It would appear that Heene spent the last few months reflecting on his past mistakes as well as thinking up ways to make the world better (it would also appear, judging from the Bear Scratch’s amazing commercial, that he spent that entire time chugging coffee). Heene must have been sitting back, trying to find a way to make the country not hate him, when he saw a bear scratching its back on a tree. Heene, like any great innovator, then thought, “Why not me?”

The commercial for the Bear Scratch has it all; a great jingle, a greater tagline (“If you itch like a son of a twitch”), and lengthy shots of Heene enjoying a good scratch. But it also has something interesting for eagle-eyed viewers. If you watch closely, you can find out why the Heene’s reality show never panned out. No, it’s the oft-given reason that they deceived the entire nation in an attempt to become famous and ended up costing taxpayers a ton of money. That’s too obvious. The real reason comes at the end of the ad when Heene, after getting his scratch on, yells to his off-screen wife that he “doesn’t need her anymore.”

If their entire relationship was based around back scratching, that wouldn’t have been too interesting a show.

(h/t MSNBC this morning)

Here are the clips from Countdown and The Rachel Maddow Show:

We contacted MSNBC about both segments, and they declined to comment.

Those morning show appearances have been weighing on me. While I’m disappointed in Olbermann and Maddow, two people who do 99% excellent work, they are not alone here. We all sat by and watched that 6 year-old become violently ill on The Today Show and Good Morning America. We know for a fact, now, that the child’s father was making him lie, and it’s likely what made Falcon sick that morning. The problem is, we all pretty much knew it at the time, too.

Falcon Heene did a courageous thing by telling the truth on national television, and his reward was to be ignored. Wolf Blitzer fumbled the follow-up, and the authorities dithered, still believing Richard Heene‘s lies. While our own Dan Abrams theorizes that the Sheriff’s ignorance may have been strategic, that would have been a strategy that didn’t benefit the child. Falcon Heene went to sleep that night knowing that he wasn’t believed.

Falcon’s confession could not have been clearer, yet for some reason, the media continued to treat the idea of a hoax as an open question, a 50/50 shot. The following morning, Richard Heene went on TV and fed his son a lie for him to agree to, after who knows what kind of coercion. Why did these interviewers not press Heene on the details of a story that clearly did not add up? Why didn’t they call him out? Most importantly, why did they continue these interviews while the child was in obvious physical distress? The fact that his parents didn’t have the decency to do this is little excuse when you consider their part in Falcon’s situation.

Next: Further media wrongdoing on GMA and Today

With Aldernen’s slow action in declaring this a criminal case, O’Reilly had some material to work with. And he channeled ‘the folks’ for his questions.

Aldernen is the guy who saw Falcon Heene say on live TV “we did this for a show,” and still believed the family that it the whole thing wasn’t a hoax. That is, until he said “this was a hoax” just a couple days later.

“Mrs. Heene is libel for criminal activity if she knew that was a lie, right?” asked O’Reilly.

“There will be criminal charges and we anticipate filing something, probably next week, with the district attorney’s office,” said Haldernen. “And we believe both Mrs. Heene and Mr. Heene are criminally responsible for this action.”

O’Reilly likes to speak for ‘the folks’ on The Factor, and he did so last night. “I was watching it here,” he said, as likely most of Fox News was. “The pain that people who didn’t even know the family were experiencing – ‘I hope the child is okay’ – that was a two hour ordeal!” said O’Reilly.

Haldernen feels your pain, people:

I think that’s why the public has been so upset about this, and wants some blood, basically, from the family, because they emotionally bought into this. They suffered along with the parents, except the parents weren’t suffering.

Haldernen also said the family will probably avoid jail, but could owe as much as $2 million. How about a few bucks for the suffering public?

Here’s the full interview:

—–
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The announcement came on the heels of “Balloon Boy” dad Richard Heene‘s bizarre press conference, in which he insisted there was “Absolutely no hoax,” then provided reporters a box in which to place their questions.  Apparently, Heene’s Guide to Press Conferences begins, “Step One: Cut a hole in a box…”

Here’s video of the Sheriff’s announcement regarding the investigation:

There has been no shortage of media criticism over the “Balloon Boy” story, but this is the stage at which the media need to go deeper, do a much better job than they have been, and stick with it until the end.  The horror of the initial reports gave way to relief when the boy was found, then a mix of shock and hilarity when the boy blurted out “We did this for a show,” and Wolf Blitzer didn’t seem to notice.

