Fashion designer Victoria Beckham (aka Posh Spice) could be one lucky woman, according to Rod Stewart.
For years, the “Maggie May” singer has been actively educating men — and hopefully women, too — about menopause. He’s even caught flak for it, as evidenced by a 1993 Esquire interview:
The Brit rocker asks the writer, “Do you think you can teach men to know when to put the brakes on and say, ‘I don’t want to go any further, baby’?” He then turns to the viewer: “It’s never too late.”
In an appearance on “Fox & Friends” Sunday, Stewart says he’s since come to appreciate the advice. “The funny thing about it is, right after that, people, after that interview, went to me to ask about introducing this to their wives.”
“I’m looking after myself, getting through it,” he says of his own aging process. “I think the good thing about this was me talking about it so much, I must have done something to help some other person, because after my interview, I received many emails about it.
“My one big regret was that I didn’t do that sooner.”
Indeed, a 2008 study from the University of Missouri showed that women in relationships during menopause fare better than those women outside them. They don’t experience as much menopause-related depression, and it appears the events might have a therapeutic effect.
But manly (and poor) women won’t be thrilled by this latest development. While men do tend to remember the bad times, a 2006 study from UT Southwestern Medical Center found that men don’t tend to think or act accordingly. People around men are more likely to judge a person’s conduct based on what they’ve seen during his or her youth.
According to Stewart, his argument is “based on truth.” He says that, “Obviously I’m getting old — I got to be 65 — but I can give you a one-stop shop.” He suggests men use his “reduced libido” and “stifling” feelings about aging to their advantage — and keep their partners happy, too. “Just don’t go through it alone and go, ‘I’ve had it,’ ” he says.
I know it can’t be that simple for someone whose wife is secretly considering telling him that their romantic relationship is over. But if she has no real options, she might not have any other choice.
One alternative for her might be to continue making progress with other men — probably with good luck, given Stewart’s own luck at being in a relationship with Kimberly Stewart.