Hostile takeovers are interorganizational events that threaten organizational identity and integrity. Yet different meanings and different levels of meaning can be revealed by interpreting the texts that describe hostile takeover events. A psychoanalytic reading of these texts provides a way to explore the deeper meanings of these events. In addition, the media coverage of these events demonstrates both the reflection and construction of social reality, or “contemporary” culture. Interpreting the texts of hostile takeover events provides a way to both enrich our understanding of interorganizational phenomena and illuminate important social issues that might otherwise be kept in the dark.