Linguistics Colloquium | Metaphor and Humor in the TV Series Succession, April 12

The Linguistics Colloquium series presents Dr. David Bell discussing “Metaphor and Humor in the TV Series Succession ” on Friday, April 12, from 12:55 to 1:50 p.m. in Gordy 310 and via Microsoft TEAMS.

Bell is Associate Professor of Linguistics at Ohio University .

Abstract:  This presentation explores the role of metaphor as a device for humor in HBO’s comedy/drama TV series Succession (2018-2023). Succession, which ran for 39 episodes over four seasons, tells the story of billionaire, Logan Roy, and the company he runs, Waystar RoyCo, a global media and entertainment conglomerate. As Logan ages, his three children vie for who will succeed him, jabbing constantly at each other with sharp humor - witty one-liners and snarky put-downs that make abundant use of both conventional and highly inventive metaphors. Metaphor conveys a likeness between the semantic vehicle or source domain and the semantic tenor or target domain thus allowing a better understanding of more abstract, unfamiliar, and less tangible ideas by analogy with the concrete, familiar, and tangible. Here, the focus is on the intentional use of metaphors as a mechanism to trigger humor though such devices as diaphoricity,  catachresis, wrong prioritization of features, and saturated attribution of features, etc.