What drives people to commit hoaxes like the balloon boy case?
The balloon
I’m sorry. I know you all want to talk about politics and health care and war in Iraq. But c’mon. The biggest talker out there right now is last week’s balloon boy case, which seems to take a new twist every day.
Now, we know that a possible conspirator in what authorities now call a massive hoax has written a tell-all about it for Gawker.com. Colorado authorities say last week’s spectacle was designed to attract media attention and perhaps set the table for another realities series for the Heene family, which already appeared on the reality show Wife Swap.
And the Heene’s lawyer has told the Today Show, ”These folks are absolutely willing to turn themselves in, so I don’t want to see a perp walk done for media consumption.” That is, “turn themselves in” to face any charges that are expected to be filed in the hoax, which shut down Denver International Airport briefly and scrambled two National Guard for the “rescue” attempt.
It also turns out that the balloon in question wouldn’t have lifted young Falcon Heene’s 37-pound body.
I just don’t know where to start.
So many issues. Young children seemingly manipulated by their parents. People hungry for the attention of reality TV — programming that draws huge audiences. Viewers’ willingness to tune in to such a story as it happens.
And does it bother anyone that the sheriff in Larimer County admitted misleading the public about the hoax in order to “make them believe we were still on their side”?
Were we too gullible? When did you think it was a hoax? What could possibly drive someone to go to these lengths?
In other news, don’t miss the Huffington Post’s balloon boy Photoshop contest.
Kurt is the director of social media for the Post-Dispatch, where he has worked since August 2002. He's been a journalist since 1982, covering municipal government, courts, education and two hurricanes as a reporter before becoming an editor. 
Classic example of an absence of intellect all around (Heenes, media, onlookers, etc.). What do you want to bet that the alien aficianado Heene parents voted for Obama?
People’s unending need to avoid real work, the public’s “need” for constant stimulation, and a news media with nothing to do.
Everyone’s 15 minutes of fame was over years ago.
#1 Reason (wait for it)
THE MEDIA ENCOURAGES IT!
Okay, now that I’ve overstated the obvious, remove this post and say that it was off topic and extremely hurtful, to the proud, dedicated, propagandists in the media.
Well I wasn’t too gullible. As soon as I saw a video of the balloon I knew the boy wasn’t in it. I knew there was no way that thing could life a child his size. So I guess I pretty much thought it was a hoax from the very beginning of the TV coverage.
What drives people to do these things? Lack of self esteem in my opinion.
Another interesting angle on this case, that I added later to the body of the post: Does it bother anyone that the sheriff of Larimer County sheriff admits lying to the public about the hoax in order, he said, to make the family “believe we were still on their side”?
The sheriff has lost credibility in my books. As far as I’m concerned, he fell for it, then later changed his story so he wouldn’t look so bad.
Perfect example of someone’s insecurity in life. They are probably very unhappy with themselves and the situation in which they live. They are looking to change their lives, cause attention to themselves, strike it rich without really working and a host of other things.
It’s ashamed they have to drag their minor children into their acts of stupidity. They have what appears to be a very unstable outlook on life as it should never be with children.
As far as the sheriff in Larimer County, he would not have made a good brain surgeon. Makes you wonder about the intelligence level of the people you would need to call if you ever had the need to call your local law enforcement in time of need.
Some people just aren’t all there upstairs. These people got a taste of ‘celebrity’ on “Wife Swap” and clearly wanted more of it. There is a scientific name for people that do stuff like this. “Attention whore.” Most people like attention of some sort. Some people crave it, and will go to extreme measures to get it.
Just the fact that these people were on Wife Swap tells you they are nuts. If you haven’t seen the show “Wife Swap”, watch an episode. Reruns are on every day on one of the cable channels. The families they select are always crazy, to one extreme or the other. I watched an epsiode yesterday. The mother in one of the families smells her kids’ armpits before they’re allowed to leave the house to make sure they are clean. The other family in the episode thought their house was clean, even though there was cat feces on the floor.
I don’t think it bothers me at all that the Sheriff lied to trip up these whackos. Police use dis-information tactics all the time when trying to solve crimes. Obviously their tactic worked, and they were able to clear this up pretty quickly.
And saying that the Sheriff ‘fell for it’ and then changed his mind. Well that’s what police SHOULD do. American citizens are supposed to be innocent until PROVEN guilty. The Sheriff took them at face value and investigated it further. I prefer that law enforcement do that, instead of assuming someone is guilty and dragging them through the mud without evidence.
The same reason the boy cried wolf in the fable?
Why did we all stop and watch? I think the possibility of a child being in it was the biggest reason. It’s the same reason we all watched the girl in the well rescue all those years ago.
As for the sheriff. Had he not mounted a rescue effort he would have been pilloried for that even if he got up and showed the world it was mathmatically impossible for the balloon to lift him. And his technique for “going along” to catch your suspect in a lie is not limited in law enforcement. Parents and schoolteachers have been doing that one for centuries.