Women Over 40 Rock!

Of all the wonderful things I’ve enjoyed in watching the current Olympics…Phelps’ eight gold medals, the gymnasts, the diving, the runners, the volleyball….all of it…the above quote is my very favorite.  It was what Dara Torres, the 41 year old mother who was part of our womens’ swimming team said while being interviewed after they medaled in the team swim event. This was her fifth Olympics. Lots of people would have said she was too old to try again…but Dara knew better. She picked up three silver medals in this one.

And she’s not the only one of us middle-agers who has refused to run our lives by a time table:
Dolly Parton, at 62, though not appearing in it, is currently working on the previews of the stage version of her 1980 film for which she wrote the music & lyrics, “9 to 5″.  And in said show, among others, is Allison Janney, who, at 48, is taking on the role Lilly Tomlin played in the movie, with Lillys’ blessing.
Natalie Cole, at 58, is coming out with a new album, Still Unforgettable, the long-awaited follow-up to Unforgettable: With Love, her blockbuster tribute to her dad seventeen years ago.  Alfre Woodard, 55, and Kathy Bates, 60, have a movie about the lifetime friendship of two middle-aged women coming out: “The Family That Preys”, directed by Tyler Perry. Molly Shannon stars in a new NBC series “Kath & Kim”, based on an Austrailian sitcom of the same name. Ms. Shannon plays a divorced mom dealing with her daughter moving back in with her. (Gee, think their might be a few women who will totally understand that plot??) Helen Thomas, the ‘older’ reporter you’ve seen at presidential press conferences for the past 50 years, was the the subject of a recent documentary, and she’s still right there with the press corps at every presidential press conference.
And of course need we mention the ladies in “Mamma Mia”? Now in its fifth week on the top ten list.
So Dara Torres knew what she was talking about when she said “You don’t have to put an age limit on your dreams.” She didn’t. The other women above, and the many I didn’t have room to mention, didn’t. I’m not. And you don’t have to either. None of us need to put a age or time limit on what we want to accomplish, and by gosh, we ain’t goin’ to! So there! Thanks, Dara, for putting into words for us.

Judith 66-and-goin’-strong Drake, blogger for In the Trenches Productions, The First Entertainment Website for Women Over 40

This headline on a small blurb in the “Quick Take” section in the other days’ LA. Times caught my eye. Lee Margulies was quoting Martha M. Lauzen, the executive director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State U. She had just issued a study that found that women are (can you believe it??) underemployed as movie reviewers at our 100 largest newspapers. - The occasion for bringing this to our attention was the ‘revamping’ of the TV reviewing show Roeper & Ebert (or Roeper and the various critics taking Eberts’ place the last few years). Revamping meaning that the two middle-aged men will be replaced by two younger men, i.e. no women.
So not only are most of our films mainly peopled with male actors, they are also mostly directed by men, and yes, reviewed by them as well. As Ms. Lauzen is quoted as saying, “The underemployment of women film reviewers, actors and filmmakers perpetuates the nearly seamless dialogue among men in U.S. cinema.”
So what else is new? I know, I know, we women (especially those of us ‘in the biz’) have known this for ages, but it still gets my dander up! Women make lots of money, spend lots of money, and yes, actually do go to the movies. But why on earth would that sway any of the movie moguls? Even though almost every time a movie starring women (especially ones with women over 40, like “Mamma Mia”), with themes that would interest women opens it make oodles and oodles of money. I guess the men running the film biz are just like most of the other men I’ve ever known…too myopic to notice that when women are involved, whether writing, directing, speaking out politically or simply working in their neighborhoods, a new, exciting and refreshing breeze comes thru, and there are millions of us out here who are ready to feel it.
Hopefully, even though under represented in all things film, we women will continue to support the few women filmmakers out there, be they actors, writers, producers or directors, and continue to speak out as well, in the ever lingering hope that we, and they, will eventually began to be noticed and supported, and that the female ranks in the film world will grow ever bigger. Here’s to us!
Judith women-filmmakers-rock Drake, blogger for In the Trenches Productions, The First Entertainment Website for Women Over 40

