The Woman’s Own columnist has her say on Barbie, the menopause and sex
PLASTIC NOT FANTASTIC
Finally, the trailers for the new Barbie movie are out (the actual film is released on 21 July). And as much as I love lead actor Margot Robbie, I have no idea what to make of the entire concept. A film about a doll. Played with by little girls who like pink. A LOT of pink. There’s so much of the colour in the trailer alone, it’s like falling into a giant vat of candy floss.
So why has it been given a Parental Guidance (PG-13) rating, meaning some material may be inappropriate for children under 13 and parents are urged to exercise caution?
Not entirely sure too many grown women will put up with the nonstop eyeball-searing fuchsia-meets-crimson explosion. And I don’t know how what Barbie gets up to could upset the censors so much, but there can’t be any sex scenes, can there?
After all, we all know her boyfriend Ken wasn’t exactly, er, well endowed… (And don’t say you never looked!) You’re never too old to have a bit of fun, as Carol Vorderman proves
FLIRTY POST-50
Ladies, did you realise there are some things we just can’t admit to when we get to a ‘certain’ age? Murdering our husbands? Preferring comfy big pants to thongs? Wolfing a family-size bar of chocolate and not giving a stuff? Possibly all of the above – though, for the record, the husband is alive and well while the chocolate, er, possibly not so – nope there’s a crime far worse. And it’s been committed recently by top telly femme fatales Carol Vorderman, Ulrika Jonsson and Jennifer Coolidge.
Prepare to be shocked. They have all admitted to enjoying casual flings with as many men as they damn well like!
This wouldn’t even register if it had been single blokes in their 50s and 60s, but women? Shouldn’t they be at home knitting rather than out on the town enjoying casual flings?
It’s mad, isn’t it, that – even in 2023 – a successful, independent career woman like Carol, 62, revealing she sees ‘five special friends’ makes headline news.
Blimey, there are some politicians (I think we can all name them) who probably manage that in an afternoon. Meanwhile, Ulrika, 55, daring to have four different kids by four different partners has led to her being called all sorts. Again, I’m thinking there’s a male politician and pop star or two who could give her a run for her money there.
Even on the other side of the pond, star of The White Lotus and the American Pie movies, US actor Jennifer Coolidge, 61, recently admitted of her role
