This is a Gene Weingarten piece. Weingarten is an absurdly brilliant feature writer (this article won a Pulitzer, for whatever that's worth), and pretty funny in his humorous pieces too. I don't think this is his best work; my favorites of his are:
The first time Weingarten got posted here I spent a couple hours tracking down as much of his writing as I could find, and ended up happy I did. Very much worth your time (or worth stuffing into your Instapaper account).
For those who don't have the time to read it, "The Great Zucchini" is about a world class clown who goes unrecognized while performing his famous mime routine undercover at a local mall.
This story is popular for the same reason as Dunning–Kruger. People cite D-K because everyone acts as certain as them and it's frustrating. If we're all equally certain, what makes me different from you? D-K gives the answer you want to hear--the other people are mistakenly confident in their abilities, unlike you.
If you look at the numbers and graphs for D-K, the actual conclusion is that everyone thinks they're in about the 70th percentile (with some minor variation) regardless of their ability, a non-conclusion. That is, however, not the interpretation we want to be true, so we continue to perpetuate the more specious analysis that skilled people know their ability level and unskilled do not, when really it is just a side effect of everyone rating themselves in the 70th percentile and some people inevitably landing at that same skill level.
Here's an essay that puts the same reversal in perspective for the Bell story: http://essays.dayah.com/face-the-music. It argues we love to promote and repeat this story because it proves that _we_ could be unacknowledged geniuses. In our retelling of the Bell story, we are not referencing the masses that walk by rather than listen, we're pointing out that others walk by us.
I think it was fantastic. The allusion is funny too. I have a very unpretentious little art gallery, and pottery shop. After being in the business for about ten years, I have come to realize that very few people will buy for just the beauty, they need validation that others find value in the object.
I remember that. I thought it was pretty contrived. During the morning rush, people really don't want to be late for work. I'm not sure that was a thesis that needed proving.
While I am not positive with whether I agree or disagree with your lunch hour statement. I would like the test re-done, but in Europe or Brazil, just not the USA. At multiple points, the article seems to be pointing out in so many words that Americans would do this because we are too busy or indifferent. But I am honestly interested if this was done in say London right outside a tube that lets off a majority of federal workers like L'Enfant to best replicate the scenario.
And honestly, I do not know if it would do any better in London or elsewhere. For anyone to say would probably be basing it on the stereotypes that the author alluded to. But what would really happen?
It certainly is the case that in the Paris metro I have seen crowds form around good buskers.
Sure, doing this at morning rush hour assured the least chance of success, but the interesting thing is how many people reported not even noticing the dude - they didn't seem to have interviewed many people who said "Gee that sounded awesome but I had to run or else my boss would fire me".
Second eli's comment that the experiment was contrived. Also the irony of this whole article and experiment is that it begins with the assumption that bell gave a performance in the subway that was great and should have been arresting to passers-by.
The article starts from the assumption that his performance was good (I'll just be contrarian and say I don't think it was) based on his celebrity, and then goes on to conclude that the people who were actually there are a bunch of fools.
Maybe they all thought "that Bell's such a prima donna, I'm just gonna ignore him"
The Great Zucchini, about a birthday clown
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01...
Fatal Distraction, about parents locking their kids in cars --- this article is hard to take, and simply an awesome piece of writing:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02...
The first time Weingarten got posted here I spent a couple hours tracking down as much of his writing as I could find, and ended up happy I did. Very much worth your time (or worth stuffing into your Instapaper account).