Anne Woods: A Weekend for Superheroes
Will 'Balloon Boy' Be Scarred For Life?
Filed under: In The News, Weird But True
Falcon Heene, aka "Balloon Boy," is a victim of his parent's desire for fame. And some experts are saying that the scars of this experience will stay with him for a long time.
The Daily News quotes a number of mental health professionals as saying that Falcon may face a "struggle" to create a life for himself outside of his family. By forcing their son to participate in this hoax, and then lie about it on national television, Richard and Mayumi Heene could be setting up the boy for a lifetime of "anxiety and depression." Others, such as DePauw University professor Jeffrey McCall, say that the explosion of children on reality shows is nothing more than "exploitation."
This is something that some of us have been saying for years. There is no reason to put children on reality shows. None.
Well, there is one reason -- money.
No matter what TLC wants to say now, "Jon & Kate Plus 8" was a huge money maker for the network. And the ratings got higher when things got worse for the family. TLC only pulled the plug after papa Jon Gosselin began making noise about taking the kids off the show.
It finally took a maniacal, fame-seeking faux-scientist to pretend that his son had floated away in an aluminum UFO catcher, and then watching said kid vomit on national television, for the big thinkers to notice that perhaps children who appear on reality shows are being exploited.
As for Falcon being scarred for life by the experience, let's not jump to conclusions. Things have worked out well for a lot of child stars in the past. But the title of a recent AOL Television article, "10 Former TV Child Stars Who Aren't Crackheads," pretty much says it all.
Falcon's case may be more dramatic; he did throw up on TV. Twice.
Let's not pretend this is a new problem.
None of this lets the Heene parents off the hook. What they allegedly did was disgusting. But at least this incident will probably spare Falcon and his brothers from appearing on their own reality show. With stories like this one, we have to take our silver linings where we can.
What do you think? Is a parent who puts their children on a reality show just using them?
The Daily News quotes a number of mental health professionals as saying that Falcon may face a "struggle" to create a life for himself outside of his family. By forcing their son to participate in this hoax, and then lie about it on national television, Richard and Mayumi Heene could be setting up the boy for a lifetime of "anxiety and depression." Others, such as DePauw University professor Jeffrey McCall, say that the explosion of children on reality shows is nothing more than "exploitation."
This is something that some of us have been saying for years. There is no reason to put children on reality shows. None.
Well, there is one reason -- money.
No matter what TLC wants to say now, "Jon & Kate Plus 8" was a huge money maker for the network. And the ratings got higher when things got worse for the family. TLC only pulled the plug after papa Jon Gosselin began making noise about taking the kids off the show.
It finally took a maniacal, fame-seeking faux-scientist to pretend that his son had floated away in an aluminum UFO catcher, and then watching said kid vomit on national television, for the big thinkers to notice that perhaps children who appear on reality shows are being exploited.
As for Falcon being scarred for life by the experience, let's not jump to conclusions. Things have worked out well for a lot of child stars in the past. But the title of a recent AOL Television article, "10 Former TV Child Stars Who Aren't Crackheads," pretty much says it all.
Falcon's case may be more dramatic; he did throw up on TV. Twice.
Let's not pretend this is a new problem.
None of this lets the Heene parents off the hook. What they allegedly did was disgusting. But at least this incident will probably spare Falcon and his brothers from appearing on their own reality show. With stories like this one, we have to take our silver linings where we can.
What do you think? Is a parent who puts their children on a reality show just using them?
Your<span>Voice</span>
Ask Us Anything About Parenting
TheTalkies:RelatedVideos
-
Young Man's Inspirational Plea For Same-Sex Marriage Viral Again
Zach Wahls, the son of lesbian parents, gave an impassioned speech before the Iowa House Democrats, opposing a resolution banning same-sex marriage in the state. Months later, the YouTube video is still attracting millions of views. The video has been seen on CNN, MSNBC, "Good Morning America" and "The Ellen DeGeneres" show. Maureen Aladin has details.
-
Hot Fashion Trends for Young Boys
Going back to school can be intimidating for the kids. And buying a new wardrobe can be even scarier for the parents. This school year, VideoJug and JCPenney teamed up to make the lives of some deserving families a little bit easier. And with the help of JCPenney's clothing experts, we'll show you how to put the COOL in school with the hottest trends for elementary aged boys.
-
Snooki's Jersey Shore Style Surprise Baby Shower
Snooki had her baby shower and surprisingly, no one got thrown out, punched, or thrown in jail!
Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi had a low-key engagement party at her fiancé Jionni LaVelle's parents' house in East Hanover, New Jersey.
JWoww' showed up at the shindig with her boyfriend, Roger Matthews. The two arrived with a large box, supposedly containing a cake, or possibly containing Deena. Just kidding!