‘’ Sordid Lives: The Series” debuted on July 23 on the Logo channel.  The series is an offshoot of the very successful play written by Del Shores.  Los Angeles Theater audiences are familiar with the hilarious writing style of Del Shores.  The titles of his plays hint at their rich humor:  ‘Daddy’s Dyin’ (Who’s Got the Will?), ‘Southern Baptist Sissies’ and ‘Sordid Lives’, to name a few.  Del grew up in what he describes as the “tiny Texas Republic Bible-thumpin’ town of Winters.”   His writing reflects his southern small town roots.  It is outrageous, and also big-hearted.  ‘Sordid Lives’ was called “a black comedy about white trash.”

In 2000 ‘Sordid Lives’ was released as a film, starring Olivia Newton-John and Beau Bridges.  The rest of the cast was mainly made up of what I’d call Del’s repertory company – actors who’ve consistently worked with him over the years.  Many of the actors who were in the play and film are also in the series.  Not only is Del Shores loyal to his actors but he also writes absolutely delicious roles for everyone, including older women.  His female characters are eccentric, opinionated, strong or loopy, but always pitch perfect and very, very funny.

IMDB described the storyline of ‘Sordid Lives’:  “We become intimate with the ‘Sordid Lives’ of a family in a small Texas town preparing for the funeral of the mother. Among the characters are the grandson trying to find his identity in West Hollywood, the son who has spent the past twenty-three years dressed as Tammy Wynette, the sister and her best friend (who live in delightfully kitschy homes), and the two daughters (one strait-laced and one quite a bit loose.)”   With all these wonderfully, richly-drawn characters thrown together, you know you are in for some huge laughs.   The series stars Rue McClanahan, Caroline Rhea and Olivia Newton-John, as a singing ex-con.  The rest of the ensemble cast consists of some of the finest character actors Hollywood has to offer.  Hopefully your cable provider carries the Logo channel because you don’t want to miss this series and what is sure to be a rollicking good time.
Jan Bina, blogger for In the Trenches Productions, The First Entertainment Network for Women Over 40

All aboard the self-esteem express! Carson Kressley is at it again.

Back for a second season of Lifetime Television’s How to Look Good Naked, Mr. Kressley works overtime trying to convince us that “how you carry yourself means more than having a perfect body.”

This is no ordinary makeover show. Here we are more concerned with fixing our perspective than fixing our bodies. It is about bridging the gap between what we think we see when we look in the mirror, and the reality before us.

The young women profiled are particularly susceptible to the images of primped and airbrushed supermodels, and live with oddly distorted feelings about their own bodies.

One episode features Grae, a successful and attractive young woman. Faced with a full-length mirror, and overwhelmed with humiliation, she tears up as she speaks of being nothing but an observer in her own life, unable to fully participate. All this over body image? As observers, we are perplexed by her words, as she despairs over her shape and searches for a mold to fit into. “I don’t even know what I am. I’m not a pear. I’m not an hourglass…” What we see is at odds with her confusion. We are hooked. We want to understand.

Confronted with three cardboard cutouts of women in their underwear, she is asked to comment on what she sees. She compliments the three bodies, finding them all attractive. She particularly likes the third one, finding beauty in the long legs and nice shape she so desires for herself.

Carson takes special delight in peeling the top layer from the cutout, revealing that this body is, in fact, her very own! It is a stunning moment of awakening for Grae, as she takes that first step to understanding how skewed her perspective has been. Now she MUST acknowledge her own beauty.

The series provides quick tips on makeup, hairstyle, and how to dress without spending a lot of money. There are no admonitions about diet and exercise, no mention of cosmetic surgery or treatments, no quick fixes. Carson gives the ladies credit for knowing these things already. He understands that the problem lies in the heart and mind, and once you “start seeing the possibilities,” the rest will follow.

