hoax - Gawker

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Balloon Boy: 'We Did This for the Show'
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Bos'un's Mate
10/16/09

In reply to Balloon Boy: 'We Did This for the Show'
Appalled! Shocked! Comedy! #boyintheballoon
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AndIAmTellingYou
10/16/09

In reply to Balloon Boy: 'We Did This for the Show'
Out of the mouths of babes and fools... #boyintheballoon
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Tremonius
10/16/09

In reply to Balloon Boy: 'We Did This for the Show'
Once a long time ago a strange gent hooked a series of weather balloons to his lawnchair and rose higher and higher until the pilot of an in-coming flight reported him as a hazard to navigation. He carried with him an air rifle, and descended by popping balloons.

And all he got out of it was a lousy Timex ad. #boyintheballoon
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If_I_Had_a_Poodle
10/16/09

@Tremonius: did he also get a darwin award? #boyintheballoon
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Tremonius
10/16/09

@if_i_only_had_a_heart: I think maybe it was the William Jennings Bryan medal for devolution. Cat was sure strange. #boyintheballoon
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If_I_Had_a_Poodle
10/16/09

@Tremonius: was that a silver cross? #boyintheballoon
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Tremonius
10/17/09

@if_i_only_had_a_heart: Good one. Or was that gold?

"I'd rather be right than be - wrong."
[Corrected quote]
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Edited by Tremonius at 10/17/09 11:38 AM Tremonius was starred Tremonius was unstarred

If_I_Had_a_Poodle
10/17/09

@Tremonius: you were right xxoo #boyintheballoon
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Tremonius
10/17/09

@if_i_only_had_a_heart: My favorite Gold Standard quote of all time was from ol' Bertram Russell. See, the Brits during the Great War thought to suspend shipment of gold from their African plunder base because of the danger of U-boats. So it was understood that, in principle, every pound note would continue to be honored on (delayed) demand by its weight in gold, only the gold would remain in South Africa, see? I see, said Sir Bertram, and why not go one further and simply leave the gold in the ground? #boyintheballoon
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If_I_Had_a_Poodle
10/17/09

@Tremonius: and every battleship made is humanity hanging on a cross of iron [www.youtube.com] #boyintheballoon
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Tremonius
10/17/09

@if_i_only_had_a_heart: Love that one. Ol' Ike, the pacifist. Born in Denison, TX, thirty miles from my own cross of horse manure. But the cross is supposed to signify ressurection, innit? They stage 'em in front of churches as if they're positive or something ... #boyintheballoon
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If_I_Had_a_Poodle
10/17/09

@Tremonius: [www.youtube.com]

Well the preacher kept right on saying that all I had to do was send
Ten dollars to the church of the sacred bleeding heart of jesus
Located somewhere in los angeles, california
And next week theyd say my prayer on the radio
And all my dreams would come true
So I did, the next week, I got a prayer with a girl
Well, you know what kind of eyes she got

So if youre down on your luck
I know you all sympathize
Find a girl with far away eyes
And if youre downright disgusted
And life aint worth a dime
Get a girl with far away eyes #boyintheballoon
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Tremonius
10/19/09

@if_i_only_had_a_heart: Tremendous! I've never seen this before. The Stones doing country. In the okie bars where I grew up, part of the whining and tears in beers was all about how anybody can do Okie and Okies can't do nuthin' else. Depressing. #boyintheballoon
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If_I_Had_a_Poodle
10/19/09

@Tremonius: okies=sadness #boyintheballoon
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Tremonius
10/19/09

@if_i_only_had_a_heart: Yeah, a sad lot, and you ain't heard sad until you've heard my Daddy's favorite song, with a chorus that goes:

I've got tears
in my ears,
from lying on my back;
cryin' over you

Sad. #boyintheballoon
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If_I_Had_a_Poodle
10/19/09

@Tremonius: epic. if u play it backward u get out of jail and your dog comes back #boyintheballoon
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Tremonius
10/19/09

@if_i_only_had_a_heart: Great! Now whatta I get for this one?

Feature a Tammy Wynette mournful screech.

Ah cain't sleep with you -

chucka-chucka-chim-cham
chom-chom-choom

- on my mind. #boyintheballoon
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If_I_Had_a_Poodle
10/19/09

@Tremonius: oh man #boyintheballoon
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Tremonius
10/16/09

In reply to Balloon Boy: 'We Did This for the Show'
Love 'em. We were looking at a house up in the hills one fine summer, and hearing from the owner how her husband was just so weary of the drive to work and all, although they really love it up here with the mountains and the seasons, and on the way off the property the lovely little daughter was with a friend, and we asked, "Why're you moving?" and she said just one word which in this region is well understood.

"Floods." #boyintheballoon
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bess marvin, girl detective
10/16/09

In reply to Balloon Boy: 'We Did This for the Show'
Great thing about kids and that honesty thing. #boyintheballoon
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katastic
10/16/09

In reply to Balloon Boy: 'We Did This for the Show'
Oh, wow. This whole time I thought those dismissing it as a hoax were cynical, judgemental jerks.
MY BAD, INTERNET. #balloonboy
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Trai_Dep
10/16/09

In reply to Balloon Boy: 'We Did This for the Show'
Geezus, I hope the kid never falls down a well, because America's reservoir of sympathy (and belief) is now officially bone-dry. #balloonboy
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Seeräuber Jenny
10/16/09

In reply to Balloon Boy: 'We Did This for the Show'
The thought that this was a hoax flashed through my mind for a second but I dismissed it.

