Famous Faces Show That Menopause Is No Joke in Menopause Mandate Spots

The lack of education and support for menopausal women is beyond a joke. In preparation for World Menopause Day, Dark Horses has rallied a group of comedians, personalities, and one globally super famous rocker, in support of non-profit organisation Menopause Mandate. 

Jo Brand, Davina McCall, Lisa Snowdon, Gina Bellman, Lavina Mehta, Jackie Adedeji, Mariella Frostrup and TikTok sensation Hayley Morris - and even Rod Stewart - all lend their comic genius by telling menopause ‘jokes.’ The joke being that they aren’t actually jokes. 

Taking inspiration from classic gags such as “knock knock” but using punchlines that are deliberately unfunny, the 'jokes' show that the lack of awareness, understanding and treatment for menopause is laughable, championing the statement end line: ‘It’s beyond a joke’. 

For example: ‘What’s a menopausal woman’s favourite drink?’ ‘I can’t remember…’

The clips have been pulled together into a series of films that will be released in the run-up to World Menopause Day.

The campaign, which was created by Dark Horses for Menopause Mandate, features placards, bags, social content, and even fans to be used for the rally.

Melissa Robertson, CEO of Dark Horses and director at Menopause Mandate, said, “Half of us go through menopause and the other half are related to, work with or are friends with those who will go through it. Yet menopause is still highly stigmatised. We’re going to change that. Using the voices of all these incredible women, we are shining a light on the issue and engaging with more people than ever. Which is only right, because it’s an issue that all of us should be rallying for.” 

Mariella Frostrup, chair of Menopause Mandate, said, “The lack of support for women going though menopause really is beyond a joke. This is not just a clever campaign. It’s based in truth, and the joke has no funny punchline. We will not stop fighting for women’s voices to be heard until every single perimenopausal woman has access to a trained expert and HRT is accessible to everyone who needs it. This campaign is a step in the right direction. Working with women who are a true force of nature and passionate about this cause has been amazing. But we need to continue to talk, listen and acknowledge the real issues millions of women are facing around menopause.” 

Menopause still remains a largely invisible issue. The purpose of the new campaign is to increase overall awareness around the issue of menopause and break the taboo. Women affected can’t access the right treatments and are repeatedly misdiagnosed by medical professionals who simply haven’t had the necessary training. The work was built around the idea that it's almost laughable how much of a mess we're making of looking after menopausal women and fundamentally campaigning for reform, education and support with more resources and making these women's voices heard. 

Menopause Mandate was launched in May this year with Mariella Frostrup as the Chair. The group has an amazing group of patrons, including the Labour MP Carolyn Harris, Davina McCall, Gabby Logan, Lisa Snowden, Penny Lancaster and Carol Vorderman; and a number of prominent medical experts. The organisation is lobbying the government to make necessary changes to various things from laws to make menopause a protected characteristic at work, to access to HRT.

Some Menopause stats

• 41% of doctor training in the UK does not cover menopause
• 25% women seeking support are being  misdiagnosed.
• 44% of women have had to wait a year to receive HRT treatment 
• 25% of women consider leaving their jobs, and 10% of women feel compelled to do so during their menopausal years.
• 90% of women will experience severe menopause symptoms, but only half will seek help from the doctor.