On another list, we had a short discussion last year on the art of busking. Someone pointed out that the set of things that impress jugglers, and the set of things that impress a tipping crowd, are nearly disjoint[0]. A friend of his had discovered that he ate far better by intentionally "messing up" once he had a crowd, letting them vicariously get into the effort, and then finally "accomplishing" the "tricky move"[1] -- he didn't just demonstrate a skill, but he also told a story, and it was reflected in his tip jar.
http://sawlady.com/blog/?p=27 That's another reaction calling JB a bad busker. But, the central question remains: How do you distinguish between good art and bad? Especially in our new world of unlimited choice? Cheers, Aditya