The story turned disturbing after that, though, with the TV networks lightly grilling the Heene family about the hoax “possibility” even as young Falcon Heene vomited his way through the interviews. Now, more disturbing details are emerging about Richard Heene.

When the next Kanye West comes along, the internets will forget about “Balloon Boy,” and Falcon Heene will still be a 6 year-old who lived through something very traumatic, who was the white-hot center of the universe for a moment, and who, right or wrong, painted a bullseye on his dad on national television.  What happens to him from here is a story worth telling.

Below: Larimer County Colorado Sheriff Jim Alderden‘s comments from this afternoon’s press conference, and his comments last night. Plus, information about Gawker’s exclusive, and all the news from Day 4. Updates here as more news breaks.

(Update 1pmET):
• Press Conference this afternoon (video below): Larimer County Colorado Sheriff Jim Alderden: “It has been determined that this was a hoax, that it was a publicity stunt … done with the hopes of better marketing themselves for a reality show in the future.”

Says Richard and Mayumi (Balloon Mom) met in acting school, ‘they put on a good show for us.’

Verbal cues on Wolf Blitzer were evidence for the police.

Authorities hoped to interview Mayumi and Richard separately with a polygraph on Friday, but because of distress caused by media polygraph would not have been valid.

Alderden says, One things you folks aren’t going to like … Colorado Rule 3.6 and 3.8: We are not allowed under these rules to talk about the results of scientific evidence that is presented. We’re not allowed to talk about whether or not polygraph was administered, or what the results were.

Class 4 felony, Class 3 misdemeanor, among other charges pending against Richard Heene.

Going to open evidence bay so press can take photos.

According to media sources, ACLU will represent Richard Heene and Mayumi against charges; couple didn’t have an attorney with them yesterday during their encounters with the police.

Authorities think Falcon was in the attic, but “for all we know he could have been down the street playing on a swing in the city park.”

Ernie Hudson, Larimer County Undersheriff in charge of investigation: We have to keep an open mind, can’t operate on assumptions, have treat the family fairly and make sure they continue to cooperate. “Now there’s absolutely no doubt in our mind that this was a hoax, a public relations set-up.”

“We don’t have the luxury of rushing to judgment or rushing to conclusions.”

Yesterday:
• Richard Heene, Balloon Dad, will be charged with at least a Class 3 misdemeanor, if not federal charges, according to an announcement by Larimer County Colorado Sheriff Jim Alderden last night. Later that night, authorities were seen searching the Heene Family home. Alderden also said there will be further announcements in another press conference this morning at 1pmET. Video below …

• Meanwhile, yesterday evening Gawker shelled out for a post called “Exclusive: I Helped Richard Heene Plan a Balloon Hoax,” written by one of Heene’s students, illuminating the man’s character and making a hoax of Balloon Boy magnitude seem pretty likely.

• Yesterday Heene held a press conference of his own, in which he said there was “absolutely no hoax.”

Related:
Day 4: Sheriff to File Criminal Charges in Balloon Boy Case
How Much Did Gawker Pay For Proof Balloon Boy Was A Hoax?
Day 3: “Absolutely No Hoax,” Says Balloon Boy Dad at Makeshift Press Conference
Day 2: Sad Balloon Boy Saga Continues: Pukes Twice on Live TV
11 Other Kinda Exciting Things Involving People and Balloons
Day 1: Wolf Blitzer Tries His Best To Blow CNN’s Balloon Boy Scoop
Busted? Balloon Boy Says “We Did This For A Show”
Internet Made Joke Of “Balloon Boy” While Safety Uncertain
“Balloon Boy” Found Alive; Newsers Prepare “What Was the Attic Like?” Questions
Wall-To-Wall Cable News: Six Year-Old Boy Floats Away In Hot-Air Balloon

Larimer County Colorado Sheriff Jim Alderden’s press conference last night this afternoon:

CNN’s coverage of Larimer County Colorado Sheriff Jim Alderden’s press conference last night:

Instead, he only told the assembled reporters “Absolutely no hoax” before asking them to put their questions in a box so he could answer them later. He added that he doesn’t have cable, so he really has no idea what the media is saying about him.

