novelty act

A artistic performer with an act that is strongly linked to some particular gimmick that makes it stand out from the crowd, even though it has little intrinsic value, and is therefore likely to wear out its audience quickly.

The term sometimes refers to a performance itself, rather than the performer behind it.

- Lady Gaga's persona is all about outrageousness, extravagance and shock value, but as far as actual performance quality goes, it's safe to say that she is the biggest novelty act to come up in many years.

- The Blue Man group, initially conceived as a novelty act in the late 1980s, has demonstrated tremendous longevity, becoming a permanent fixture of the stage scene in cities like Boston, New York and Las Vegas.

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