Succession without Happiness

A blah, blah, yadda, blather report comes (surprisingly) from the BBC News to the effect that more and more fathers wouldn't recommend their children follow their business footsteps.

But they should.

If for no other reason than to give the public more office tower and courtroom dramadies. Perhaps CNBC could finally buck up its ratings with a "reality show" starring The Redstones. "Tune in next week" for the next mindbending episode of a mercurial, undying father vs. determined and very much estranged daughter. Or would you rather come home to a Tivoed The Murdochs, where an old cuss visionary father plays real-life King Lear, shuffling and re-shuffling the children's portfolio until, eventually, they begin to overcome his position. [Earlier: Plenty Peso Papi]

Not that every dramatic family has to end unhappily. Consider the Stewarts, father Patrick worked so often and hard that son Daniel had it imprinted on him that he had to keep quiet growing up because dad was always learning his lines.