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David Bell, an associate professor of Linguistics, and Theresa Moran, an associate professor of instruction, have spent over a decade combining their expertise to explore food studies. Their latest venture is a thought-provoking article titled published in the Summer 2024 issue of Alif: Journal of Comparative Poetics.

At first glance, one might wonder: 鈥淲hat does food have to do with 'Succession'?鈥� The idea of food as a significant cultural symbol in media dates back to the 1980s and '90s, with films like 鈥淭ampopo鈥�(1985), 鈥淏abette鈥檚 Feast鈥� (1987), and 鈥淏ig Night鈥� (1996) sparking broader conversations about food in cinema. These films prompted a wave of scholarly work on the intersection of food and film, which eventually expanded to include all forms of media. Bell and Moran, both fans of 鈥淪uccession,鈥� were naturally drawn to this critically acclaimed drama, which has won four consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series.

鈥淲e loved the show, but soon realized that food was subtly playing a pivotal role, even if it wasn鈥檛 immediately obvious,鈥� Moran said. 鈥淭his realization led us to explore how food鈥攁nd its representation鈥攃onnects to broader themes of power, class and identity within the show.鈥�

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Both Bell and Moran focused their expertise on Food Studies due to its interdisciplinary nature. Moran started the Food Studies Theme at OHIO in 2014, which includes the Food in Society Certificate and various study away programs such as the current Food in Sicily program.

鈥淔ood Studies provides a lens for studying the production, consumption, representation and meaning of food in society,鈥� Bell explained. 鈥淚n the world of Food Studies, the idea is that food is everywhere鈥攐ften hiding in plain sight. But when you study how food is produced, consumed, and symbolized, it reveals much about the social fabric and power dynamics that shape our world.鈥�

In 鈥淪uccession,鈥� food becomes more than just a backdrop鈥攊t鈥檚 a subtle yet telling marker of the Roy family鈥檚 extreme wealth. The show鈥檚 main character, Logan Roy, loosely based on media moguls like Rupert Murdoch, is an example of this. The wealth of the Roy family is conveyed through helicopters, fleets of black SUVs, and private jets鈥攂ut it鈥檚 also conveyed through a bustling restaurant staff and the frenzy of food preparation happening just out of view.

However, what makes the Roys so intriguing is that they don鈥檛 engage with food in the way you might expect. Their wealth is reflected in their seeming indifference to food consumption. Logan's food choices are a perfect example: when he does eat, it鈥檚 typically the simplest of meals鈥攁n ordinary burger, an everyday food of the masses. It鈥檚 a contrast to his elegant, understated luxury. The only family member who indulges in extravagant food consumption is his son-in-law, a social climber who uses food to flaunt his new wealth.

Bell and Moran dive even deeper into concepts like commensality鈥攖he act of eating together鈥攁nd how food can shape social dynamics. In 鈥淪uccession,鈥� the dinner table offers a space for temporary civility amidst the chaos of corporate warfare. It is at the table that the Roy family, despite their fractious relationships, still convene. Table manners and etiquette also serve as boundaries, allowing potentially hostile family members to meet and interact without the full-blown bloodletting of the boardroom.

鈥淗ospitality at the table should be about reconciliation, but for the Roys, it鈥檚 often twisted into a space of manipulation and threats. There are a lot of knives at the table, metaphorically and literally,鈥� Moran said.

One particularly tense dinner scene shows Logan being invited to dinner by his son Kendall. What begins as a seemingly harmless invitation quickly turns into a psychological battle, with Logan accusing Kendall of trying to poison him.

In addition to the serious themes, 鈥淪uccession鈥� is also a dark comedy, as showrunner Jesse Armstrong intended. The humor often emerges from the contrast between the mundane act of eating and the high-stakes drama that unfolds in the corporate world.

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鈥淔or instance, one way Armstrong does this is is early in the series when Logan Roy is in the ICU after collapsing during his 80th birthday party,鈥� Bell explained. 鈥淎s his children gather around his hospital bed discussing what to release to the press about their father's condition that won't spook the stock market, we see Tom Wambsgans, the fianc茅 of Logan鈥檚 daughter Shiv, at the time, in the corner meticulously and with deaf fork work eating chocolate birthday cake. And again, towards the end of the series at Logan's wake, Tom sidles up to the firm鈥檚 inner circle hoping to glean some information about the company succession in which he considers himself a contender for the top spot. Again, he's holding a plate of food. This time, it鈥檚 a fish taco. He offers his sympathies. Shiv, now separated from Tom, shoots back, 鈥極hh, you're sick with grief? Well, you might wanna put down that fish taco. You're getting your melancholy everywhere.鈥欌€�

Bell has continued delving into the world of 鈥淪uccession,鈥� this time applying his linguistics expertise to analyze the role of metaphor and humor in the show. He presented his findings at the British Association of Applied Linguistics Conference at the University of Essex in September 2024.

Following their work on the show, Bell and Moran have shifted their focus to cultural hybridization, conducting research at the Athens Farmers Market. Their study explores interactions both among farmers and between farmers and customers, investigating how these exchanges influence the introduction of new products to the market. Preliminary results were presented at the Umbra Institute Food and Sustainability Conference in Perugia, Italy, in June 2024.