Midlife crises? Actuaries would argue I’m statistically past halfway, and honestly, my 30s felt like a prolonged, premature version anyway. No need to rehash that. What truly fascinates me is when mortality shifts from a distant whisper to a blaring siren. My peers and I are now navigating that proverbial “dark wood,” surrounded not so much by stereotypical midlife crises (disappointingly few vicarious thrills there), but by a culture deeply exploring this phase of life.
Every generation rediscovers universal experiences and makes them their own, but the midlife crisis narrative is definitely getting a 2024 upgrade. Firstly, it’s being recognized as a female experience. Miranda July is leading this charge, with her novel All Fours recasting perimenopausal upheaval as something vital, sensual, even “hot.” July has managed to make midlife angst feel relevant and new. However, framing All Fours as the sole overdue examination of the profound impact of the end of fertility overlooks the many women who have explored this territory before. Consider Bridget Christie’s brilliant menopause sitcom The Change, for example. And I believe you don’t need to explicitly dissect perimenopause to create art shaped by it. Rachel Cusk has been exploring female midlife turmoil since her divorce memoir Aftermath. Fleishman Is In Trouble is largely a female midlife crisis novel, and Deborah Levy’s Living trilogy became a guiding light for women navigating the complexities of middle age.
Alt text: Author Miranda July, with short dark hair and glasses, speaks at a book event, promoting her novel All Fours, a modern take on midlife experiences.
The female midlife crisis is undeniably having its moment. The menopause/MLC intersection has become meme-worthy, and new online magazines like Jenny are offering a compelling mix of midlife content – from dating younger men to getting tattoos and exploring new lifestyle choices. The stereotypical sports car and affair are out; creative expression, new ways of living, and sexual exploration are in. This shift is welcome and long overdue. But there are other aspects of the 2024 MLC that are generational and situational, not just gendered.
As New York magazine recently explored, millennials entering their 40s are experiencing a midlife that is vastly different from previous generations. Traditionally, a midlife crisis arose from a sense of complacency and security. Now, many in midlife haven’t achieved the stability markers of previous generations: homeownership, job security, pensions, or even children. Instead, they face a “distinct lack of comfort, of resources.” A midlife crisis in this economy?
Then there are the overwhelming existential challenges of 2024. Daily headlines deliver a barrage of alarming news, from global instability to environmental crises. Are we even guaranteed the lifespan we once expected? Living through constant crises, indulging in a traditional midlife crisis can seem almost frivolous. Who in 2024 feels their life is so comfortably predictable that they need to rebel against it?
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Alt text: Humorous depiction of millennial midlife anxieties, featuring avocado toast in a coffin, symbolizing economic instability and dashed expectations.
This might suggest the midlife crisis is becoming irrelevant, but I believe it’s evolving into something more radical. A generation reaching midlife without the promised security is questioning, even seeking to dismantle, the systems that have failed them. I’m not hearing about old-school midlife drama from friends, but I am hearing widespread frustration with unfulfilling and unstable work, deep inequalities, and the inaccessibility of housing, childcare, and healthcare. They aren’t just questioning individual life choices, but how these choices have been limited and threatened, the lack of meaningful political alternatives, and the urgent need for change.
Conventionally, midlife crises ended with a sheepish realization of what could be lost by disrupting one’s life, a renewed appreciation for comfort, and a retreat into caution. But in a world already in crisis, that kind of retreat is less likely. Perhaps this midlife isn’t about crisis at all, but a powerful and sexy reinvention of expectations and societal norms.
Emma Beddington is a Guardian columnist.
