The Globalization of Succession
We are gathered here today to talk about the greatest television show ever.
“Capitalism cannot reform itself; it is doomed to self-destruction.” — W.E.B. Du Bois
Disclaimer: I wrote this critical analysis final for my MCS 334- Media and Globalization class on 05/03/2020. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did writing about the greatest television show out right now. Watch it if you haven’t because it’s a necessary force in media to understand our current America.
The television show that I will be exploring for my critical analysis is Succession, the hit television series created by Jesse Armstrong. Produced by Gary Sanchez productions and Project Zeus with HBO handling its distribution, the show revolves around elitist Logan Roy and the Roy family as they navigate through our ever-changing society as media conglomerate Waystar Royco. While dealing with changes in media, the Roy children are focused on who Logan Roy will choose as a successor to the empire. The show was filmed in New York City, New York, USA. I will be dissecting various episodes between Season 1 and 2 because I believe that a majority of the episodes expand on globalization as the story progresses in the show. I could not decide on a few episodes because certain scenes in episodes could be a defining moment, while the buildup towards the more dramatic parts of the show could also be very telling towards its stance on globalization. The three reasons as to why I picked this show for my critical analysis was because of the fact that Waystar Royco is the largest media company globally within its universe, characters within the family and outside of the family have interesting outlooks on society, and the show represents a mirror of our current America inside the Trump era. The four globalization themes I will be dissecting in this paper include McDonaldization, cultural imperialism, hegemony, and the five scapes (Ethnoscape, Mediascape, Ideoscape, Finanscape, and Technoscape). My two non-academic sources will include Vulture.com and IMDB.com since they provide information on the show and recaps of every episode. One of the six academic sources I will be using as well includes Rob Kroes’ academic journal, The American Impact on Western Europe: Americanization and Westernization in Transatlantic Perspective, since it puts emphasis on the hegemonic nature of American media. The second academic source I will be using is the class-assigned reading of Chapter 3 of How to Read Donald Duck by Ariel Dorfman and Armand Mattelart, “From the Noble Savage to the Third World,” because it provides a great explanation on cultural imperialism. For McDonaldization, I will be using an academic article by Ashley Crossman, entitled “McDonaldization: Definition and Overview of the Concept,” from ThoughtCo.com since it reinforces the meaning of McDonaldization and offers an overview of how it impacts our society. For the five scapes of globalization, I will be using Elliott H. Valentine’s academic journal, Global Flows and the Globalization of Nothing: Synthesizing the Incongruous, because it highlights Arjun Appadurai’s article and dissects the scapes’ meanings using real-life examples.
According to ThoughtCo Editor Ashley Crossman’s article, “McDonaldization: Definition and Overview of the Concept,” McDonaldization is a concept that was developed by American sociologist George Ritzer. It is a phenomenon that occurs when society, its institutions, and its organizations are adapted to have the same characteristics that are found in fast-food chains. “These include efficiency, calculability, predictability and standardization, and control” (Crossman, paragraph 3). Season 1 Episode 1 of Succession, entitled “Celebration,” opens up the series to Kendall Roy, Logan’s second son and the apparent heir of Waystar Royco, failing to get Vaulter, one of the largest digital media companies in the fictional universe, on board with Waystar Royco for the imminent future. Tvmoviefix Editor Charles Gonzalez provides a brief summary of the episode in his article entitled “‘Succession’ Season 1, Episode 1 ‘Celebration’ Recap: Let The Games Begin [SPOILERS].” “As time passes, the scene shifts to a skeptical situation when Logan’s second son, Kendall (Jeremy Strong) — who was about to get the CEO chair from his father — failed to close a business deal with Lawrence (Rob Yang), owner of another media conglomerate that’s a powerhouse of video and digital media content” (Gonzalez, paragraph 2). Kendall’s deal with Lawrence showcases McDonaldization through Kendall’s desire as interim CEO to tear down his father Logan’s old model of news and media and reframe it under the fast-paced nature of social media and tech updates in real time. He believes that changing guards is the best way to survive in a tumultuous society where the 1% are existing in a manner that the average middle-class American or celebrity will not understand without optimized news and media breaking down their world. It really hits home for the viewer watching at home since we are embracing a linear, streamlined era of media and world news where everything reported is under speculation by the general public. Instead of going through newspapers or primary sources such as academic databases to do research, we have become slaves to secondhand information in the form of unconfirmed tweets and friends and family updating us with potential misinformation. McDonaldization would not only be a useful tool for Waystar Royco to adapt to the social climate of the world, but this would also provide an opportunity to be seen as an unbiased media conglomerate that does not try to control the news every hour of the day.