The climax of each episode is the “naked” photo shoot, when a professional photographer gives the participants the full movie star treatment. The spectacular results speak for themselves. The average American woman, as glamorous as any magazine cover girl!

After her shoot, Grae was asked, “Do you look good naked?” She triumphantly replied, “Holy, Moses! Yes!” From self-loathing to self-loving in five days… yet nothing about her changed, at least not physically. Mr. Kressley gently persuades the women to see themselves as they really are, using a large dose of common sense, a flair for the dramatic, and offbeat sense of humor.

Season two of How to Look Good Naked, with its new hour-long format, is a breath of fresh air on the television landscape. It’s time to shatter those ingrained images of acceptable beauty and bring on the new. Carson Kressley, in his casual style, verbalizes what we all should instinctively know, but don’t. Beauty begins in the mind.

How to Look Good Naked has hit the magic formula.

Posted by Mandy Crest, Blogger for Women Over 40 Rock! and In The Trenches Productions

I recently read the article “Stumbing on the Path to G-Spot Utopia” in the Los Angeles Times that not every woman has a G-Spot. Can that be right? After all that has been written about this famous location and all the worry that went into trying to make it perform well, that it could be nonexistent just doesn’t seem possible. I realize that things work in cycles and that what is true at one time may prove not to be true later only to be proven true again later on. I suppose that is what will happen with the G-Spot as well. I just don’t know if I can wait that long. I don’t know if I can take the insecurity of it all. Just what if it IS true and that all women don’t have this desirable SPOT. The newspaper article did say how you could try to see if you actually had the physical properties that meant that you indeed had one but it involved mirrors and positions that seemed somewhat uncomfortable to me. What if I went through all that and still wasn’t sure if I had one, as I had never seen one before. Plus the description in the paper made it sound like they all have slight differences.

What the hell am I exactly looking for anyway? Could the G-Spot just be a place in your mind and the more active and creative your mind the more excitement for everyone? What was I to do? I definitely didn’t want to spend any more time on this as I had done enough thinking about this in the past. I just don’t have the energy for the G-Spot search right now.

Here is what I came up with and I would love to know what you think about my solution. I AM JUST GOING TO “ACT AS IF” I HAVE A G-SPOT WHETHER I HAVE ONE OR NOT. And that is it. I am going to “ACT AS IF” the elusive G-Spot is there and working properly. I am not going to follow the story in the paper and buy into all its ramifications and everyone’s thoughts and opinions about it. That will just take up so much time and most likely make me unhappy. So for anyone who is interested I have a beautiful and well functioning G-Spot (Now keeping it activated could be a problem but that is for another blog).

Claire Callaway, blogger for In the Trenches Productions, The First Entertainment Website Celebrating the Power and Beauty of Women Over 40

Well this film doesn’t star a woman over 40 ( it stars a 66 year-old African American male) but there are a lot of marvelous and interesting women over 40 in this magical, enlightening and inspirational new documentary. And since we’ve been talking about “therapy shopping” lately this film is a definite alternative to shopping for lifting your spirits.

A MAN NAMED PEARL moved me in such a way that I want to share this film with everyone.  I can’t say it any better than this review by Bill Thompson of the Charleston Post.“In a sea of pedantic, heavy-handed political documentaries,  A MAN NAMED PEARL offers both an effective social statement on race relations and human potential”

It tells the inspiring story of self-taught topiary artist Pearl Fryar.  It is a subtle and intriquing film that is certain to open hearts and minds.  It offers an upbeat message that speaks to respect for both self and others, and shows what one person can achieve when he allows himself to share the full expression of his humanity. Pearl’s garden is a living vision of peace, love and goodwill and this documentary reflects the true essence of this man and the amazing life lessons that can be learned or reaffirmed from the truly remarkable and astoundingly gifted Pear Fryar.

