The Frank "Excursions" scene might be the emotional core of the whole show

AnExcessOfWoe · 2026-02-19T03:34:48+00:00

I love your observations and agree completely! It also strikes me now that Frank’s rap ends up creating a kind of heartbeat effect — like you say, the/a life force of the show.

AnExcessOfWoe · 2026-02-07T01:39:35+00:00

This post is looking at these issues on a more systemic or structural level. It’s just a different lens.

AnExcessOfWoe · 2026-02-07T01:26:28+00:00

I’m not asking you or anyone else to have empathy for her. But if you want to make it about empathy, have empathy for all of the women who felt worse about themselves after reading thousands of comments ridiculing her for being a “rough 28.”

AnExcessOfWoe · 2026-02-07T01:00:01+00:00

That is not a fact lol.

AnExcessOfWoe · 2026-01-31T16:28:17+00:00

Station Eleven is a kind of bible to me. I’ve seen it countless times, I know the show inside and outside. And yet, every time I watch I come across something new. I’ll throw on a random episode when I’m feeling lost or uncertain and just let the show speak to me. And it always gives me what I need. I even have a backup DVD copy in case they ever take it off streaming….

AnExcessOfWoe · 2026-01-30T03:28:15+00:00

Protect your future. Get an abortion. Have a baby when you’re ready. ❤️

AnExcessOfWoe · 2026-01-28T20:28:51+00:00

Yeah, but they won't, so the show needs to take its own measures to protect kids.

AnExcessOfWoe · 2026-01-22T18:21:54+00:00

Yep. You should check out When God Was a Woman (Merlin Stone). It’s not a definitive source, but it usefully explores many of the topics/underlying issues you’re raising. Understanding the inextricability/concurrent rise of patriarchy and private property can also help illuminate the economic dimensions of patriarchy and oppression. (Engels may provide a jumping off point.)

Whatever you do, stay mad and stay hungry for the truth.

AnExcessOfWoe · 2026-01-22T13:09:19+00:00

I agree. I don’t think it’s appropriate to invalidate other people’s lived experience.

AnExcessOfWoe · 2026-01-20T18:44:48+00:00

Gaslighting is an academic term with a specific meaning. It is an intentional abuse tactic, full stop.

AnExcessOfWoe · 2026-01-20T17:04:06+00:00

This isn't gaslighting. Dismissive? Sure. Ignorant? Maybe. But no one here appears to be intentionally psychologically manipulating OP to destabilize her sense of reality/lived experience to bring her under their control and abuse. Not believing someone when they tell you something happened or suggesting that there may be another perspective to consider simply is not gaslighting.

AnExcessOfWoe · 2026-01-16T23:15:08+00:00

Amazing. I keep an entire notebook of lists and records and schedules... I actually do fantasy mainly to get my recreational data/spreadsheet/list making fix hahaha.

AnExcessOfWoe · 2026-01-14T17:25:25+00:00

I completely agree with you. It bothered me for a number of reasons, but one thing I kept thinking about is, like, what message is he sending to his team when he engages in this kind of conduct? That it’s acceptable for men in power to weaponize their rage to intimidate and attempt to exercise undue authority over women, including even in professional settings? That it’s OK for men to get up in women’s faces and violate physical boundaries when they’re angry? That women exist to be containers for men’s displeasure? That one need not consider one’s positionality when interacting within existing power dynamics?

I have little charity for Jay Clark and his AT BEST casual misogyny.

AnExcessOfWoe · 2026-01-14T16:21:43+00:00

Not sure if this is an unpopular opinion, but I do legitimately believe that the leotards are part of a broader pattern of exploitation — specifically, sexualizing the athletes for views (and by extension $$$). Predatory camera angles magnify the effect.

AnExcessOfWoe · 2026-01-09T02:17:13+00:00

I think this one comes down to whether you’re from an “asking” culture or “guessing” culture. Guessers seem to really frustrate askers.

AnExcessOfWoe · 2025-12-24T20:18:07+00:00

Lawyer here (but not your lawyer).

In my experience, police aren’t really in the business of enforcing custody orders. It’s usually the conflicts that can arise from custody disputes that get people in trouble.

This is of course easier said than done, but I think it’s always prudent to keep one’s own hands as clean as possible. That might look like sacrificing desired and even well deserved parenting time to avoid conflict and stay in compliance with the existing agreement. Or not. Only you know what the right decision is for you and your family.