Cultural imperialism is another theme that is heavily consistent in Season 2 of Succession. According to Encyclopedia Britannica Editor Theresa Weynard Tobin, cultural imperialism is defined as “the imposition by one usually politically or economically dominant community of various aspects of its own culture onto another, nondominant community” (“ Cultural Imperialism,” 2016). In episode 5 of season 2, entitled “Tern Haven,” Logan and his family are looking to cut a $25 billion deal with Pierce Media Group. The Pierce family is another one of the 1% that owns and controls a large portion of the media in the Succession universe. The only difference is that they are well-liked compared to the Roy family. Logan’s dream is to combine assets with the Pierces to form the largest global media outlet in the entire Succession world. However, winning over their trust with the Roy family constantly staying in the news cycle due to tabloid drama is an extremely tough task. Hence why the entire Roy family spends the episode attempting to force the Pierces to sign the contract without a chance for them to second guess the deal. Chapter 3 of How to Read Donald Duck: Imperialism Ideology in the Disney Comic by authors Ariel Dorfman and Armand Mattelart, entitled “From the Noble Savage to the Third World,” sums up how the concept of cultural imperialism impacts our society on a large scale. The chapter analyzes the relationship between Disney and other countries through their portrayal in their comics, which influence children to reinforce harmful, ignorant viewpoints about third-world countries. “In order to assure the redemptive powers of present-day imperialism, it is only necessary to measure it against old-style colonialism and robbery” (Dorfman & Mattelart, 54). Vulture Editor Scott Tobias’s recap article on “Tern Haven,” “Succession Recap: Jury of Pierce,” emphasizes Logan’s mindset on the Pierce family’s prejudice and how it reflects on his consciousness. “He doesn’t want these Shakespeare-quoting, Ph.D.-accommodating, Brookings Institution snobs to feel like they’re better than he is” (Tobias, paragraph 3). Logan does not want to take the deal purely for the love of money. Aside from paying off Waystar Royco’s massive debt, Logan wants to overthrow Pierce Media Group’s culture and drag their name through the mud in defense of Logan’s pride. He would gain back the respect and fear that he once lost to terrible business deals through his children acting as interim CEOs. Forcing the Pierces into the deal will allow the elevation of Waystar Royco’s legacy into the good graces of the public to once more become the #1 media company in Succession. As American viewers, this is a familiar play from the playbook where we constantly assert our nation’s pride and history to other cultures thinking that we know what is best for a country. We never provide a moment for them to contemplate whether they want to assimilate to our culture. Instead, we just forcibly insert ourselves into the mix and hover over them to follow up on whether these other cultures are keeping up with unnecessary guidelines set by us. Ironically, this is exactly what Logan does to Kendall, Roman, and Shiv to ensure their love and loyalty are intact to keep playing the game of “Who gets to be the new CEO?” It is a sad cycle that Succession Director Jesse Armstrong portrays to us in an honest manner to help us realize that we must individually and collectively break this cycle of Americanization.
According to The New York Times article “INTERNATIONAL: ‘Hegemony,’” hegemony is described as “the dominance of one social group or class in a society. This control can be exercised subtly rather than forcefully through cultural means and economic power, and rest on a mixture of consent and coercion” (“INTERNATIONAL: ‘Hegemony,’” paragraph 1). In the Season 2 premiere of Succession, “The Summer Palace,” we are shown the aftermath of Kendall’s coup d’etat against Logan in the Season 1 finale where he conspired a “bear hug” with Stanley and Stewy who are investing in Waystar Royco. Fresh off of leaving one of the caterers to die drowning in their own car after swerving off of the road while high after his sister’s wedding, Kendall is told by Logan that he flexed his muscle to coax the media and family of the caterer into quietness. The episode revolves around Kendall coming to terms with his defeat by his father and his heinous action towards the caterer as he allows himself to once again become dependent on him for everything. Rob Kroes’ academic journal, The American Impact on Western Europe: Americanization and Westernization in Transatlantic Perspective, offers context on how the influence of American media has impacted other countries’ views of America. “America has become a tertium comparationis in cultures wars elsewhere, centering on control of discourse concerning the national identity and national culture” (Kroes, 2). Having the British media consent to Waystar Royco’s altering of the car accident and “bear hug” was a genius move by Logan since he was in dire need of backing support for the inevitable vote of no confidence during Shiv’s wedding in Britain. This power move just shows how much consensual control Logan has in the various countries that are in full support of Waystar Royco. However, that control has drastically affected his relationship with his family members. In Vulture Editor Scott Tobias’ article, “Succession Season-Premiere Recap: Dad’s Plan Is Better,” he takes a moment to glimpse at Kendall’s emotional state as he lets his father resume control of his life without resistance as the immediate response. “There’s something both hilarious and sad about Kendall getting escorted around on his own motorcycle- a symbol of personal freedom turned into a two-wheeled stroller” (Tobias, 6). Armstrong communicates to viewers how America’s hegemonic nature underlying democracy is the child of Europe’s colonization method. While we have insisted on using force to take control of countries and their entire cultures, there have also been times where those cultures allowed us to take over without bloodshed since it would mean that their people are spared from death. This type of thinking, forever etched into our DNA, is still embraced by today’s Millennials and Gen Zers. One can understand Kendall’s position since he did everything in his power to stop his dad, but still lost due to the fact that he simply could not handle the pressure of Logan’s core essence. “The Summer Palace” is an emotive, realistic roller coaster that journeys through the five stages of grief at the peril of losing control of a life once known to the elite.
