Even in this post-#MeToo climate, it's doubtful that so many films would have been made without a culture rethinking what menopause means and can look like. Menopause, clinically defined as a full year without menstruation, and perimenopause, the years of hormonal changes that precede it, are in the midst of a revolution, with actresses proudly wearing their names and wrinkles. She lends her portraits to menopausal and perimenopausal adventures. Naomi Watts, who starred in 2013's hit age-gap romance Adore, has founded Stripes Beauty, a company that provides “comprehensive menopause solutions.” Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop sells Madame Overly, a supplement that helps alleviate hormonal changes. Halle Berry launches RESPIN, an online community focused on menopausal health.
It's a truism that sex sells. And as these movies, shows, and companies suggest, menopause may be sexy right now.
“We are finally separating women's sexuality from the days when we were pregnant,” said Shira Tarrant, professor of women's, gender, and sexuality studies.
But as Tarrant acknowledged, that separation is incomplete. And what exactly is this year of abundance? Advances in reproductive technology have significantly extended their range. Actresses, including Kidman, regularly have children after the age of 40.
Outside of the bedroom, these on-screen bodies are largely opaque. In these recent films, not a single character mentions hormonal changes or suffers from hot flashes or the embarrassments common during “crime scene” periods. While this new visibility is liberating, it is also very limiting. Are you perhaps a slim, traditionally attractive, often white woman? Congratulations! Just a little more can represent your sex life. In these films, limbs are lithe and faces smooth. Her chest is high and firm, like a military hairstyle. Thanks to advances in dermatology, cosmetics, and surgery, women can now look sexy at almost any age. As long as I look like I'm 32 forever.
In rare cases, Diane Keaton's fleeting nude scene in the 2003 romantic comedy “Something's Gotta Give” and Emma Thompson in 2022's “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande” Bodies may appear on screen with imperfections, like loose robes, but more often than not, attractiveness equates to lack of pores. This is the horrifying crux of the 2024 horror-comedy “Substance,” in which Demi Moore's former starlet goes through slimy torments to preserve her youth and beauty and (asexually) become younger and hotter. I will give birth to myself.
