[adeon]

I feel a little stupid for asking... but what does "kabuki theater" mean in this context? Do you mean the CEO in the scene sort of "acted a rehearsed show" in a meeting to make sure everyone in the room followed through some thought process? Or maybe in other words (guessing meaning): making people get up and talk to force them to think through something (CEO's real goal), but the CEO framed it as him simply asking questions? (I have not seen the movie or the scene, apologies if the meaning is more obvious to infer if one has seen it).

I tried googling it but I get some movie theater in San Francisco and a Wikipedia page describing it as a Japanese theatre with dancing and elaborate costumes and flair. I've not seen it used in an expression before.

[davkan]

“Kabuki Theater” usually cynically implies some political posturing. That someone is putting on a show for the audience. It doesn’t imply rehearsal.

E.g. Someone might say that politicians arguing energetically about gun violence are playing it up for their constituents and don’t actually care about the issue. It’s all a performance, neither side actually cares if anything is accomplished. It’s a show for their constituents.

I’m not sure it’s the most apt phrase for the scene but it’s been a while since I’ve seen the movie.

[kdmoyers]

I think maybe the "Kabuki" modifier additionally implies the performance has a rigid structure that has been repeated identically many times before.

[julik]

That movie is absolutely excellent in all too many aspects, but the one I like most (and most relevant for the HN crowd, I think) is the politics in the business. Thanks to amazing script and stellar performances you get it all:

* Unfair blanket layoff precluding a senior person from alerting anyone * One of the senior execs being made the scapegoat, framed by her evident accomplice in the scheming * Engineers who become quants * Locking people up in a room to make sure they do not spill the beans to anyone

I think Margin Call deserves to be on the same rung of the ladder as LA Confidential - a timeless classic, and some of the cast as well!

[adeon]

Okay, now that makes sense. I actually put your example of gun violence in google with kabuki theater and that found me some (depressing) articles that use the phrase. Thanks for educating me on a new expression :)