The Five Scapes (ethnoscapes, mediascapes, finanscapes, ideoscapes, and technoscapes) are also a prominent theme within the Succession universe. Season 1 Episodes 1 and 2 provide the best examples for the five scapes. Elliot Valentine’s academic journal, Global Flows and the Globalization of Nothing: Synthesizing the Incongruous, delves into Arjun Appadurai’s academic article and provides more examples and context into how the scapes impact our current world. Ethnoscapes pertain to the movement of people- specifically refugees, immigrants, and tourists. “With ethnoscapes designating the more tangible movement of “persons who constitute the shifting world in which we live” such as tourists, immigrants, and exiles, each succeeding “-scape” is less rooted in physical forms” (Valentine, 2). This is evident in Succession Season 1 Episode 1, entitled “Celebration,” when we are introduced to Logan’s third wife, Marcia Roy, who is played by Hiam Abbass as claimed by IMDB. Her backstory consists of being an immigrant from Tripoli, Lebanon who ends up meeting Logan while working in Paris, France as a Publishing Assistant for an unnamed publication. Logan originally had plans for Marcia to automatically take over the company since he felt that she was the best choice prior to Kendall, Shiv, and Roman fighting for control. She is ultimately not given control of the company based on how she is viewed by her family. Logan only sees her in the traditional wife role, while the kids see her as a threat to their entire livelihood as an immigrant that is close to unlimited power. The dynamic between Marcia and the family is interesting considering the fact that all she cares about is just making sure her family is fine. This is extremely relatable since immigrants today are still looked at with malice due to society seeing them as people who want to steal the American Dream. In reality, all immigrants want to do is share their unique cultures with America. Mediascapes also pertain to the movement of media consisting of newspapers, social media platforms, music, films, and fashion. “Mediascapes refer to both the distribution of the electronic capabilities to produce and disseminate information…and to the images of the world created by these media” (Valentine, 2). Mediascape is practically embroidered within the entire Succession show with Waystar Royco being the head of news and media distribution in the world. They control how their content is analyzed by the rest of society. The fashion of Succession, reflected by the designer suits and brand labels worn by the elites, communicates to society that the elites run the world because they control the information. Our mediascapes, including mediums such as CNN, Twitter, and various films, communicate certain messages that we may or may not have certain access in terms to accessibility. Luckily, we live in a democratic society where we can dissect and discuss the global information that is provided to us in a manner where we can discover the truth for ourselves.
Finanscapes deal with the movement of culture through finances such as Bitcoin, the Stock Market, trade, loans, and more economic aspects. “Necessarily connected to technology, finanscapes describe the temperament of global monetary wealth as national currencies, stock exchanges, and the like move massive amounts of capital at an ever-quickening pace” (Valentine, 2). Throughout the show, the characters flex their wealth by using Black Amex cards, buying stocks, and bribery in large amounts of cash or expensive items to keep their lives stable towards the public. With their immense wealth comes secrets that could tear down their generational infrastructure. Today’s world is not drastically different except for the fact that the wealthiest people do not showcase their wealth by buying expensive cars and clothing. They look to invest in stocks and buy portions of thriving companies. Almost everyone has converted to electronic spending and loaning on applications such as Zelle, CashApp, and Apple Pay. People will always want their money immediately because we need it to survive and carve out a lifestyle for ourselves. Plus, it is easily accessible for our family and friends outside of the country that may depend on some of us or family members for money. Technoscapes emphasize the movement of culture through technology that includes cell phones, cars, weapons, and computers. “A technoscape is “the global configuration… of technology and the fact that technology… now moves at high speeds across various kinds of previously impervious boundaries” such as the physical distance separating countries or the natural resources of an area” (Valentine, 2). Cell phones and cars are actually seen as a necessity throughout Succession based on the fact that the Roy family needs to be able to physically and non-physically get sensitive information to a destination. The recap of Season 1 Episode 10 “Nobody is Ever Missing,” as claimed by Fandom.com, allots some of the screentime to Roman Roy’s shuttle launch in Japan. The middle son, with Kieran Culkin marvelously playing the role, is entrusted by the company to oversee a Waystar Royco-endorsed shuttle launch in Japan as a way to make sure everything is going fine with one of their largest global branches overseas. “During the reception Roman Roy finds a place to watch his space launch go off in Japan. Roman watches it