Balloon Boy Family Under Scrutiny

(Thumbnail image: The New York Daily News)

“He’s asking Falcon did you hear us calling your name at any time? Hmm. You did? You did? Well why didn’t you come out? You guys said that we did this for a show.” (Larry King - CNN)

People around the world held their breath Thursday as a 6-year-old Colorado boy was supposedly flying wildly in a hot air balloon thousands of feet in the air.

Turns out, balloon boy is really attic boy – hiding in the rafters the entire time. The family is used to the spotlight – they're weather chasers and starred on reality show Wife Swap. Now media outlets are asking the question - were we all just duped? Especially after Falcon Heene’s comment on CNN - “we did this for a show”. We get perspectives from FOX News, NBC, CBS, Denver’s NBC and ABC affiliates and Entertainment Weekly.

FOX News Providence debated the Larry King moment Friday morning and is voting guilty on one count of a hoax.

“It was for the show. Hello! It sounds like, it sounds like, I mean when I saw the reaction of the parents as she was talking why, why did you not come out of the attack. She’s like nodding her head to almost encourage him. And as soon as he says it’s for the show, the dad says. He gets all tight. Right. Man. And the wife is like no. Yeah. No I would think what do you mean you did it for the show?” (FOXProvidence.com)

But CBS’ Russ Mitchell spoke with psychologist Dr. Jeffrey Gardere who gives the family the benefit of the doubt.

“This is a kid who was probably very afraid and the more his parents were yelling, screaming for him to come out maybe became even more afraid because he thought he was really getting them upset."
"Is this a case of bad behavior by a kid or kids do the darndest things?"
"Well kids do the darndest things." (CBS News)

Hoda and Kathie Lee on NBC’s Today Show let balloon boy’s dad – Richard Henee (he-knee) - explain the comment “for the show” in his own words.

“Falcon’s climbing up onto the joist in the attic space onto the rafters there and I look to the right and there’s like 30 press people there. And um anyway someone had asked him if he would show them how he got in the attic  and so he was obliging them and one of the guys told him it was for some TV show and that’s what he was referring to when he made that statement.” “So he was saying, well that maybe true but it has put a lot of doubt, in a lot of people’s minds.” (NBC News)

 
Denver’s NBC affiliate also talked to Richard Heene. Their video raises the perspective of what it’s like for the family to think they’ve lost their son and now face media criticism over whether it was a hoax.

“Everything that I went through, everything my wife has gone through, I just find that just disgusting, its absolutely appalling to me, after all the crap that we went through, that they would say that. Getting back on track, Falcon was the key thing.” (KUSA)
 
For many in the media what’s fuelling the hoax debate is how much the episode may have cost taxpayers? While there’s no specific estimate – police and fire personnel were pulled from three counties and included numerous helicopters. Thursday the Sheriff’s Department in charge of the rescue told Denver's ABC affiliate the cost is irrelevant.

“We don't want somebody in a situation, in an emergency, thinking about payment before safety. So, we'll get our resources out and we'd rather be there and not be needed than be in a situation...” (Channel 7 Denver)

But Friday, after Falcon had his “Larry King moment” the Sheriff’s department is investigating the possibility they were duped, meaning…

“If it turns out to be a hoax, there's some criminality here, we would seek restitution.” (Channel 7 Denver)

FOX News and Entertainment Weekly were both polling the public’s opinion on their websites.

FOX asked “Should the Heene Family Have to Pay for the Search and Rescue Effort?”
As of Friday morning - 52% of people said “Yes. I think the family acted irresponsibly and taxpayers should not have to pay for their actions.”42% said maybe and the incident should be investigated. Just 6% said no. (FOX News)

As for Entertainment Weekly’s Popwatch poll – 88% of people voted ‘hoax’. (Entertainment Weekly)

What would you vote – hoax or real family nightmare?   Leave us your comments -- and don't forget to check out our transcript.