Managing the messiness of midlife and menopause on CBC's Small Achievable Goals
Jennifer Whalen and Meredith MacNeill are back with a new workplace comedy.
Small. Achievable. Goals.
If you've just done a deep dive into menopause and felt despair for the life-altering symptoms and physical changes that could last as long as 10 years, you need to focus. Focus on the small things you can handle, one at a time. And maybe even make a show about it.
Meredith MacNeill and Jenn Whalen, show creators and performers, speak from experience. Whalen came up with the show title during the pandemic while freaking out after reading about perimenopause and menopause. She got depressed. Her husband was surprised: "You're a fighter," he had said to her.
"And so we were literally sitting on the couch drinking a bottle of wine — as you do during the pandemic — and I said, 'It's just too overwhelming,'" Whalen said. "'It's like, I need to break it into smaller parts. Some small, achievable goals.'"
"And we realized (later) the acronym is SAG, which really made me laugh," she quipped.
A workplace comedy — with a healthy dose of body humour — was born, with Whalen starring alongside her frequent comic collaborator Meredith MacNeill.
Both alums of the Baroness Von Sketch Show — a twisted and absurdist comedy considered a successor of The Kids In The Hall — Whalen and MacNeill have a track record for exploring the hilarity of freaking out and melting down.
And the first episode of Small Achievable Goals does not disappoint.
Whalen's character Julie, and MacNeill's Kris, both have meltdowns. Julie has just been overlooked — again — for a major promotion; Kris is fed up with being ignored as she faces a health crisis. Julie yells at her colleagues in an all-company meeting; Kris loses it at a self-checkout.
Aside from being hilarious — the crew was breaking up while MacNeill was shooting her scene, awkwardly stuffing her legs into an adult diaper — meltdowns are also refreshing.
You get to say the things you're not allowed to say, Whalen pointed out. And MacNeill admitted she had always been drawn to that power, from growing up with The Carol Burnett Show or even admiring characters such as Miss Piggy from The Muppets.
"I was so attracted to watching women in public spaces lose their shit," MacNeill said. "What does it look like, that type of freedom? What does that type of freedom look like to say exactly what you want, but you're putting it in a society where you're not supposed to?"
"And then you have two characters (Julie and Kris) and what they're freaking out about is real," she added. "And so what do those meltdowns look like? Obviously, in our show, hopefully hilarious and weird."
And the interesting thing about freaking out — people might actually start treating you better.
"When I have had meltdowns, yes, people are much nicer to me and there is a stronger boundary. I'm going to do it more," Whalen joked.
The show doesn't despair about menopause or aging itself — instead, it looks at how we respond to those things. MacNeill and Whalen's characters have to hide in the bathroom as they try to get their symptoms under control; they don't want to look unprofessional on the job. But why be ashamed? Or pretend it isn't happening? Among women themselves, it's a part of bonding and backing each other up.
"I just feel like talking through things like major life experiences with my female friends is huge," Whalen said. "There is something about that shared experience, and the fact that your girlfriends will always be like, 'Give it to me straight,' like, 'I want the darkest, dirtiest, grossest part' … And we laugh about it, we feel better."
Menopause symptoms span a wide range of physical and mental symptoms, which may include irritability and moodiness. But it also lands during a certain era of a woman's life — she's at the top of her game, MacNeill pointed out, she's accomplished and confident.
Is it fair to say that some of that "irritability" might also be a person who's just flat-out tired? And less willing to accept some of the unfair standards in their personal and professional lives?
There is something about that shared experience, and the fact that your girlfriends will always be like, 'Give it to me straight,' like, 'I want the darkest, dirtiest, grossest part' … And we laugh about it, we feel better.- Jennifer Whalen
MacNeill sees that dynamic. Perhaps middle-aged women are dismissed as "crazy" or pushed out of the spotlight due to the fact they are more outspoken, and care less what people think.
Women are suddenly "at the strongest and most joyful we've ever been," she said, but also shedding unnecessary burdens.
It's almost like coming full circle, Whalen pointed out.
She remembers her teen angst — the willingness to call out unfairness in the world, and being dismissed as "just an angry teenager." But that sense is returning.
And Whalen doesn't need a full-blown meltdown to set boundaries — no matter how funny that might be. Perhaps it's as easy as setting some small, achievable goals.
"I feel like with each passing decade, I become more sure of myself," Whalen said. "I know more of who I am, and it's easier to say no to things I don't want to do."
Watch Small Achievable Goals streaming now on CBC Gem.
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