“Gardening books will tell you that some of these things in my garden can’t be done, but I had never read them when I got started. Not knowing ahead of time that something is supposed to be impossible often makes it possible to achieve. I didn’t have any limitations because I really didn’t know anything about horticulture. I just figured I could do whatever I wanted with any plant I had.”

“In this life you’re gonna have obstacles. The thing about it is, don’t let those obstacles determine where you go.”

Those are just two examples of Pearl’s philosophy to live by.  So instead of that shopping spree or that chocolate eating fest check your local newspaper this weekend to see if A MAN NAMED PEARL  is still in a theatre near you and if not the DVD is expected to be out in December 2008.  A MAN NAMED PEARL should definitely be in your DVD library or next to your pocketbook and the chocolate stash.

Debbie Zipp, blogger for In the Trenches Productions, The First Entertainment Website Celebrating the Power and Beauty of Women Over 40

We all know that it’s the little extras added that make meals delicious, table settings lovely, gifts special and outfits to-die-for, but extras in movies? They make the movie. Literally. Think what a street scene in NY would look like if the only people you saw were the stars. Or a hotel scene. Or a battle scene. Or just a doctors’ waiting room. Without the extras (politically correct term coined in the 70s - Background) none of the movies and TV shows we watch daily would have an iota of believability.

What brought these thoughts to mind recently was seeing a super charming documentary, “Strictly Background”, which, in following the lives of ten aspiring actors, opens our eyes to a fascinating and touching show-biz world that usually fades….well, into the background. (Check out the trailer) And while I was enjoying watching these “extras in the spotlight”, I was bombarded with memories of my own career beginnings in 60s and 70s New York….me crossing the street in front of Jack Lemmon (The Out-Of-Towners), waving hello to Gig Young at a wedding reception (Lovers And Other Strangers), jumping into a swimming pool in front of Dustin Hoffman (Lenny), and standing, caftan clothed, behind Woody Allen and Diane Keaton at a cocktail party (Annie Hall), among others.

Remembering those days on sets as one of the actors making $50 instead of $50,000, I can see how his own jobs as an extra inspired Jason Connell, producer and director of “Strictly Background”, to delve into the stories of these un-sung actors who bring life and authenticity to our films.

Jason says his reason for taking an extra job when he moved to L.A. from OK was that he thought he could learn more about film production…and he quite obviously succeeded. The idea he got from that job to explore the struggles and determination of some of Hollywood’s’ hardest workers, both professional extras and those hoping to use it as a stepping stone to greater careers, has already won Best Documentary in five film festivals and has been an official selection in many more.

“Strictly Background” is, in short, strictly terrific. Thanks, Jason, for bringing these extras into the spotlight. You can purchase the DVD now at “Strictly Background” Website and beat the Official DVD Release for Netflix, Hollywood Video, Amazon, Borders, Barnes & Noble, etc which is August 5th.

Judith mighty-proud-to-have-extrad Drake, blogger for In the Trenches Productions, The First Entertainment Website Celebrating the Power and Beauty of Women Over 40

What do you do when you’ve lost it? What do you do when you think you can’t take it anymore? What do you do when you feel trapped or that you want to crawl out of your skin and transport yourself somewhere else, like a beach in Mexico with a double salt Margarita. What do you do when you have lost all your reason and focus and you don’t know what the next step is. You just can’t seem to get a grip to see through the fog in front of you so you know where you are going and why. Why am I taking this step in this direction when maybe it should be that other step. Your head is spinning, spinning out of control. What do you do when you feel like screaming forever from the tip of your pedicure needy toenails, through your worn out body and out your mouth to the heavens above. How do you relieve the pain when you do not drink, smoke, do drugs or drink coffee and the one bad habit of eating chocolate isn’t enough?

YOU GO BUY A SOFA!

