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Cut Balloon Boy Dad Some Slack

He's the 'inevitable product' of our era

By John Johnson, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 25, 2009 11:00 AM CDT

(Newser) – A little sympathy for the Balloon Boy dad, please. Yes, he "grotesquely" put his kids through hell, but he’s also a fitting emblem—and the “inevitable product”—of our time, writes Frank Rich. Richard Heene gave us a fake spectacle that... Read full story »

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reality TV • cable news • Falcon Heene • Richard Heene • balloon boy hoax • Falcon Heene hoax • balloon boy

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Sheriff: TV Paid for Balloon Stunt

Unnamed outlet blurs entertainment-news lines, says Alderden

(NEWSER) - A shady TV operation may have already paid the Heenes for its balloon boy stunt, the Colorado sheriff investigating the case has indicated. The Los Angeles Times is reporting that the unnamed outlet paid the family for the launch and may be complicit in the hoax. An agreement from the media operation to pay the Heenes was found during a police search of the family's home, according to the New York Daily News. More»

Balloon-Boy Stunt Not So Strange for Wacky Dad

Unsurprisingly, Richard Heene is a shameless self-promoter

(NEWSER) - With the balloon-boy debacle now exposed as a hoax, the spotlight has turned on Richard Heene's wacky and not-so-camera-shy behavior. The 48-year-old amateur scientist/wannabe reality TV star tried his hand at acting and standup comedy in the early '90s in Hollywood. And though that ended up being a "total bomb," says an associate, Heene was still constantly trying to get people to invest in his storm-chasing exploits—like riding a motorcycle into the middle of a tornado. More»

ABC Nearly Paid Balloon Boy $10K

Backed off when judge ruled family couldn't profit from hoax

(NEWSER) - ABC News was just about to pay the family of "balloon boy" Jason Heene $10,000 for a video of their stunt and an interview before a judge ruled last month that the family couldn't profit from their hoax. "ABC pulled the story because it didn't want the scrutiny," a source told the New York Post . NBC has recently come under heat for "pay-for-play" perks to news sources. More»

Heene's Motivation: 2012 Apocalypse

More bizarre background on 'Balloon Boy' dad Richard Heene comes out

(NEWSER) - Richard Heene’s totally sensible motivation for his balloon hoax: He “believes the world is going to end in 2012," explained a lawyer for one of Heene’s researchers, who police recently interviewed. "Because of that he wanted to make money quickly, become rich enough to build a bunker or something underground, where he can be safe from the sun exploding,” the Telegraph reports. More on Heene: More»

FAA Starts Own Balloon Boy Probe

Flight delays at Denver airport during caper could result in fines

(NEWSER) - The Federal Aviation Administration is the latest agency to start its own investigation of last week’s Colorado balloon circus, with authorities looking into delays at Denver International Airport during the craft’s flight. And while local law enforcement wants criminal charges against the Heene family, any FAA violations would most likely draw fines or civil penalties, a rep tells the Coloradoan. More»

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Cut Balloon Boy Dad Some Slack

He's the 'inevitable product' of our era

reality TV • cable news • Falcon Heene • Richard Heene • balloon boy hoax • Falcon Heene hoax • balloon boy

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More Newser Stories

Sheriff: TV Paid for Balloon Stunt

Unnamed outlet blurs entertainment-news lines, says Alderden

Balloon-Boy Stunt Not So Strange for Wacky Dad

Unsurprisingly, Richard Heene is a shameless self-promoter

ABC Nearly Paid Balloon Boy $10K

Backed off when judge ruled family couldn't profit from hoax

Heene's Motivation: 2012 Apocalypse

More bizarre background on 'Balloon Boy' dad Richard Heene comes out

FAA Starts Own Balloon Boy Probe

Flight delays at Denver airport during caper could result in fines

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