There’s little question that reality TV has become a national obsession. Just take a quick scan through the weekly TV Guide and today it seems reality TV outweighs drama, comedy and pretty much any other category.
Gone are the days of prime time featuring brilliant writers churning out history-making shows that had us scheduling our lives around each week’s episode. Now, it’s all about learning who’s the Biggest Loser for the week, what star is forced to hang up his dancing shoes because of an injury, whose lost their travel documents in a race around the world, what gross, disgusting food will the Survivors be subjected to this week, will Kate plus 8 (minus John) finally do the right thing and stop filming the show, and what crazy parent will force her Toddler to stick on a tiara and parade on stage as if they’re a grown adult. The evidence goes on and on that reality TV rules today’s airwaves.
Enter Balloon Boy and his crazy, self-centered, star-obsessed, f%@cked up parents and you know that obsessions can clearly drive people to do things not of this earth. And, now that the balloon has landed and the dust has cleared, we learn these storm-chasing, alien-finding people have displayed to the entire country why those brilliant writers of yesterday need to take back the TV airwaves.
It’s hard to fathom that two adult people with any type of functioning brains can think they could get away with building some spaceship-shaped helium balloon, let it float into the air, call the authorities and claim their son is aboard and watch the story unfold on national TV. And, it’s not enough thinking they could get away with it, but it’s also the fact they thought this kind of action would ultimately land them their own reality show.
It seemed unreal from the beginning, but got weirder and weirder as the story unfolded. Once we learned they’d already done two stints on Wife Swap, it wasn’t difficult to know this story wasn’t over. Then, when the dad holds a press conference to announce he’s leaving out a question box for those still seeking answers and he’ll be back later to respond, I think we all knew it was only a matter of time. Can anyone say “HOAX?”
Conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, attempt to Influence a public servant – all felonies. Now that’s no hoax, that’s the Heene’s new reality show - soon airing daily from a Colorado penitentiary.