Sound crazy? I totally agree. I thought of my partner, Claire Callaway’s blog about THERAPY SHOPPING and it sounds all too familiar. Well I could certainly use a dose of therapy shopping today. I love running to a thrift shop or Target or TJ Max and finding a wonderful treasure for $5 or $10. It is mostly just putting my mind somewhere else that helps. But today is different. Today is off the charts stress. This is mother load stress and I want to buy a SOFA! Yes you heard me. I have the desperate unrelenting urge to buy a sofa. It just popped into my head. I just want to hop in the car and buy a SOFA. Irrational?! Insane? Yes! BUT the stress of today and the last year has been insane.

My son has been very sick for the last year and a half. I actually have a lot of days like this. But it is nothing compared to my son’s suffering. And I get mad at myself for wanting to escape and buy a stupid sofa when he can’t escape. I can escape my surroundings but he can’t escape the body that has turned on him and also won’t allow him to get up and out to enjoy life again. I won’t go into specific details but it has been a horribly long, complex and winding journey of this “YET TO BE DIAGNOSED ILLNESS” and how it is has continued to spiral out of control and affect other parts of his body while they do the myriad of tests without finding definitive specific reason for the progression and evolution of this illness. Watching my son suffer the way he has and knowing all that he has lost (missing his senior year, missing prom, loosing friends) and feeling so helpless is enough to drive any mom around the bend. You never think your child will have a serious illness. You hope and pray everyday that will never happen. But if it happens and the doctors can’t figure it out and cannot diagnose the problem for almost year and a half of trying- what do you do? Well…you buy a sofa! And I’ll say the doctors made me do it.

There are 3 doctors’ faces that my son and I have come to dread. You too may have seen these faces. But if you haven’t, trust me these faces are bad enough to make you want to buy a sofa.

• Number 1: the look on their face when they don’t have a clue what the hell is going on and are lost as to how to move forward.
• Number 2: The look on their face when they want you to disappear because you are just a reminder of their failure and their ego can’t deal with it.
• Number 3: The look that you are a bossy over reacting hysterical mom / woman. It is the look of mommyism and sexism.

The worst grievance of all and the most stress inducing is the lack of caring. The down right cavalier perhaps unintentional “your son’s suffering is not a priority” attitude that you deal with day in and day out especially when you can’t reach a doctor or a nurse. When they take their bloody time calling you back, despite how many desperate messages you’ve left, it doesn’t seem to matter that you are waiting by the phone and rescheduling things so you don’t miss that call and the stress that causes. They don’t seem to realize what the consequence is to their patient when it takes 5 to 10 days to return a call or give a test result. The consequence is that the doctor who is supposed to be helping relieve the patients suffering ends up causing more suffering to that patient and the mom (caregiver) ends up with all the nerve endings in her entire body fried like a MacDonald’s Filet of Fish. And then when they do call you back they of course are bothered by having to do so and have too little time to talk so you panic and lose your train of thought, forget the list of questions and points you wanted to make and you are left dangling with a horrible sense of incompetency for having blown this incredibly important opportunity that you could wait another 3 weeks for.

Of course there have been some good medical personnel along the way but today I am not thinking of them. I am thinking of my son and all he has been through and how brave he has been. I am thinking of yet another incident with a doctor that ruined the day. That made us all feel so unimportant. And all I can think of is that darn new sofa I want to run out and buy and have delivered this very day even if I have to strap it to the top of my little Honda Fit. There is no good reason I can think of to buy a sofa. I don’t even need a new sofa. I guess it is just the kind of stressful day where nothing but a big-ticket item will do.

However, since writing this blog the urge has gone. Let’s call it “therapy writing” instead of “therapy shopping”. I will call my mom or one of my dear friends instead and bend their ear a while. I will give my son another hug or maybe hundreds. I will kiss my precious doggies on the tops of their heads and give them a doggie cookie and I will feel clearer and more hopeful again. I will probably eat some chocolate and then I will fight to gain my focus and my strength back so I can forge ahead to MAKE the doctors care more deeply about solving the mystery of this illness so my son will be cured sooner rather than later. That is what moms do. And I will do it all without rushing out to buy a brand new sofa. Hopefully.

