I'm not sure where you guys are coming from. As far as I can remember, blackface has been part of my life. Al Jolson and Eddy Cantor and the aural blackface of Amos and Andy, wow!

I'd keep turning our little brown bakelite radio to get their strongest voices from WOR New York. Ministrel shows were part of annual concerts in our one-room school with grades up to grade 10.

Burnt cork was part of Halloween and, according to our national newspaper of record yesterday, blackface was common at Halloween and frosh celebrations up to the new century at our universities, bastions of privilege.

What's changed in journalism? "Yellow journalism" has always been with us. About a third of newspapers in 21 large US metropolitan cities in 1900 were distinctly yellow, beginning with Journal and the World in 1896.

Partisan duelling in networks and newspapers now is common as rain. Social media is an enormous mall of opinion and influence, from sublime to ridiculous. Like Ted, I'm not holding my breath.