Earnings calls are the community theater of finance. People attend the show, but nobody wants to actually be there.
Pretending to get excited about what might or might not happen when exhausted analysts shareholders try to yank a trained executive off script is something that many people do with the changing of the seasons.
But once in a rare while, a hero emerges to make these things actually, dare we say it, fun. And we're not talking about you, Mike Mayo, so you can calm down. Today we honor a mystery champion, a man who deserves our love and affection for what he did on a Ruby Tuesday earnings call.
Barbarian Capital was the first to show of evidence of this heroic act:
Oh, you're good, you.
Imagine being one of the poor fast food analysts on that earnings call. It's August, it's hot, the week is almost over and you're being forced to sit there while someone drones on about how many "Fork-Tender Ribs" were sold in Q2. But then, a voice:
Operator: "Our next question comes from Buddy Fox with Geneva Roth Holding Corporation."
"Bud Fox from Geneva?" you think with a wry smile. "Isn't he supposed to be covering Blue Star Airlines?"
Buddy Fox: "I just have one question. Do you think your revenues are negatively impacted by Harambe's death and if yes, do you have any plans to mitigate it?"
Bud Fox making a meme joke? Oh, this is new!... This is... INTERESTING! What's going to happen?
JJ Buettgen: "Excuse me, can you repeat your question please? Impacted by what?"
Oh, poor chief marketing officer, we're not laughing with you because it's August and we're all so angry.
Fox: "By Harambe's death and if yes, do you have plans to mitigate it?"
Buettgen: "I am sorry. I don't know we have a bad connection. I couldn't quite hear the question."
Oh, you heard him! We all heard him!
Operator: "He has lost connection."
Not with our hearts, silly Operator, not ever with our thankful hearts.