Debbie Zipp, blogger for IN THE TRENCHES PRODUCTIONS, The First Entertainment Website Celebrating the Power and Beauty of Women Over 40

Thirty Somethings have nothing on Fabulously40.com, a new social network designed for women age 40 and beyond. Fabulously40.Com was created for every woman 40 and beyond, who is ready to celebrate this exciting stage of her life. Relationships with families, friends and even ourselves are undergoing profound change, and it seems like the time is right for something new. The Website creates a forum for women over 40 to gather information, build relationships, interact and learn about emerging trends. Founded by Yana Berlin, membership on Fabulously40.com is free, enabling women to share daily food for thought in a user-friendly format.

Proving that technology isn’t solely for the Facebook generation, Fabulously40.Com offers benefits such as editorial content written by “expert” columnists. From lifestyle to career - celebrity gossip to recipes - there’s a good chance you’ll find articles that are beneficial to you. Social networking features include blogs, message boards, groups, videos and pictures fostering a grassroots approach to connecting online.

The personalized interactions forged by the inclusive platform of Fabulously40.Com are both a reflection of this demographic’s growing desire to interact with like-minded individuals and its interest in becoming updated with online technology in a non-threatening environment. The Website has a slick design that women over 40 can easily navigate. Fabulously40.com is built on the latest in Web 2.0 technology, scalable to millions of users. With upcoming features including photo albums with the ability to tag images with captions and instant chat messaging, the Website presents an opportunity for members and brands to develop unique social networks.

A mid-life crisis is not just for men. There are plenty of women who pass the 40-year-old benchmark and find themselves flooded with emotions and feelings. The Fabulously40.Com Social Network empowers women with wisdom, sass and class. Before you spend countless hours on a psychotherapists couch, I recommend you check out Fabulously40.Com, a social network designed for - sorry guys - ladies over 40.

Debbie Zipp, Blogger for In the Trenches Productions, The First Entertainment Network Celebrating the Power and Beauty of Women Over 40

Earlier this week I was lucky enough  to get to a pre-opening screening of “Mamma Mia”, and I’m still smiling! Not  to mention humming all the infectious songs, “Dancing Queen” and “S.O.S” among  them. - But what gave me the biggest smile and set my little heart to beating  in joyful rhythm was the sight of three of the four female star parts embodied  by fantastic actresses over size 2, over age 20 (over 45, to be exact), and  with what looked like REAL faces!!! Meryl Streep has never been better, if you  ask me. (Having lived in NY for over 25 years, I actually saw her in a musical  before she was famous, so her wonderful singing was no surprise to me.) And by  her side, intensifying the fun, are Julie Walters and Christine Baranski, both  of whom were made for these parts. - Now the only young one among the female  stars, Amanda Seyfried, is quite wonderful as well, but I’m sure she not only  had a great time working with these terrific older actresses, but learned the  equivalent of a Doctor’s degree just watching them, not to mention getting to  act with them. And as if this weren’t enough to make my day, three equally  gorgeous middle-aged men: Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard!  All of whom are the bees knees! - What fun to watch them perform…singing,  dancing, laughing, crying….and quite obviously enjoying every minute of it.  Enjoying every minute of working with fabulous actresses in their own age  group!!! Not, which as we all know is usually the case, with girls who could  be their daughters! (an ironic comment, as being fathers of one of the leads  is a major plot point, tee hee) I am willing to bet that this film, starring  three over 45 actresses and three over 45 actors will not only be one of the  hits of the season, but will garner 4, if not 5, Academy Award nominations.  Mamma Mia! Will this help ‘the biz’ finally start to open their myopic eyes  and see that actresses and actors over 40 are not only fantastic, but money  makers as well???? Let’s hope so. And p.s. - be sure you stay for all the  credits, as there is a lovely improvisational bit during them that is almost  as fun as the movie. Mamma Mia, what a treat!
Judith Mia-lova-it  Drake, blogger for In the Trenches Productions, The First Entertainment Website Celebrating the Power of Women Over 40