The beloved six main characters of Friends exist in a time capsule. Whether rewatching the classic sitcom via an HBO Max subscription or catching the reruns that seem to air constantly on cable, fans can be sure that Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Phoebe and Joey will never age past their much-dreaded 30s. In the real world, though, the clock stops for no one, and Courteney Cox is here to remind us of that. The actress is no longer Monica Gellar, stress-cleaner extraordinaire, and she’s definitely not the 21-year-old from the tampon commercial she starred in years before her big break. She hilariously reminded us of that fact with an update to her infamous Tampax ad, providing some excellent thoughts on menopause.
Nearly a decade before she became famous for playing Monica on Friends, Courteney Cox had another important role in television history: she was the first person to say “period” on TV (in reference to the menstrual cycle, of course, and not punctuation). Now 58 years old, she's opening up about a different stage of a woman’s life, posting an Instagram reel that duets her 1985 tampon commercial with current commentary. Check it out:
First things first: how is it possible that Courteney Cox does not look like she’s aged even quarter of the 37 years that have gone by in the meantime? I’d almost be tempted to think that maybe getting older isn’t all that bad, at least until she starts banging on the wall, threatening to tell it to me straight. I love how the updated version mirrors the original, right down to the actress pulling up her knee socks. The only thing missing, really, is the dancer stretching in the background.
The Friends actress took lines like, “Does your life change once a month because of your period?” and turned it into, “Did your life completely change because of menopause?” Rather than using pads, Courteney Cox bemoans her hot flashes. Is memory loss a part of that too? Is that why she and Lisa Kudrow don’t remember filming most Friends episodes? There’s also something delightfully evil about the perky smile she adopts when dropping this gem:
Menopause will eat you alive. It’s horrible. Nothing else can do that… Plus, you get the added bonus of drier skin and getting bald patches. Now that’s something!
According to the actress, who wrapped filming on Scream 6 in August, menopause can change the way I feel about getting older, but I don’t know, she’s doing a pretty good job of scaring the bejesus out of me all by herself.
Courteney Cox is often known to bring the laughs via social media, often making reference to her current or past acting jobs when doing so. Earlier in September she posted a hilarious reaction to finding out that Kanye West didn’t think Friends was funny, and she shared the truly frightening results of a viral Friends face filter.
If you want to relive the actress’ younger days as Monica, all 10 seasons of the iconic sitcom are available for streaming on HBO Max, as well as Friends: The Reunion from 2021. And if you’re interested in seeing her in something other than Friends and her Tampax commercial, here are some other movies and shows to watch if you like Courteney Cox.
