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Balloon Boy a Publicity Stunt?
The kid in a balloon story that kept America rapt yesterday may have been nothing more than a publicity stunt by his parents.
Falcon Heene was found safe at home in the attic – where he told CNN he was playing with toys and taking a nap. But it’s what he said when asked why he didn’t respond to his parents calling for him that puts into question the veracity of their story.
On Larry King Live last night, the boy said “You guys said we did this for the show.”
But when Wolf Blitzer (who is filling in for King) asked what he meant by that, father Richard Heene’s first response was that the child was talking about the media. When pressed by Blitzer to ask Falcon what HE meant by it, Heene refused and went off on a rant about how “appalled” he was by what the media was suggesting:
Now that you’ve watched that, a little perspective. For someone who is uncomfortable with being on TV, the Heenes not only volunteered for this interview with Blitzer but was on the show Wife Swap not once but TWICE.
The parents have vehemently denied they did this on purpose, and Blitzer said the police have agreed. But I know I wasn’t the only one thinking it when we heard the words Wife Swap. And when the child turned out to be sleeping in the attic, along with relief came a bit of suspicion that it worked out “so well.”
If it was for publicity, the Heenes did not put their child in any danger. But I can’t imagine the amount of money spent on the “search and rescue” mission that turned out to be useless.
Did you think the story was just a strange twist of events?
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[...] to jump to conclusions here, but could this whole thing have been a hoax? The Heene family is all over YouTube, having appeared on the 100th episode of the ABC show [...]
Morning News - Balloon Boy Found | Strollerderby commented on Oct 16 09 at 9:39 am[...] claiming to be “appalled” at insinuations that the saga was anything but a harrowing ordeal for the family, the Heenes [...]
VIDEO: Balloon Boy’s Dad on Tape Releasing Balloon | Strollerderby commented on Oct 16 09 at 8:13 pm[...] weirdness that brought the hoax calls to a head: including the little boy announcing on CNN that he hid in the attic “for the show,” and Richard Heene’s refusal to ask the boy on-camera what he meant by that. Then came a home [...]
UPDATE: Balloon Boy’s Family Facing Charges | Strollerderby commented on Oct 18 09 at 12:24 pmStella commented on Oct 16 09 at 9:42 amHmmm…suspicious indeed. He seems to “save” himself by making the appalled comments. Because seriously, if it’s not a publicity stunt then any parent of course would be appalled by being asked such a thing. However, he sure does get squeamish about asking his son the question.
Definitely suspect!
Leila commented on Oct 16 09 at 10:53 amThe guy’s credibility is not the best to begin with, he’s been seeking fame for a long time, he believes in aliens and drags the whole family into his idiotic hobbies. The wife seems very passive and controlled by him, the kids are going to be really, really confused.
Erez commented on Oct 16 09 at 2:47 pmWhat Falcon Meant…
http://whswhm.blogspot.com/2009/10/what-falcon-meant.html
Andrea commented on Oct 16 09 at 4:22 pmI don’t know about whether they faked the crisis or not, but they’re so clearly after attention that it’s not even funny– on Good Morning America this morning, the poor kid announced that he was going to vomit and walked off camera, and Diane Sawyer ended up prompting the mom to maybe go after him and check that he’s okay. Then the father said “Oh, it sounds pretty bad in there”. And a minute later the mom came and sat the kid right back down in front of the camera. The kids were all exhausted; it was painful to watch.
Lia commented on Oct 17 09 at 2:41 pmI think it’s a scam. The whole thing was unbelievable from the first minute it started and the family has done nothing to suggest they are credible since it “concluded.” The only saving grace is that at least they didn’t actually put their son in the balloon.
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