Heene is proving himself to be a singular mix of high-brow, low-brow media savvy. His family has come to epitomize sketchy media attention grabbing in the last few days … which is impressive for somebody whose idea of a press conference involves putting questions in a box.

Old School

Balloon Boy’s helium-lofted hoax saucer was a lightweight. Back in the old days, people really knew how to get high: by firing it up. The first ever recorded manned flight of any sort was by balloon: in 1783 the French Montgolfier brothers covered 5.5 miles in about 25 minutes. Sure, there were earlier manned flights, but they weren’t  recorded. And if yesterday taught us anything, it is that if the press wasn’t there, it didn’t really happen, even if it didn’t really happen.

Make It So

Cut to 1931. Swiss inventor Auguste Piccard emphasizes something that Balloon Boy’s non-flight made abundantly clear — you can’t control where a balloon goes, other than up or down. Embracing the up, he creates a pressurized gondola (the thing under the balloon with the people in it), and takes his bulbous monster to a record breaking height of 51,775 ft. After repeated attempts, his final record is about 20,000 feet higher. When he returns to the ground, his fellow citizens applaud briefly, then get back to getting ready to very, very neutral for the next decade or so.

Too Soon?

So if Balloon Boy had perished in any sort of lighter-than-air related mishap yesterday (or actually been at any risk), it would have been about 4.2 femtoseconds before some superwit typed the following: “OH THE HUMANITY!! – What – too soon?” So the 1937 literal crash-and-burn of the Hindenburg (for purists, a dirigible, not a balloon) in the New Jersey Pine Barrens is herein included for reference. This is, for the record, why Balloon Boy’s non-craft was helium, not hydrogen filled. I could go on about the the WWII strategic importance of the US’ control of helium production at this point, but I want you to move on to the next page.

Next Page: Lawn Chair Ballooning, and Richard Branson

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/online/11-other-things-involving-people-and-balloons/feed/ 0 http://www.mediaite.com/online/wolf-blitzer-tries-his-best-to-lose-cnns-balloon-boy-scoop/ http://www.mediaite.com/online/wolf-blitzer-tries-his-best-to-lose-cnns-balloon-boy-scoop/#comments Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:46:28 +0000 Philip Bump http://www.mediaite.com/?p=35731 Wolf Blitzer was handed, on a mylar platter, the scoop of the day - "Balloon Boy", Falcon Heene, responding to the question of why he hid in the attic so long with a tenuous, "You guys said that we did this for the show." His father reacted like the jig was up ("Man…"); his mother, holding out hope, pushed back. I immediately sent the tweet "Um, I think the Balloon Boy just said he didn't come out of hiding because, 'we did it for a show.' Wolf, want to check on that?" ]]> One of the most brutal take-downs of Sarah Palin during last year’s campaign came at the hands of CNN’s Jack Cafferty, who simply played a clip of one of her Couric interviews and angrily referred to it as “one of the most pathetic pieces of tape” he’d ever seen.

Sitting next to him was Wolf Blitzer, he of Gulf War fame, now transmogrified into tepid network nameplate. Blitzer, playing the network’s favorite game (“Let’s Appear Neutral!”) suggested that she had been “cramming a lot of information” – but he wasn’t able to finish before Cafferty jumped down his throat, insisting Blitzer “not make excuses” for Palin. It was an ugly moment, and likely an embarrassing one for Blitzer.

But last night might have been worse.

Wolf Blitzer was handed, on a mylar platter, the scoop of the day – Balloon Boy, Falcon Heene, responding to the question of why he hid in the attic so long with a tenuous, “You guys said that we did this for the show.” His father reacted like the jig was up (“Man…”); his mother, holding out hope, pushed back. That happened shortly before 9:18 p.m. Eastern, which is when I sent a tweet saying, “Um, I think the Balloon Boy just said he didn’t come out of hiding because, ‘we did it for a show.’ Wolf, want to check on that?”

Wolf didn’t want to check on that. Another half hour of interview proceeded, with no mention of Falcon’s statement. The parents and their squirming sons breezed through softballs about how they felt, the nature of the balloon, etc. All of those who felt something was odd about the whole situation, myself included, watched a key point fade away.

