CO - Richard & Mayumi Heene charged in Balloon Boy hoax, Fort Collins, 2009 - #1

[Muffet]

-snipped-
I just love the look the boys are giving their parents as the tale unfolds here.

I keep wondering how this father could hope to be sure that at least one of those boys wouldn't tell everyone what dad did, at least years later on down the road.

 

[Muffet]

Wow! Good catch. When was it they had no idea? When they were planning this hoax?

Yep. I need to re-listen to it & type it all out, because he also adds something about how many people were watching... The whole answer looked like a slip-up to me.

 

[southcitymom]

Because the live coverage of the balloon floating through the sky was that a boy was inside the thing. That is what I watched wondering how the boy could be helped. The news stated the brother said 6yo Falcon was in the balloon. Then when the balloon landed and no boy, they said part of the basket was missing and they were looking for that. I never heard of this freak family before - all I was interested in was the safety of the boy, but if this was a hoax and the parents knew all along the boy was okay they are azzholes and should have to pay for the expense of yesterday. After I saw the boy was okay I didn't watch anymore last night but I do listen to NBC's Today every morning so heard the interview. I don't buy into reality entertainment - I thought it was a news story of a boy in danger.

I understand this. I knew that we thought a boy was inside. But I would not have watched it for one second (and I didn't watch it for one second) if it made me sick in my heart. I and most everyone else who was following the story could not do anything realer than pray for the child's safety. Watching creates this type of runaway reality story. Watching is a choice. I still stand by my beliefs that we help create this stuff. (Again - none of this is aimed at your personally, miimaa - I have followed the story too!)

 

[southcitymom]

You see...I have a different take on that. I see it as the last vestige of goodness in humanity. People saw the news clips and thought that a small defenseless child was in mortal danger...they watched hoping for the best outcome...some prayed...all hoped. That is not something I am ashamed of...I love my family, friends and community well. I devote my time and efforts to pour out my life for them. If I am able to muster empathy and mercy for another's plight, where is the wrong in that.

If this family has perptrated a fraud, shame on them. There is no shame for people who still have a tender heart for a child in danger.

There is no shame at all in what you describe - but if you are glued to something that is making you sick in your heart, it''s more healthy for everyone concerned to turn it off. (MOO) You can give and feel empathy for a family in trauma without freaking yourself out OR becoming part of the circus!

 

[Muffet]

OK, I typed it out... Starting at around 12:50

Meredith: You've been through a very difficult time obviously, Richard, and your familiy, and so many people were looking for your son, I want to give you the opportunity to say whatever you'd like to to those rescuers who were searching for Falcon.

Richard: Yes, I'd like to really, really, honestly thank everybody that was involved, uh, I just... can't imagine... that many people, helping us out... Umm, we had no idea it was gonna grow into something like that..

Um, I mean, you just now told us, um, people were watching us, and um, I can't fathom that, but... thank you very much for the sheriff's department, for the um nat'l guard, and anyone else involved in the search... it really means a lot to us... thank you for all the positive support.. and all the prayers out there...

​

 

[ATWC66]

I keep wondering how this father could hope to be sure that at least one of those boys wouldn't tell everyone what dad did, at least years later on down the road.

oh I know! He cannot control everything for long.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

This is silly, I know, but it really bothers me watching the video of when Falcon threw up during one of the national shows and the parents just sit there. Their 6 y/o goes and throws up and they just sit there? Geez, even when my 13 y/o is throwing up, I'm sitting there with him!!!

They are playing the initial 911 call on HLN right now. I'm sorry to laugh, but the mom is stating her son just took off in a UFO. We know what she meant now, but the 911 operator had to be trying to hold in her laugh.

 

[nnglas]

I actually don't think they mind people knowing it is a hoax. It is so obvious. Even if you give him the benefit of the doubt for the first few minutes, reason would have kicked in for him that this thing couldn't possibly carry his kid off like this and the following of the flying saucer should have stopped. I mean he built the darn thing, he knew that it wouldn't do that. The whole thing is just goofy. I say enough of their 15 mins.

 

[STEADFAST]

There is no shame at all in what you describe - but if you are glued to something that is making you sick in your heart, it''s more healthy for everyone concerned to turn it off. (MOO) You can give and feel empathy for a family in trauma without freaking yourself out OR becoming part of the circus!

