When the WHI’s study on HRT (Hormone Replacement
Therapy) was halted prematurely due to health concerns for
its participants, the United States’ 45 million menopausal
women were left to fend for themselves. Some kicked HRT
cold-turkey, suffering the immediate and ferocious
onslaught of hot flashes, night sweats and heart
palpitations. Others remained on HRT choosing the threat
of increased risks of many fatal diseases over the
unpleasantness of menopausal symptoms. Still others
sought alternative treatments and remedies to help cope
with the hormonal changes. In a culture that celebrates youth more than any other
society in the world, millions of women have been forced to
look aging square in the crow’s footed eye. Ever since the
menopause cure was yanked from women’s grasps how
are they coping? As Marilyn Kentz and Nancy Alspaugh say
in their book Not Your Mother’s Midlife, “All you need is a
sense of perspective and a sense of humor…” With that philosophy in mind, a growing trend of
menopausal entertainment and community highlights one
very important medical fact: FUN is the safest prescription
for menopause. A slew of clubs, websites, theatrical
productions and even a pop–up book, all dedicated to
menopause and aging, have cropped up; proving that when
all else fails, a menopausal woman can always feel better
by having a good time. In the Red Hat Society, a country-wide community
organization, gangs of 50+ women clad in red hats descend
on malls, coffee shops, restaurants and even national
talk-shows, and act the way they wish they had when they
were younger. The message is clear: aging women are not
ready to shrivel up and die just yet. MenOpop is the world’s first menopause pop-up and activity
book that with its 3-D pop-up uterus, The Menopause Fairy
and MenOland –The Board Game, lets menopausal women
and their friends and family laugh and play through
understanding menopause. Keep your eye on the theatre, and you’ll see the national tour
of “Menopause the Musical.” Menopause is even infiltrating
your computer through entertainment websites devoted to
hot flashing and mood swinging. Currently online there is
www.minnipauz.com, which features humorous cartoons
and www.menopop.com, an entertainment website where
it’s “cool to be hot.” A companion to the pop-up book, it
features online video games, virtual paper dolls, a
print-and-make-your-own pop-up bookmark, and community
tip-swapping. So, join the fun and try this new approach for yourself with
the MenO “Pop-Quiz”: 1. How many women are going through menopause right
now? A. Just you.
B. You and a guest.
C. Millions, and millions, and millions, and you. 2. What happens after menopause? A. There’s something after menopause?
B. People no longer cower when you enter the room.
C. You find yourself making finger puppets out of your
unused tampons. 3. What are the warning signs that you are menopausal? A. You are surrounded by idiots.
B. You’re looking forward to the next Ice Age
C. What was the question, again? Answers: (there are no answers, just many many more
questions…) Michelle Cohen produced the Off-Broadway musical hit
Schoolhouse Rock Live!. and is CEO and President of the
entertainment company, Fill’ er Up Productions, Inc.
Michelle and her varied projects have been featured on
CNN, Good Morning America, MTV, NPR's All Things
Considered, People Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Dave
Barry’s Holiday Gift Guide, Maxim, FHM, the Chicago Tribune
and the Washington Post. As a writer, her first book is MenOpopTM: A Menopause
Pop-Up and Activity Book created by her company. (available
at http://www.menopop.com/. Her latest book is Of Course You
Can Sing!TM
For more details go to http://www.michellecohenonline.com
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