I understand the language of Succession is jarring to some, coming off too homophobic and incestuous - everyone is either 'fucking' or 'killing' each other. But vulgarity serves a larger purpose, Logan's assertion that "sometimes it is a Big Dick Competition" within Ken and Logan's first stand off really sums up the futility of Ken's tragic arc.
Fundamentally Logan has deemed Kendall's 'dick size' as inadequate.
Logan admits it's 'mainly him' preventing the succession before immediately undermining this, listing each off the marks against his son:
-He's an addict, a defect and an unforgivable offence because of how it reflects on Logan. The equation of rehab to a mental health facility brings Connor's mom to mind, Connor's general disposability as the actual first born child too.
-He was caught eating in the office don't get me started on how withholding food=withholding love is used in this show.
-He attended his father's birthday party ("it's your call.")
-He's even overheard joking about giving homosexual favours to get what he wants, which obviously viciously bites him in this scene as Logan decides that Ken 'bent over and got fucked' by being professional in his interactions with Lawrence Yee.
-We watched Frank eyeing as Ken signs on the trust without lawyering. He even expresses the instinct he should seek counsel, but as he says - he trusted his father. My assumption is Frank's feeding the Vaulter 'gay little website' negotiations back to Logan and of course Logan would be receiving them as failures whatever had occurred because that's what he's seeking affirmation of. He's already decided to not step down. It's the same way he asked Tom to prevent Kerry from becoming a news reader without ever being direct about it.
Ironically Kendall is one of the only people actually capable of calling Logan out, which he tries here "you're running it into the fucking ground". Only he's still asking permission to be allowed to save Waystar, his birthright. Before the pilot episode Ken's had 18 months worth of lead up to this coronation day plus the 33 odd years prior to that he'd been promised it. He even did a year in Shanghai! He under reacts in this scene to the gravity of this humiliating rug pull and this leads up to physical intimidation where Logan encourages violent retribution. Kendall takes it out privately on the interior of the bathroom instead, tidying up after himself.
Logan does this to prove his claims of genuine concern Kendall is 'too soft'. Ken's metaphorical impotence comes up on numerous occasions ("You're not a killer, you have to be a killer.") throughout the show. No matter the education, effort or ego he builds, he will always be undermined by an intrinsic trait that is as emasculating as it is unchangeable, he'll never measure up. He is also infertile.
Despite being the product of Logan's own 'big dick' literally and figuratively, the parameters of gaining his respect are not up for amendment - in the Big Dick Competition between father and son Logan cannot stand to lose, even to the offspring he's groomed to strive to be a winner, a killer, the number one boy.
Interestingly at one point Tom claims to have 'a dick the size of a red sequoia.'
theartofmadeline
areudirty
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