Snooki's parents brought a bunch of flowers, a “congratulations” balloon, and some other gifts. Sn
-
January Jones Shares Xander's Milestones at Mad Men's Premiere - "He's Quite a Charmer"
January Jones's baby boy, Xander, just turned 6 months, but apparently, he's already full of personality! New mom January spent a night out yesterday for the red-carpet premiere of Mad Men, where she opened up about how she's adapting to life as a parent. See our interview with January and the rest of the show's stars in PopSugar Rush!
SitesWeLove
- Site Map
- |
- Staff
- |
- Terms of Service
- |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Trademarks
- |
- Advertise With Us
- |
- About Our Ads
- |
- AOL Downloads
- |
- Contact Us
- |
© Copyright 2012 AOL Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Aol Family
ReaderComments (Page 5 of 15)
10-23-2009 @ 10:33AM
B.Brito-Trjuillo said...The public is just as guilty for exploiting that child and others who particpate in those so called reality shows! Get a life folks...as long as we watch they'll broadcast them and people like these idiots will go as far as eating their children for the notoriety and the publicity. Not even children are sacred in our society..
Reply
10-23-2009 @ 9:02AM
Kristina Smith said...I hate reality shows. Period. There are a handful of reality shows that have a productive theme. 75% of reality shows are sensationalism and exploitation. The advent of the reality show by television networks is nothing more than an opportunity for the corporations to cut the costs of paying legitimate actors, writers, etc. for creative television prgramming and movies. The only person that is really winning on that time besides the CEOs are the editors who can edit and manipulate any storyline that is wanted to be portrayed on the show for the public to see. Thus, the public gets the idea that everyone behaves like idiots in "real" life. It's not reality. It's editing and cutting people out of jobs. It has and continues to create megalomaniacs that, in the strife for their Warholian 15 minutes of fame, do anything to stay in front of television cameras. Sad that this happens. Even sadder to see that people continue to watch this sensationalized programming so that network producers can fatten their bank accounts and dumb down a great number(not all, but still a good portion) of adults and children watching this crap. Think about it. More advertising-less expenses=more $$$ for network CEO and producers salaries
Reply
10-23-2009 @ 9:04AM
hank said...i was raised in the 50's my goverment caused me anxiety, and depression. atmoic bomb drills hide under your desk arms over your head. pictures on tv to show what an atomic bomb can do. wars we were in pictrues of dead bodys all over the place.
and now we have more killing, and war, and hunger. i would say our goverment is worse then that boy's parents. you live at home, and your parents rule the day, when you leave home our goverment fules the day. you can help the parents, and boy. our goverment you cant help.
Reply
10-26-2009 @ 9:25AM
lori said...How could hiding under a deak help you if if an atomic bomb exploded?
10-23-2009 @ 9:12AM
voodkokk said...The boy was never in the ballon and the only way he will be scared is the baffoons that keep talking about this non-story. The boy was hiding in the house, how could that have traumatized him? I think the people that keep talking about this story are more tramatized than Falcon will ever be.
Reply
10-23-2009 @ 9:15AM
cathain.mactire said...@Dudley Haas - in case you missed the actual article, the son was NOT put into the balloon so he could see the world. He was not in the balloon at all. The balloon, once it landed, was proven that it could not have supported the weight of the boy, the parents lied about how large it was to fool everyone. He was hiding so the parents could get media attention. He was told to lie about it by his parents so they could enjoy the media circus. His brother was told to lie and say that he saw the little boy in the balloon before it took off. The father is NOT a great man by any stretch of the imagination.
Reply
10-23-2009 @ 9:11AM
kim said...How come so many people here jump on the reality shows where people have problems that we CAN see shining through. What about the Duggars and their 18 (19?) kids, are they being exploited? They seem happy and well adjusted, are they really? What about the Little People and their kids? Makes you wonder what really is going on behind the scenes of all of these shows, are they really 'reality' or are all of them staged for the camera and their true lives are led when the cameras aren't rolling. What about Falcon's two older brothers? Is their resentment because Falcon got the spotlight and they didn't? Also, I've never seen three boys in my entire life look so sullen on camera, I don't care how tired my 8 year old son was, he'd be bouncing off the walls happy and putting on a show knowing he was on TV! I think the sad/tired faces were all an act.
Reply
10-23-2009 @ 9:11AM
Dave said...Scarred for Life??? Jesus, the writer of this article needs to get out in the real world more often.
Reply
10-23-2009 @ 9:12AM
T said...What a mess. The world we live in is falling apart and all I am reading about and hearing is blame. Shame on us all. We judge, we point fingers, we make our comments known, but if we were the ones in the spotlight we would be behaving in a completely different way.
I agree that what these parents did was ridiculous. We should never force our children to do or say anything that would harm them. Taking their children away is extreme; I would consider some major family therapy to get to the reason, other than money, that would cause these parents to think this is correct behavior of a parent or anyone.