Another way to look at it, instead of "circus," is the nation coming together in shared anxiety for a young boy. Sometimes the more unpleasant emotions are the ones that make us human and bring us together, and I'm not sure it's healthy or even possible to deny or ignore them. No one's going to think that turning off the TV will make the situation or the emotions surrounding it go away. The fact that hoaxers and attention seekers can take advantage of people's emotions is on them, not on those who stand vigil in a seemingly tragic or frightening situation.

 

[gibby207]

Bet you never thought you'd see a Wolf talk to a Falcon, did ya?

 

[LoveMyDogs]

Wow...that video of their wife swap episode! I don't even know what to say.

I will say I hope they have to pay for all resources that were used in the search yesterday.:furious:

 

[kant]

Does the middle kid say right before the question Don't say anything?

Omg good catch; I didn't hear that.

Hey I missed part of the coverage; How did this incident come to an end? Did the kid wander out of hiding? Did someone find him? Did the balloonn come down by itself? Tia.

Also, if this was a hoax - and I believe it was - with this thing in the air, someone said it caused flight delays b/c of the airspace issue.

I hope they nail these people.

MOO
.

 

[Muffet]

I continue to be happy that this boy is okay. My only information on this story has come from WS and I have not watched any of the videos or any television about the incident. I watched Wife Swap a couple of times last year and enjoyed it and thought it was very interesting.

I do want to say this. If these people are "fame *advertiser censored*," we made them that way, so we deserve what we get. All of us (the participants and the creators and the watchers) have happily created a society where other people's lives are our entertainment.

It always amuses me a little when the watchers get mad at those being watched. It's not difficult to turn off a television or a computer (though I'll agree it's MUCH more fun to sling around self-righteous indignation)!

There is no shame at all in what you describe - but if you are glued to something that is making you sick in your heart, it''s more healthy for everyone concerned to turn it off. (MOO) You can give and feel empathy for a family in trauma without freaking yourself out OR becoming part of the circus!

I'm sorry, southcitymom, but I do not think it's becoming part of the circus, nor encouraging of fame *advertiser censored*, to simply watch breaking news - especially when it could easily have been a real tragedy and no circus at all.

Even doing followups like this has value, IMO. Think Octomom. It was also people like us who aroused authorities to investigate. Exposing celebrity wanna-be's as hoaxers so that their plan backfires as an example to other wanna-be's is a good thing. IMO

:twocents:

 

[kant]

Falcon upchucked on the Today show this morning also. I wonder have the parents given him something to make this occur????? This family's media exposure is leaving a fuzzy picture. IMO

I'm just catching up, but I think that they may have told the kid, "Hey, when you get asked xyz, just pretend you have to barf." I wonder if anyone saw him throwup. And the parents just continue the interview and no one goes to check on the kid until prompted? That tells me Mom and Dad weren't worried b/c he wasn't really sick; He just needed to make an exit.

This is disgusting.

MOO.

.

 

[ATWC66]

Wow...that video of their wife swap episode! I don't even know what to say.

I will say I hope they have to pay for all resources that were used in the search yesterday.:furious:

Has anyone found the very first time they were on Wife Swap, yet?

 

[easttexas]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,567640,00.html

"Prior to moving to Colorado, Heene and his wife were aspiring actors in Los Angeles who met at an acting school, a source told Foxnews.com."

This is getting reallly smelly........MOO

 

[ATWC66]

I'm just catching up, but I think that they may have told the kid, "Hey, when you get asked xyz, just pretend you have to barf." I wonder if anyone saw him throwup. And the parents just continue the interview and no one goes to check on the kid until prompted? That tells me Mom and Dad weren't worried b/c he wasn't really sick; He just needed to make an exit.

This is disgusting.

MOO.

.

I was surprised that NBC showed the child getting sick!

 

[ATWC66]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,567640,00.html

"Prior to moving to Colorado, Heene and his wife were aspiring actors in Los Angeles who met at an acting school, a source told Foxnews.com."

This is getting reallly smelly........MOO

Ummm, was that a FREE class?

 

[Recovering-Lurker]

I'm just catching up, but I think that they may have told the kid, "Hey, when you get asked xyz, just pretend you have to barf." I wonder if anyone saw him throwup. And the parents just continue the interview and no one goes to check on the kid until prompted? That tells me Mom and Dad weren't worried b/c he wasn't really sick; He just needed to make an exit.

This is disgusting.

MOO.

.

You can actually see him throw up during the Today Show interview. Poor kid.

 

[January.]

What I'd like to know is what happened to the story of the parents inside preparing lunch and seeing the balloon float past the window?