This was the story of the day! And it featured a family who had already been on a reality show. A father eager enough to be on CNN that he filed repeated “iReports”, looking at various weather phenomenon, which became a staple of the filler period between the landing of the aircraft and the location of the child. But no follow up from Wolf.

Until the last question of the segment. Coming back from commercial, Blitzer baited his hook:

BLITZER: Richard Heene, the father of little Falcon — Richard, earlier in the show I asked you to relay the question to Falcon. He was hiding in the garage for four hours. I asked you to ask him why didn’t he come out after he heard you and his mom and everybody else screaming for Falcon. And you said to him, “Falcon, why didn’t you come out?”
And Falcon said, hmmm, you guys said that we did this for the show. And you said, hmmmm. What did he mean, we did this for the show?

R. HEENE: I have no idea. I think he was talking about the media.
They’ve been asking a lot of questions. So somebody asked him that question earlier.

BLITZER: Do you want to ask him now. I don’t know if he can hear me? What did he mean by what he said we did this for the show? Do you want to ask Falcon?

R. HEENE: Falcon, they want to know — they want to know why you were in the attic for so long and why you — say it again?

BLITZER: Why he said — he said we did this for the show in explaining why he didn’t come out of the attic.

R. HEENE: Yes. Let me interrupt this real quick. I think I can see the direction you guys are hedging on this. Because earlier you had asked the police officers the question. The media out front, we weren’t even going to do this view. And I’m kind of appalled, after all of the feelings that I went through, up and down, that you guys are trying to suggest something else.

OK? I’m really appalled, because they said out in front that this would be the end, and I wouldn’t have to be bothered for the rest of the week with any shows or anything. So we said OK, fine, we’ll do this.
So I’m kind of appalled that you guy would say something like that. You know?

Notice that Falcon, who had no earpiece, wasn’t asked Blitzer’s question. Notice that the father tried to change what he was supposed to ask. Notice how inordinately defensive his response was. This is the get. This is the moment journalists dream about. Blitzer should have been salivating.

BLITZER: No, no. We’re not asking anything unusual. You were asked earlier about if this was a publicity stunt. You say it wasn’t.
The police say it wasn’t. The rescue operation say it wasn’t. The only thing I wanted to clarify why Falcon had said earlier we did this for the show. I just wanted to clarify. I didn’t understand what he was referring to.

The fish wriggles free. If it hadn’t been for Anderson Cooper picking up the ball during 360, CNN would have completely abandoned their own scoop.

Wolf, I’d check dark alleys as you’re headed to your car today. I have a feeling Jack Cafferty is lurking in the shadows with a cudgel.

Police initially reported that the homemade dome-shaped, 20 foot, 5 foot aircraft (covered with foil) was tethered with a rope while the family constructed it. Some time this morning, it was reported that the family’s six-year-old son entered the craft and released the rope. After the makeshift aircraft landed, it was discovered that no one was on board.

Soon imagery appeared that suggested that the six year-old may have fallen out of the balloon, causing some CNN anchors to openly ask for prayers. A local manhunt in the Fort Collins area initially revealed no news, until finally it was reported that the boy was hiding in a box the attic. Oops.

One can only wonder how much ad revenue the cable newers forfeited in going wall -to-wall — all because a 6-year-old was hiding in the attic?

Not only did cable news programmers make a risky decision in covering this story live, they may have inadvertently aired his death.

Police say that the homemade dome-shaped, 20 foot, 5 foot aircraft (covered with foil) was tethered with a rope while the family constructed it. Some time this morning, it was reported that the family’s six-year-old son entered the craft and released the rope.

After the makeshift aircraft landed, it was discovered that no one was on board. Sadly, the child has not yet been found, and there is growing concern that he may have fallen out of the balloon early in the flight.

Update – The boy was found! Alive and in a box in their attic.

As the father of a six year-old boy, I think not.

Police say that the homemade dome-shaped, 20 foot, 5 foot aircraft (covered with foil) was tethered with a rope while the family constructed it. Some time this morning, the family’s six-year-old son entered the craft and released the rope. Neighbors have spotted the craft nearby, and the Federal Aviation Administration is helping track the aircraft on its radar tower. Denver International Airport has been notified about the situation.