Balloon boy's parents charged with felony

This saga about "balloon boy" is getting interesting as it unfolds. Richard Heene, the father of 6-year old "balloon boy" Falcon, and his wife Mayumi now face felony charges for allegedly staging that "fake" incident which tells of his kid flying in a makeshift flying saucer like helium-powered balloon. America got spoofed after being spooked with the thought of a kid flying in a balloon without his parents with him. Major TV networks around the world trained their cameras skyward, as the balloon reportedly with Falcon inside, went on its maximum elevation and steadily shot downwards as the helium wears off. The balloon crashed in full view of the world. Rescuers frantically searched for Falcon only to be told that Falcon was just hiding at the family attic.

Pinoyobserver asked---antic or attic?

Larimer country sheriff Jim Alderden surely thinks its an antic, meant for the family to get that juicy reality TV show contract. That's why Alderden filed four felony counts against the Heene for filing a fake police report, conspiracy to influence the delinquency of minors under their care, and attempting to influence a public official, not to mention, trying to get America hooked in a helium-powered balloon ride.

And America seems to agree. Shortly after a day or two, America judged---it chose the "antic" side of the story and there's hell to pay. Both Richard and Mayumi were trained actors without a gig. And when Falcon told Larry King over at CNN that they did this for "a show", even Matt Lauer of the other network cried " stunt!"

People want balloon boy's parents punished for that stunt. They want their monies back, says America. Showing a kid flying in a helium-powered balloon is not funny, says America. It's downright blasphemy. It shows insensitivity, what with millions of mothers and fathers watching a spectacle, thinking that it's real when all it was was just a stunt, a hoax, ostensibly for the boy's parents to have a gig.

Talk about ways to land a gig, this one is simply not right.

And I do understand why. With the recession going, and writers over at Hollywood going on strike and actors are lowering their talent fees just to get some gigs going, third-rate or ever fourth rate actors have difficulties. A dramatic rescue attempt is nothing short of "dramatic".

What the Heenes does not know is, America does not want a roller coaster ride, or in this case, a helium-powered balloon trip. America is tired already of antics and PR gimmicks, what with all those success stories going around of US troops winning the terror war; or that Obama already succeeded in the fight against the recession or Nobel giving him a peace award.

Talk about bursting someone's bubble (or in this case, balloon), this one is for the books. Err, actually, this is for actors trying very hard to be their own publicists.

Lesson here is simple---leave the publicity for the publicists and acting for real actors.