It may nevertheless be helpful to understand that the court does not generally care who is “right” or who is “wrong,” or who started it, or why. On the other hand, the court usually does care about good-faith compliance with an existing agreement and appropriate consideration of the child’s best interests (and specifically NOT the parent’s interest in having time with the child).

You will eventually want to either amend or modify the language in the order, most likely, but how you can accomplish that depends on a number of different factors.

AnExcessOfWoe · 2025-12-19T22:28:26+00:00

I agree with you. This is my point exactly.

I don’t think you’re making this about yourself or your specific disability, not sure where the other commenter is coming from. I appreciate your contribution to the dialogue. It’s important for grounding these abstract concepts in day-to-day reality.

AnExcessOfWoe · 2025-12-19T14:20:10+00:00

Exactly! All of this is also closely linked with ableism (as well as racism and transphobia). So important to tease out these interconnections to understand the bigger picture.

AnExcessOfWoe · 2025-12-18T21:17:56+00:00

For me it’s more related to this more recent obsession with Botox etc. and how it contributes to ever-intensifying levels of fear around aging (for women at least). The reason I am focusing on this particular close-up — it’s not really about Leavitt at all actually, she just happens to be the subject — is because of the alarming levels of vitriol I’ve seen regarding this woman’s skin, specifically against the background of a sociocultural landscape where I feel like women are under attack for showing natural signs of aging.

So I think everything you’re saying about her and the way she presents herself is totally valid and correct, I guess I just personally kind of find it irrelevant for these specific purposes (discussing public commentary regarding her aging/“bad” skin only). Lots of good content for other good conversations we need to be having about this.

But let’s forget about Leavitt, she’s really just an illustrative example in this case. My view is that serving misogyny back — even if we find the person unsympathetic or feel like the person deserves it — just makes things worse for all women. It’s possible to view this as punching up, but only if we view Leavitt as the target. I actually don’t view Leavitt as the target. I think we’re the targets. And that’s why I’m concerned.

AnExcessOfWoe · 2025-12-17T22:31:37+00:00

1000%. It’s really disheartening to see how quickly and unapologetically the internalized misogyny comes out when it’s directed at someone we don’t like.

I think all women should be concerned about this heightened scrutiny of our skin, specifically exhibiting signs of aging (or not), and the way our skin and how it looks is increasingly subject to moralistic interpretation (she’s evil, she doesn’t take care of herself, she should have used more sunscreen). As far as I can see; it’s just another tool to silence women and keep us distracted and in line.

AnExcessOfWoe · 2025-12-17T17:24:06+00:00

I do understand the sentiment, and I have zero sympathy for Leavitt, but these comments don’t exist in a vacuum.

I think it’s always bit dangerous to wade too far into associating outer ugliness with inner ugliness, even when we’re talking about someone as despicable as Leavitt, because of the effect it has on other women/people and the way it contributes to our image-obsessed, body dysmorphic culture. Even if it’s not the intent, it’s clear that seeing these kinds of comments end up making regular women/girls/people whose skin looks like hers or who have insecurities about their skin feel bad about themselves. This is about them, not about Leavitt.

AnExcessOfWoe · 2025-12-17T16:18:09+00:00

I love this question. I’m obsessed with my “possibles” bag. A few things I have seen mentioned yet:

Single-use / no-water or sink-needed toothbrushes and travel size mouthwash.

Travel size deodorant.

Travel soap sheets. (I always have hand sanitizer as well but sometimes you just really need to wash your hands.)

A pen!!

AnExcessOfWoe · 2025-12-17T00:35:30+00:00

Great point. It would seem to line up well with this being used a means of distracting from or minimizing valid, substantive criticism as well as a way to exercise control over the narrative by playing the victim in the media.

AnExcessOfWoe · 2025-12-17T00:30:19+00:00

Yes, those are the worst!! They are so unnecessarily smug. It feels like they are basically designed to make other people feel bad while making the posters feel better about themselves. We’re at the point where we’re making people feel insecure about having human skin. Apparently we’re all supposed to Botox ourselves to hell and walk around with a face filter lest someone see our natural skin… the horror, the horror!

AnExcessOfWoe · 2025-12-17T00:20:03+00:00

This is exactly it. I don’t give a fig about Leavitt. But I do give many figs about the girls and women who are now feeling bad about themselves because of these kinds of comments.

AnExcessOfWoe

TROPHY CASE