Uncage the Rage: Menopause, Music and Hormonal Justice

Menopause was kept quiet for decades. Alicia J. Rose is done whispering.

In this fierce, funny and deeply cathartic conversation, Lisa sits down with the award-winning filmmaker, photographer and musician behind MENOPUNKS—a documentary, podcast and growing movement using punk-rock rebellion to challenge menopause misinformation and demand hormonal justice.

Alicia shares her own path from medical dismissal to becoming “hormonally radicalized,” why music remains one of Gen X’s most powerful languages, and what happens when midlife rage is channeled into creativity, community and action. Lisa and Alicia also unpack the cultural fallout from decades of fear surrounding hormone therapy, the stories Alicia is hearing from iconic musicians, and the electric energy of Menopunkapalooza.

This episode is for anyone who has wondered whether the problem was their body—or a system that never gave them the information, care and choices they deserved.

Content note: This conversation contains strong language and discussion of medical dismissal, cancer, dementia, reproductive rights and political systems. It shares lived experience and advocacy perspectives and is not personal medical advice. Speak with a qualified healthcare professional about your individual circumstances.

What we talk about:

Alicia’s symptoms became impossible to dismiss in her early 50s, but getting informed, appropriate care was anything but straightforward.

MENOPUNKS grew from a personal health reckoning into a documentary, podcast and movement focused on misinformation, access and hormonal justice.

Gen X’s relationship with music matters: for the last analog generation, art did not just entertain us—it helped us define ourselves.

Alicia is gathering menopause stories from musicians and artists, revealing common experiences of dismissal, confusion and feeling as though something was seriously wrong.

Lisa and Alicia explore the lasting cultural fear created by the early reporting on the Women’s Health Initiative and why informed, individualized care matters.

Menopunkapalooza put menopause advocacy onstage with music, comedy, clinicians, politicians, resources and joy.