Hey, Balloon Boy's Dad, How's This Working Out For You?
Categories: In The News, Weird But True, Opinions
To: Richard Heene
From: Mainstream media
Re: Your son, Balloon Boy
Sorry to keep asking if your 6-year-old son Falcon supposedly being carried away by a balloon Thursday was a hoax. "I'm starting to get a little ticked off because I am repetitively getting asked this," you said on the Today show this morning.
No doubt we deserve such righteous indignation. It is clearly a coincidence that your son disappeared just in time to make it look like he had been carried off by your helium balloon. Then he reappears just as authorities conclude he's not attached to the balloon.
Turns out he was playing in the attic at just the right amount of time to get people whipped up into a frenzy of concern.
"How conveeeenient," as the Church Lady on "Saturday Night Live" used to say.Still, 6-year-olds can be rascals. There's no reason to believe you concocted a publicity stunt, not even when Falcon said on CNN that he didn't come out of the attic because, "You guys said we did this for a show."
Heh. Heh. What a kidder. He didn't understand the question. Yeah, that's it.
No reason to get into why he started vomitting during the Today show appearance. Kids vomit. It happens. No reason to ask you embarrassing questions.
As you said, "What have I got to gain out of this? I'm not selling anything. I'm not advertising anything."
Well, you could want attention. You were on Wife Swap, a reality TV show. Of course, that's not necessarily the mark of a publicity seeker. Some people are genuinely curious about what would happen if they swapped wives on national television.
It has nothing to do with craving the spotlight.
How can anyone assume otherwise? In fact, how can anyone suspect your motives in general? Just because of some awfully convenient timing, just because Falcon said it was for a show, just because he barfed on national television, just because you were on reality TV -- how does any of this raise a question?
Bad media. Bad media. And shame on Larimer County Sheriff's Office deputies in Colorado who continue to ask questions. Sheriff Jim Alderden said he doesn't think there's anything fishy, but he has to ask the questions. Why? Why can't everyone just take your word for it?
"I am kind of appalled after all the feelings I went through, up and down, that you guys are trying to suggest something else," you said on CNN right after Falcon made his slip.
Another man might not respond with righteous indignation. Another man might say, "I'm not appalled. Questions like these should be asked in this sort of situation. I would hate it if the press and authorities didn't question such unusual circumstances. Otherwise, fathers with less scruples than I might be able to manipulate their families for cheap publicity and get away with it. Ask your questions. I have nothing to hide."
You chose righteous indignation. To quote Dr. Phil, "How's that working out for you?"Related: Pam Anderson Has a New Helper
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Katheryn 10-16-2009 @ 6:20PM
Wow. You seem pretty bent out of shape over this. I don't really see what the big deal is if it was setup. Cheap stunt? Sure, but who cares? Why do you care so much what another family is or is not doing?
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mckenna 10-20-2009 @ 9:36PM
Well, for one thing it costs taxpayers a lot of money to run around on a wild goose chase...for another, I think it's perfectly fine for a community to question the morals of someone who would use his kids to exploit attention. Such people should be made to feel BAD about themselves (there, I said it...protecting someone's ego is not always the first priority). I have no problem with making some things taboo in a society. It takes a village...etc. Go Tom! ;)
sarah 10-16-2009 @ 10:27PM
Hey Katheryn,
Everyone cares. This family had the entire nation worried about their son because we all though that he was in a home-made hot air balloon. We all though his life was in danger, because he could of easily fell out or it could of crashed. Thankfully the boy was in the attic the whole time and is safe. I normally don't care what other families do. But when you pull a stunt that gets the cops and the national guard involved then you went a little too far.
LS 10-17-2009 @ 3:34PM
People are upset, Kathryn, because they may have been lied to. On the whole, people object to being lied to.
Second. All of those rescue personnel were potentially taken away from *real* emergencies to tend to what is amounting to a hoax.
If this all really was on the up-and-up, then I'm fine with them spending three hours chasing a balloon. If it turns out that he was lying, then he should be required to pay back every single cent spent on that wild goose chase.
Third. One of the largest airports in the country was shut down for an hour. That may not seem like a big deal to you, but to those people who missed connections, who missed a meeting at work, who missed their families, it's a big deal. And to those airlines who lost money because of that delay, it's a big deal. All because some moron (may have) desired attention.
What it boils down to is that this guy may have lied to an entire nation. That's why it's a big deal.
Coco 10-16-2009 @ 11:35PM
I seen this entire interview and the boy seems to be drugged.
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Vince 10-19-2009 @ 11:34PM
He wasn't drugged, he was sleepy. It was 5:00 am in Colorado when the Today show live interview took place. Maybe Dad could use some drug therapy, but as they say, you can't fix Stupid.
piersontony 10-18-2009 @ 6:27PM
Why do we care? Katheryn, you simpleton. I don't usually give a damn about stupid things that people do, but the thought of a poor 6 year old boy climbing into a balloon that "Dad" (read idiot), had in the backyard, only to be carried to the sky, followed by the little boy falling to his death somewhere below, broke my heart. I was actually devastated when they found the balloon and the kid wasn't with it.
We care because this abomination of a family toyed with our sympathies and lied to us. In addition, this stunt cost taxpayers money. When idiots like this continue to cry wolf, it just dulls the public response the next time some kid goes missing.
PS: You spelled your name wrong, idiot.
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Karen 10-17-2009 @ 11:18AM
I think it would be more likely that he was making it up if he did respond as asked. ONLY someone who HAD NOT been through such an ordeal would respond in the way you suggest.
Of course he is tired of it.
Cynical much?
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Rachel 10-19-2009 @ 1:26PM
So Karen...now that the truth is comming out about this...are you feeling a bit "Cynical"? If people were all good and honest, we wouldn't need police and prisons, would we?
Karen 10-21-2009 @ 9:08AM
Nope - not cynical at all. Although I called this one wrong, I think the in general he should have been given teh benefit of the doubt.
The argument presented that he should have been calm and collected (if it were real) does not hold water.
Yes, he played us, but his reactions was normal even if it was staged.
Heather 10-19-2009 @ 7:52AM
The reason the polie would say they believe the father would be that they don't want to tip him off they are still investigating. What better way to get them to relax and make the mistake they did. They also wouldn't tell you they were investigating until they had absoulte proof it was a hoax.
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Melissa 10-19-2009 @ 11:08PM
It cost taxpayers lots of money for that wild goose chase, so if it was in fact a hoax and just some lame attempt to gain national attention, then I can totally understand why people would be upset about it. And to Coco....yeah, he was actually asleep on the Today show, the mom was shaking his leg trying to make him wake up!
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kay 10-20-2009 @ 11:03AM
Contributing to the delinquecy of minors is no small thing. It's called Child Abuse. Instructing your children to lie to the police? Very bad news. Children should be out of that family!
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