No wonder I'm so effing cynical. #balloonboy
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topsy
10/16/09

In reply to Balloon Boy: 'We Did This for the Show'
I can't believe its them!!! Oh my God! I was just reading the comments, I haven't really followed the story and I took a good look at the picture. I watched both episodes of Wife Swap; this guy is a fucking crazy asshole married to a Japanese woman (military wife?/mail order?/really bad taste in men??) who is in WAY over her head and decided to take a big gulp of the koolaid. Each time I prayed that the swapped wife would go upside his head with something hard. Damn, this dude got addicted to that reality-show crack and now he wants one all to himself. Throw his ass in jail and deprogram the rest of the family.
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Edited by topsy at 10/16/09 1:59 AM topsy was starred topsy was unstarred

RandomLunatic
10/16/09

In reply to Balloon Boy: 'We Did This for the Show'
The parents are failed Hollywood fameballs from back aways. They ran a production co. called - get this - Boxtime Entertainment. #balloonboy
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Judge Chamberlain Haller
10/16/09

In reply to Balloon Boy: 'We Did This for the Show'

The dad has Creepy Thin Man from Charlie's Angels hair. Not to be trusted.
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Baroness promoted this comment Edited by Judge Chamberlain Haller at 10/16/09 1:18 AM

Baroness
10/16/09

@The Youth: Crispin Glover is not a man to be trusted with children. Ever. #balloonboy
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ampersandparade
10/16/09

@Baroness: I was once hit on in a gay bar by a man who said I looked like Crispin Glover. And even though it was the first time I'd ever been compared to a celebrity, I thought, you know, I must be creepy as fuck. #balloonboy
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Baroness
10/16/09

@ampersandparade: Well, hairstyles like that can be fixed, dear. And I'm sure you're far more charming. It's not his looks, it's just the hideous things Nikki Finke has told me. Whoops, gotta go.. #balloonboy
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limber
10/16/09

In reply to Balloon Boy: 'We Did This for the Show'
When you think about it, there wouldn't have been a video screen setup at their house, and the kid clearly couldn't hear Wolf's voice. So it was just the family, a camera and maybe a producer or two.

Adults screw up the "is this thing on? Am I live?" concept all the time with remote satellite links. How on earth they thought a 6 year old could figure out that his dad asking him a question in what seemed like a private setting was actually live on CNN, I have no idea.

It looks like the awwww storyline's sticking in the MSM for the rest of the night. Tomorrow, the pitchforks. #balloonboy
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Tremonius
10/16/09

@limber: I don't know how a six year old is supposed to be keyed to modern communication when the Crawford Cretin wasn't. Spouting his ignorance during a G-20 or something about Hamas until Blair reached over and clicked off the live mic.

And then there's the hypochrister ex-legislator oaf out here who was bragging about bagging lobbyists over a live wire. #boyintheballoon
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Steverino Begins
10/16/09

In reply to Balloon Boy: 'We Did This for the Show'
Ha. That's pretty much the worst thing he could have said. These kids are obviously coachable (based on that instant classic music video), so you'd think the dad would have agreed on a story with him ahead of time. Or maybe they did, and Falcon just got pussified on the air. #balloonboy
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Seeräuber Jenny
10/16/09

@Steverino Begins:

"Pussified"? I think it's called being six.

I'm disgusted. Falcon: Don't forget the lesson of "The Boy Who Cried Balloon." #balloonboy
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Steverino Begins
10/16/09

@Seeräuber Jenny: Just a joke.
The kid will come out of this fine. Falcon Heene will probably be the best band of the 2020's. But the parents should be held accountable. #boyintheballoon
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Seeräuber Jenny
10/16/09

@Steverino Begins:

One of the commenters to an article in the NYT suggested that Falcon be removed from the home because it's not going to be much fun home with narcissistic Daddy who blames you for blowing his show. It won't happen, but it's an idea.

And what 's the deal with Mommy? Does she talk?

Kids say the say the darndest [honest] things. #boyintheballoon
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MattGaymon
10/16/09

In reply to Balloon Boy: 'We Did This for the Show'
Who is the author? #balloonboy
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Baroness
10/16/09

In reply to Balloon Boy: 'We Did This for the Show'
Christ- the entire MSM is still falling for this "happy ending" feelgood story. I'm listening to the BBC and they're eating it up. Hopefully tomorrow, the pitchforks and torches.

For now they're "rationing" this story. Give them the sugar story tonight, before peoples' faith and hope is destroyed. Like with Susan Boyle.
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Edited by Baroness at 10/16/09 12:38 AM Baroness was starred Baroness was unstarred

Colander
10/16/09

@Baroness: People say mainstream news is always late, but really, they just know how to properly arc a narrative. #balloonboy
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