Sideshow

/ˈsīdˌSHō/

noun

1. a small show or exhibition, usually as part of a circus or carnival

I have never listened to anyone who criticized my taste in space travel, sideshows or gorillas…when this occurs, I pack up my dinosaurs and leave the room.

– from Zen in the Art of Writing, by Ray Bradbury (1920 – 2012)

2. a spectacle which diverts attention from something more important
Ideas aren’t a sideshow that make our factory a little more valuable. Our factory is a sideshow that makes our ideas a little more valuable!
– Seth Godin (1960 – )