alone in a small bathroom., only to watch the entire spaceship blow up before his eyes. He immediately turns off his phone and avoids all responsibility, telling no one” (“Nobody is Ever Missing,” paragraph 4). Instead of turning off his phone to avoid responsibilities, all Roman needed to do was call or text Japan to tell them that the shuttle failure was not directly the fault of Waystar Royco in an efficient manner. It would allow news agencies to detect the urgency of the statement and give the company full control of the story rather than having everything spiral all because there was no indication of PR handling the story. Similar to Roman, it is easier to turn off our phones in order to avoid responsibility for stuff we say on the Twitter timeline witnessed by millions of people. However, our messes are more than likely cleaned up with an immediate tweet attaching a Notes apology for the issue or crime that caused harm towards our followers. The beauty of the Internet is that you can have millions of people love you or hate you based on anything you upload on ultra-fast wifi. Ideoscapes manage the movement of culture through ideas and ideologies that involve capitalism, democracy, freedom, and empowerment. “Frequently directly political in nature, ideoscapes “have to do with the ideologies of states and the counter ideologies of movements explicitly oriented to capturing sate power or a piece of it” (Valentine, 3). Season 1 Episode 1, “Celebration,” features a scene where the Roy family is playing baseball as their tribute to Logan on his birthday. According to Fandom.com, a little boy from one of the families of their employees was invited by the family to hit a home run on the wage of $1 million. “Before the rest of the Roys’ leave Colin has the boy and his family sign a disclosure agreement, and gives them the expensive watch from Tom” (“Celebration,” paragraph 13). The boy ultimately lost the wager, but Logan felt enough kindness to the point of giving away his son-in-law’s expensive watch. That scene really stood out based on the fact that money and status are weaponized to silence the freedom and democracy of lower-class citizens. The entire core of Succession thrives on the capitalistic desire to maintain their shred of elitism in a time period where people are regaining their self-belief and fighting back against the horrible justice system. The reason why the show thrives in this current climate is because our reality is a direct reflection of the qualities and desires of each character.
As Canadian Psychologist Albert Bandura once said, “Most of the images of reality on which we base our actions are really based on vicarious experience.” With themes highlighting the five scapes, Mcdonaldization, cultural imperialism, and hegemony, people should watch Succession to gain a better understanding of how exactly our world is changing right now. Succession’s ability to globalize in a manner where it shapes our reality despite its stance on elitism and capitalism is a testament to how marvelous the show will continue to be for the foreseeable future.
Bibliography
- Albert Bandura Quotes. (n.d.). Retrieved May 3, 2020, from https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/albert_bandura_386805.
- Crossman, A. (2020, January 28). McDonaldization and Why Sociologists are Not Lovin’ It. Retrieved April 2, 2020, from https://www.thoughtco.com/mcdonaldization-of-society-3026751.
- Dorfman, Ariel & Mattelart, Armand. (1971). “From the Noble Savage to the Third World.” How to Read Donald Duck. Retrieved April 2, 2020, from https://fadingtheaesthetic.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/33788991-how-to-read-donald.pdf.
- Gonzales, C. J. (2018, June 7). ‘Succession’ Season 1, Episode 1 ‘Celebration’ Recap: Games [SPOILERS]. Retrieved May 3, 2020, from https://tvmoviefix.com/succession-season-1-episode-1-celebration-recap-review-spoilers/.
- INTERNATIONAL: ‘Hegemony’. (2008, May 1). Retrieved May 3, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/01/news/01iht-30oxan.12491269.html.
- Jones, N., Chaney, J., Reilly, C., Ivie, D., Vershbow, S., Chaney, J., … Seitz, M. Z. (2019, December 3). Succession — TV Episode Recaps & News. Retrieved April 2, 2020, from https://www.vulture.com/tv/succession/.
- Kroes, Rob. (1999). “The American Impact on Western Europe: Americanization and Westernization in Transatlantic Perspective.” [PDF File]. Retrieved April 2, 2020, from http://webdoc.sub.gwdg.de/ebook/p/2005/ghi_12/www.ghi-dc.org/conpotweb/westernpapers/kroes.pdf.
- Succession. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2, 2020, from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7660850/episodes?year=2018&ref_=tt_eps_yr_2018.
- Succession. (n.d.). Retrieved May 3, 2020, from https://succession.fandom.com/wiki/Succession.
- Tobin, T. W. (2016, June 29). Cultural imperialism. Retrieved May 3, 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/cultural-imperialism.
- Valentine, Elliott H. (2015). “Global Flows and the Globalization of Nothing: Synthesizing the Incongruous.” Black & Gold: Vol. 1. Retrieved April 2, 2020, from https://openworks.wooster.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=blackandgold.
- W. E. B. Du Bois Quotes. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from BrainyQuote.com Web site: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/w_e_b_du_bois_745733
