Podcast Summary: Menopausal & Rocking in 'Riot Women'

Podcast: All Of It (WNYC)
Host: Tiffany Hansen (in for Alison Stewart)
Guest: Sally Wainwright, creator, writer, director of Riot Women
Date: December 4, 2025
Episode Theme: Culture, aging, menopause, punk, and the representation of women in media

Overview

This lively episode of All Of It explores the new television series Riot Women, a dramedy about five menopausal British women who channel their midlife angst, invisibility, and rage into forming a punk band. Tiffany Hansen sits down with renowned writer-director Sally Wainwright to discuss the inspiration behind the series, the complexity of portraying middle-aged women authentically on screen, and the power of music, rage, and friendship in later life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Genesis and Purpose of Riot Women

• Sally Wainwright wrote Riot Women from personal experience as she navigated career pressures, raising teenage sons, caring for her mother with dementia, marital strain, and the onset of menopause.
• The show aims to normalize and celebrate women at midlife, showing they're interesting, creative, and still have much to offer.
  • "I thought it was something that I should dramatize the way I was feeling...I wanted to find a way of writing about it that wasn’t mourny, that was kind of uplifting." — Sally Wainwright [03:41]
• Menopause is depicted as just one challenge among many for these women, not the sole focus.

2. Why a Punk Band?

• Wainwright had long aspired to write about a female rock band, inspired by the 1970s UK TV show Rock Follies.
• Punk, often considered the music of youth and rebellion, seemed perfect for expressing the "rage" of women at this age.
  • "There’s nothing more angry than menopausal women. So that...seemed very appropriate." — Sally Wainwright [05:58]
• Punk serves as both metaphor and outlet: a way for these women to vocalize feelings of invisibility and frustration.

3. Invisibility and Rage: The Midlife Experience

• The women in the series—and Wainwright herself—feel overlooked and undervalued as they age, despite managing numerous responsibilities.
  • "The anger comes from feeling that you are now invisible. You’ve got to that age where people literally don’t notice you anymore. They take for granted everything you do..." — Sally Wainwright [07:02–07:35]
• One character, Beth, even attempts to tell her boss about her struggles, including a suicide attempt, but is unheard—a potent dramatization of societal neglect.

4. Anger, Gender, and Cultural Double Standards

• The episode tackles the differing societal acceptance of anger in men versus women:
  • "It’s not a feminine attribute, anger. We’re sort of persuaded that we shouldn’t appear to be angry or difficult... Whereas in men, it’s probably perceived as being decisive..." — Sally Wainwright [08:29–09:01]
• Wainwright aimed to rebel against this by giving her female characters the agency to express anger freely, notably through punk music.

5. Sexism and Aging in Media

• Discussion about how aging women are depicted in the media compared to aging men.
  • "It seems to be acceptable on TV for men to be older...Whereas predominantly women tend to be thin, glamorous, under the age of 30, and not really very interesting." — Sally Wainwright [10:29–11:04]
• Noteworthy is the contrast between 'silver foxes' (positive for aging men) and 'cougars' (negative, predatory connotation for women).

6. Building Authentic Characters

• The show resists the urge to create "cookie-cutter" women, instead portraying five distinct personalities—each with their own backstories, relationships, and life challenges.
• Their connections are complex, ranging from sisters to friends and newcomers.
  • "It’s kind of embarrassment of riches, really. You know, I got a chance to create five women ... they are all really distinct personalities." — Sally Wainwright [13:39]
• Challenges depicted include jobs, grown children, aging parents (especially dementia), and interpersonal family politics.

7. Layered Storytelling and the Power of Maturity

• Wainwright expresses a preference for telling stories about characters with history, which brings depth, nuance, and richness.
  • "A story that starts 60 years ago is inevitably gonna have so many layers and depth..." — Sally Wainwright [16:32]
• She draws on her experience writing Last Tango in Halifax, focusing here on the resilience and multi-layered lives of mature women.

8. Friendship and Support Networks

• The conversation highlights the crucial role of female friendship, especially in handling midlife challenges such as family caregiving and menopause.
  • "My best friend came with me to help empty my mum’s house...That’s true, your female friends do become much more important the older you get." — Sally Wainwright [18:54]
• The show actively counters the trope that groups of women are inherently catty or competitive.

9. Hope, Resilience, and Humor

• Despite dealing with anger and invisibility, Riot Women is ultimately hopeful.
  • "In a way, it’s a celebration of women at this age...You’ve reached a certain maturity and you kind of know who you are." — Sally Wainwright [16:20–16:29]
• The characters carry deep reserves of resilience, strength, and humor—showcasing the richness of midlife.

10. What's Next for Sally Wainwright?

• Riot Women has already been renewed for a second season. Wainwright is also working on a feature film with James Norton and developing two other new series [19:42–19:57].

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the cultural silence around menopause:
  "You become invisible, even to yourself...Even when you’re screaming and shouting, you’re invisible."
  — Joanna Scanlon as Beth [00:50-01:03]

• On punk and menopausal rage:
  "There’s nothing more angry than menopausal women."
  — Sally Wainwright [05:58]

• On how women’s anger is perceived:
  "It’s not a feminine attribute, anger. We’re sort of persuaded that we shouldn’t appear to be angry...In men, it’s perceived as being decisive..."
  — Sally Wainwright [08:29]

• On authentic representation:
  "Thank you for representing me as I am—not just a sort of glamorized version...It’s women seeing themselves recognizable on screen."
  — Sally Wainwright shares audience feedback [12:41]

• On friendship:
  "Your female friends do become much more important the older you get, I think."
  — Sally Wainwright [18:54]

Key Timestamps

• 00:09–01:20: Introduction to Riot Women and its premise.
• 02:22–05:26: Inspiration for the show; importance of portraying women of this age group.
• 05:35–06:35: Why the band is punk; connecting personal and generational anger.
• 06:35–09:23: Invisibility and rage; society’s reception of women’s anger.
• 10:15–11:38: Sexism in media portrayals of aging women.
• 13:09–15:06: Character variety and intersecting life challenges.
• 15:06–16:32: Real-life caregiving and the catalyst drawn from Wainwright’s mother’s dementia.
• 16:32–18:07: The power of history and maturity in storytelling.
• 18:07–18:54: The importance of female friendship as support network.
• 19:42–19:57: Announcing Riot Women season 2 and new projects.

Conclusion

This episode is an insightful, candid exploration of women's lives at midlife—unfiltered, authentic, and, yes, rocking. Through the lens of Riot Women, Sally Wainwright spotlights not only the frustrations and challenges of menopause and aging, but also the creativity, resilience, humor, and solidarity that flourish in the company of other women. The show promises to offer both catharsis and celebration—a long-overdue punk anthem for the menopausal generation.