Journalists as children's characters

A New York Observer article on the future of the public editor position at the New York Times includes this amusing passage characterizing Byron Calame, the current occupant of the position:

Mr. [Daniel] Okrent [the previous public editor] was a sharp critic who raised hackles and then won respect during his 18-month term. In contrast, Mr. Calame has been a bit more like that other Barney, the friendly purple dinosaur—and not entirely unlike Snuffleupagus, the once-invisible creature of Sesame Street. The readers were Big Bird, and we could see and hear him—but did he exist to anyone inside The Times?

Talk about innovation -- this is a whole new style of media criticism. Coming next week: Is Maureen Dowd more like Miss Piggy or Dora the Explorer?

(PS I'm guessing the author, Michael Calderone, has watched a lot of children's TV with his kids...)