Does this fall under technology? I don’t really care. Let me rant for a minute about CNN’s complete stupidity that led to a badly missed opportunity to very publicly pull back the curtain behind a reality TV ad balloon boy.
If you have a Twitter, Digg, Reddit, or iReport chances are you’ve seen the video below. Particularly at the forty-second mark with Falcon’s quote “We did it for the show.”
Watch the reactions here. The father lets out a deep sigh. Wolf Blitzer (bless his heart) starts stuttering as if he can’t believe what he just heard. The parents jump in to answer for the kid after he is asked to repeat what he just said. And Wolf just carried on. In fact, all of CNN carried on as if the statement hadn’t occurred.
Getting past the obvious question of “Why are we still talking about this?” allow us as a collective community that hopefully isn’t full of the idiots who ignored this quote to ask why this still being treated as if it was a real thing? Why isn’t this quote being headlined anywhere? As far as I’m concerned, it’s a damn confirmation and all news sites – CNN, MSNBC, Fox News – are treading on it lightly.
In the meantime, everyone continues to criticize community news sources like Twitter due to their lack of authenticity. Allow me post a few things I found this morning from Twitter’s trending topics.
okcjohnson @thetallshot Good news! Turns out that Balloon Boy was just a hoax. Sounds like something straight out of Oklahoma.
1asstorisk Does anyone actually believe that this balloon boy thing was for real?? Sorry ass family to use your son like that for attention…
bitchinlifestyl RT @thenewsrookie: Omgz. Ballon boy let a secret slip on CNN. They did it for a show. It’s all a hoax
topgossip1 Ballon Boy Hoax and Falcon Heene Outs Publicity Stunt!
hotnews26 Ballon Boy Hoax: Exposed http://bit.ly/1GF9hM
It sounds to me like it’s one of the few places with a community that isn’t BSing its way through this story. Speaking of those few places, Salon is another one. Read what they’ve got to say.
Everybody go see Where the Wild Things Are this weekend to see how a little boy really acts when he’s not being used as a puppet for crappy reality television.
