Falcon Heene "Balloon Boy"

Listen up, I have some breaking news, the Gosselin’s may not be worst parents on the face of the earth. I know this is shocking information but there is a new contender for the crown. With a mere ten-word utterance an innocent six year old turned a legitimate news story on its head. It might be obvious by now, but I am taking a little eco-break to talk about “Balloon Boy”, so indulge me.

First the facts, “Balloon Boy’s” real name is Falcon Heene and no he was not in the giant helium filled UFO/balloon his father built. When the “Balloon Boy” saga started it was suspected that the tiny six year old was trapped in the runaway homemade balloon that flew to reported heights of 5,000-8,000 feet.  This held Americans captivated from the east to west coasts, as it played out on live TV. Everyone was concerned for the safety of the little boy, as they feared he might plummet to his death. When the balloon was found empty the story gained momentum, where was “Balloon Boy”? The media circus began.

The parents garnered much sympathy, until a Larry King interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer later that same day, when Falcon uttered “You guys said that we did this for a show”. Their hunger for additional media coverage was ultimately they’re downfall as that simple utterance was an Aha moment for everyone, including the Larimer County Sheriff’s Department. The fame-hungry family continued their media blitz while in damage control, as they appeared on every major news network/entertainment show from Today Show and Good Morning America to Inside Edition and Extra. Everyone was right to be skeptical of the balloon hoopla as the family, who has appeared on ABC’s Wife Swap twice and shopped a reality show to TLC (and other networks), did this as a stunt.

Before the truth came out, every news show / entertainment magazine show was all a twitter with the idea that the kids might be taken away. Why, you ask? There are various youtube videos of the kids fighting each other and performing raps with questionable language while walking along railroad tracks. Now, this seems to be a real possibility as child protective services has been notified and will be investigating their home life. Said news organizations (plus Access Hollywood) had body language experts scrutinize the infamous CNN clip and subsequent interviews, it would appear that the experts confirmed what we all suspected: Richard Heene got tense when his son misspoke on CNN. The father is shifty eyed in interviews, and Falcon may not have vomited due to illness, but rather it was the physical result of the pressure he was under.

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