fubarobfusco comments on Open Thread, September 30 - October 6, 2013 - Less Wrong

4 Post author: Coscott 30 September 2013 05:18AM

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Comment author: fubarobfusco 02 October 2013 06:30:24PM 0 points [-]

Theater, certainly; in the sense of staging an elaborate show for the public (see also "security theater") — but why kabuki specifically?

Comment author: TheOtherDave 02 October 2013 07:45:26PM 6 points [-]

As arundelo notes, it's a trope.
I think it's meant to evoke the extremely stylized, not at all realistic nature of the art form... that is, it's not that the audience is being tricked into thinking something is going on, it's that the audience is willingly going along with the story being told.

Comment author: arundelo 02 October 2013 07:31:58PM 5 points [-]

It's a common usage in some circles. Jon Lackman wrote a Slate article criticizing it.

Comment author: fubarobfusco 02 October 2013 08:00:16PM -1 points [-]

Okay, so it's like "Chinese fire drill". Got it.