Episode 8: REIGNITING CREATIVITY IN PERI/MENOPAUSE with Shannon Funchess of Light Asylum
⚡️MENOPUNKS PODCAST ⚡️Show Notes
In this episode Shannon Funchess, BIPOC Menopunk and fierce artist/activist behind brilliant darkwave synth icons Light Asylum goes deep into myth busting the mysteries and misinformation that shroud menopause with host Alicia J. Rose. Their wide ranging chat goes from building community to counter the peri/menopause education desert, to confronting systemic medical neglect of BIPOCA women/AFAB, to learning how to cite quality of life to help access HRT. They also dive into Shannon's creative process with Light Asylum and discuss the power of reigniting creativity while combating the meno symptom minefield and ramping up the whisper network into a MOTHERF 🤘CKING GOTH SHRIEK ⭐️🖤 👻⚡️ We are huge fans of Shannon’s incredible voice and visionary art! So honored to welcome her into the Menopunks conversation!❤️🔥😍⚡️
MORE ABOUT LIGHT ASYLUM
IG: https://www.instagram.com/light_asylum
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@LightAsylumOfficial
⚡️MENOPUNKS IS A MISINFORMATION SHATTERING FEATURE DOCUMENTARY AND PODCAST ABOUT PERI/MENOPAUSE AND THE CREATIVE PROCESS SEEN THROUGH THE LENS OF DEFIANT GENX MUSICIANS AND ARTISTS, TRAILBLAZING DOCTORS AND OPINIONATED CELEBRITY CULTURE BEARERS ⚡️ 🎬 @ajrhq ❤️🔥⚡️
⚡️GET ON THE LIST: www.Menopunks.com⚡️
CREATED/HOSTED BY: ALICIA J. ROSE
DESIGN: JEN SBRAGIA
DISTRO: RUINOUS MEDIA
Theme Song: PARTY WITCH
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Shannon Funches and Light Asylum
02:01 Navigating Menopause: A Shared Experience
06:05 The Impact of Medical Racism on Women's Health
09:57 Understanding Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
16:04 The Historical Context of HRT and Women's Health
20:02 Creativity and Aging: Shannon's Artistic Journey
29:45 The Physical Toll of Menopause on Performance
35:31 Navigating Career Transitions and Creative Challenges
36:07 The Impact of Health on Creativity
38:29 Hormonal Health and Its Effects
41:19 Understanding Hormone Replacement Therapy
44:33 The Importance of Quality of Life in Healthcare
47:28 The Societal Implications of Hormonal Health
50:36 The Intersection of Gender, Health, and Politics
53:18 The Economic and Social Consequences of Healthcare Inequities
01:05:32 Healthcare and Control
01:07:13 Empowerment and Revolution
01:08:35 Cultural Shifts and Generational Change
01:10:42 Art as a Catalyst for Change
01:12:01 The Power of Community and Advocacy
01:14:55 Reclaiming Autonomy and Quality of Life
01:19:05 Intersectionality in Healthcare
01:21:43 The Future of Advocacy and Change
01:30:57 Navigating Menopause: A Personal Journey
01:33:49 Understanding Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
01:36:55 Self-Titration and Personalization of HRT
01:40:11 The Importance of Finding the Right Provider
01:42:51 Quality of Life and Hormonal Optimization
01:45:54 Exploring Additional Treatments and Therapies
01:54:41 The Importance of Hormone Replacement Therapy
01:55:38 Real-Life Experiences with Hormone Therapy
01:56:56 Understanding Hormonal Symptoms
01:58:12 Misdiagnosis and Medical Misunderstandings
02:01:23 Medical Misogyny in Women's Health
02:03:25 The Need for Education in Menopause
02:06:35 The Role of Artists in Advocacy
02:10:05 Exploring Alternative Remedies
02:12:08 Aging Well and Hormonal Balance
02:14:10 Exploring Herbal Remedies and Generational Knowledge
02:15:13 Empowerment Through Knowledge and Advocacy
02:17:35 Future Aspirations and Activism
02:22:03 The Fight for Women's Health Awareness
02:28:58 Uncovering Historical Injustices in Women's Health
More from ⚡️MENOPUNKS PODCAST ⚡️
⚡️In this episode we dive into Oregon State Representative Annessa Hartman’s journey through public service, stage 3 cervical cancer, and sudden medically induced menopause. She reflects on representing her community as an Indigenous woman, navigating party politics, and advocating for more responsive healthcare. She also shares the physical and emotional impact of treatment and menopause, highlighting the need for earlier screening, better support, and more open conversations about women’s health. ⚡️
⚡️In Ep 50 Congresswoman Maxine Dexter joins us to discuss peri/menopause, hormone therapy, and why access to HRT matters. Drawing on her experience as a physician, policymaker, and patient, Dexter reflects on her perimenopause symptoms and the effect of treatment, what’s behind lingering fears around HRT, medication access, and the need for evidence-based care. She also connects menopause care with reproductive rights and gender-affirming care, arguing that medical decisions belong with patients and clinicians, and she lays out ways people can advocate for better access with universal healthcare for all!⚡️
⚡️On this weeks episode we get to chat with the Queen of our dreams Jane Wiedlin, innovative guitarist and songwriter of The Go-Go's and author of upcoming tell-all "TMI" and ask all of the burning questions! The bucket list is real folks!😍 We talk about the band’s origin in the LA punk scene, how they broke through with pop-forward songs, and why their all-female success was so groundbreaking. We also get deep on creativity, sexism, bipolar disorder, menopause, hormone therapy, and Jane’s new memoir and protest album. We dive into Jane’s path from glitter rock to Hollywood punk, the realities of touring 300 days a year, and the legacy of being the first all-female band to write, play, and hit number one on the charts. We also break into a frank, practical conversation about midlife health, quality of life, and what it means to fight for yourself as a woman in this wild sh*tshow of a world! ⚡️
⚡️This week we get the absolute gift of talking with brilliant entertainer/activist and the ACLU'S first-ever Artist Ambassador for Transgender Justice MISS PEPPERMINT ! ⚡️
⚡️In this week's In this weeks episode Alicia and Jibz Cameron AKA Dynasty Handbag connect the dots between creativity, survival, bipolar disorder and the ways women and AFAB people have been under-treated for decades. We get into her feral childhood origin story and fierce memoir “Hell in a Handbag”, her brilliantly strange alchemy of performance and autobiography, how trauma, queerness, and art shaped her persona, and how hormone access, mental health, and midlife care is a deeply political issue. We also dive into hacks for self-advocacy, the exhausting estrogen patch shortage 🤬, how sharing stories with community can be life saving, overcoming struggles with body image, aging, neurodivergence, masking, the need for rest AND SO MUCH MORE! ⚡️