I would also agree that if my child was getting physically ill anywhere, television show or not, I would be concerning myself with the child not finishing the interview. The best medicine society can do for this family is to take away the fame, the attention, if you will. After all, if that was truly what they were seeking (fame), not having the media all over them might cause them to rethink what they were doing. Mind you, I do not condone the behavior and as noted above, I think therapy is in order, but one step at a time. If this was a repeated problem, then a more severe reaction might be called for.
Ultimately, society judges without knowing all the facts. It is a given since the media is everywhere, we are human, and beyond my comprehension, society loves conflict. (We just don't need to know Everyone's business) I guess I am saying that we must help each other if we are to learn from our mistakes and we cannot do that by judging, saying nasty comments, or pointing fingers. Remember that hand gesture? When you are pointing at someone else, there are three fingers pointing back at you.
T
Reply
10-23-2009 @ 6:39PM
ajaynejr said...His parents were setting him up for a lifetime of anxiety and embarassment and failure the day he was born -- by giving him an unusual name, Falcon.
Yes, names like Phoebe and Robin are quite common but Falcon is a little to esoteric.
Reply
10-23-2009 @ 9:49AM
luzace said...Well, I am just wondering what the heck happened to "creativity" on television shows. People are just copying what the other does, and justifying it as "competition"...sickening!
Some of these reality shows are just a waste of people's time and energy and televison airtime...and not one bit "entertaining" like shows ought to be.
These balloon parents ought be locked up for endangering their child psychologically and emotionally!!!
Reply
10-23-2009 @ 9:17AM
zion said...Parents of the balloon boy must take councelling services. They do do not know what is right from wrong based on what is acceptable to the society with conscience. Fortunately we still have the majority of the society that knows what is the right way to live. If parents feed their kids from bad sources or means, kids will surely grow not a good kid.
Reply
10-23-2009 @ 9:15AM
Shirley said...Children should be children, allowed to grow through their playtime balanced with responsibilities around the home. They do not belong on television either as child stars or on reality shows. But I fail to see the difference between putting them into these situations and making them look like adults on the pageant circuit. I repeat--children should be children.
Reply
10-23-2009 @ 9:29AM
ellieswenson said...I never watch reality shows, because too often they promote bad behaviors in dysfunctional people. That's exploitation. It's especially bad when children are being exploited. That show "The Nanny" is another example of a show that exploits children. I read that when children misbehave on that show it often isn''t natural, but they are encouraged to be bad for the camera so that the nanny can correct them. In other words, it's scripted. What a sick nation of voyeurs we have become. And The Learning Channel (TLC) really needs to change its name when it's responsible for shows like Jon and Kate Plus Eight. What a travesty.
Reply
10-23-2009 @ 9:42AM
gail said...3 brats..............throw the whole damn family in jail and throw away the key
Reply
10-23-2009 @ 9:20AM
sandy said...Not only is the child scarred, but so are any siblings. It's very sad.
As far as reality shows are concerned, I love to watch the Duggars. They are a wonderful, loving, caring, and rather large family, but the children seem absolutely normal, happy, loving and well adjusted. Besides, I now make my own laundry soap with Michelle's recipe. If I had her personality and a caring husband, I would have had more children, but then we aren't all Michelle Duggars.
Reply
10-23-2009 @ 9:17AM
RJ FRALEY said...The media is the only one who can harm this boy, let it go and 4 years from now it will be just like a dream to him, all most like it never happen, but if the media keeps on exploiting this boy,it could have some bad effects on him.
Reply
10-23-2009 @ 9:20AM
JOY said...I do not believe that aking the children away from the parents is the answere. I think that temorariloy removing them from the parents with some counselling.would work, how ever it will not work unless the parents will agree to go through a psychotherapy and also counseling with the children.
There is just too many of these parents wanting to be Hollywood stars themselves which in many cases these so called stars amounts to nothing more than human trash who lives in a make believe world and in the process they destroy all family unity and turn these innocent children into monsters later in life.
Reply
11-30-2009 @ 2:23PM
ann said...Don't worry. Ultimate, we (the hard working taxpayers) are the real victims, we'll have to pay their bills and care for their child when he's an adult since his parents set a bad example on how to be a decent, honest human being. The media just gave us a fore-warning that it's coming.
Reply
10-23-2009 @ 9:25AM
Sharon said...This science stuff is what Heene is passionate about and what he enjoys doing. It's how he wants to make a living for his family. Not saying he is right, but who doesn't want to make a living doing things they enjoy?
Don't be so quick to point a finger at Dad.
Do you yell hateful things in traffic? In front of your kids? Many of you do it all the time. Everything you say and do is an example for your kids.
Many people teach their children to cheat and lie. It's just not as obvious as the Heene's. When you let your kids know that you think it's okay to cheat or steal in SOME circumstances, you set the pattern. Income tax? Little things from work? A hateful neighbor? To avoid punishment?
Do as I say, not as I do?
Will Falcon have any more trouble in the adult world than many of your children?
Reply