I was inspired by my many female friends who are divorced, widowed, or never married. One friend was married for 25 years and, out of the blue, her husband divorced her. Another woman who pursued her career feverishly for 20 years never got around to dating, and now feels like a novice. A third friend’s husband died, and she hadn’t dated since she was a teenager. These women now confront the daunting task of dating after 40.
Many married women I know often opine about the current state of their non-existent sex lives. Their stories, and other friends' humorous and heartbreaking experiences, inspired me to create this series.
When Amy Schumer’s “Last Fuckable Day” video came onto the scene and went viral, it struck a chord, resonating with women world-wide. Amy explained, “In every actress’ life, the media decides when you finally reach the point when you’re not believably f*ckble anymore.” An example is Maggie Gyllenhaal who, at 37, was told she was too old to play the love interest of a 55-year-old man or, to quote Christina Applegate (who is also one sexy dame): “The hag the lead doesn’t want to shag.”
Women over 40 are usually portrayed in supporting roles of a certain type. Sidelined. Ciphered. There aren’t very many juicy roles that showcase this age range in all their glory, reflective of all the women you and I know in every day life who are intelligent, witty, vulnerable, strong, interesting, intriguing, pretty, flirty, sexy, alluring and charming. I thought: this scenario needs fixing! Women want to see themselves on screen being pursued, flirting, looking desirable, being fought over, making out, laughing, growing and pursuing their dreams. They want to see women who are real, who have wrinkles, who have curves and who are not a size 2.
I wrote this series to showcase us; our plights, concerns, desires, in an upbeat, humorous way, and through the eyes of two very different yet strong women. Each episode explores true situations and stereotypes about self-image, fun, sex, marriage & the trials and tribulations of dating over 40, in all its frustrating, funny glory.
I dedicate this series to my mom, Grace, who graced the world with her presence.
Joanna
