out.
🌿🌿🌿
If you’ve found this article helpful, I’d be grateful if you’d share it with your girlfriends. I created greencallings.com to help women thrive in midlife so we can bring our wisdom and gifts to the world.