I named my diary as such because it's going to be a topic I had not ever wanted or planned to write about: the whole balloon boy catastrofuck.
So, to the surprise of probably few people, the authorities investigating the incident acknowledged their belief that the whole incident was a hoax and a publicity stunt.
It's gotten lots of discussion and a lot of meta-discussion about why this has been so heavily publicized and discussed. The most glaringly disturbing aspect of this whole story hasn't been covered much as far as I can tell. And I think it's what makes this story so significant to so many people.
Now that we can reasonably entertain that this was a staged event, there's been a lot of anger directed at the family, particularly the parents.
It seems that the primary charge being leveled against them is that by calling emergency services and launching an expensive, intensive, rapid-response search to try and find this balloon.
That's pretty straightforward and easy to grasp. It's a measurable cost, and it slightly decreases the ability for everyone else to get emergency services when minutes count. This is what the legal system can address.
I'd like to get technical for a moment. I found an excellent generalized description of what a hoax is:
The essential characteristic of a hoax is that it convey information that is, although false, at least somewhat credible. The subjective intent of hoax perpetrators varies, with the intent determining the content the perpetrator chooses and/or the content affecting the perpetrator's intent regarding whom to deceive: A person seeking to deceive the public as a whole may propagate a hoax consisting entirely of objectively credible claims, often bolstering it by including claims that are true or have a basis in fact.
This hoax was provided with a significant amount of credibility by the fact that his parents called emergency services and told them their son was aboard a balloon and could be in trouble soon. Emergencies being what they are, it's almost always a given that those declaring emergencies be given the benefit of the doubt. Better to deploy some resources unnecessarily is far worse than not deploying where services are actually needed.
Now, let's try to properly describe the actual premise of the hoax.
- A six-year-old boy is aboard a balloon he shouldn't be.
- A six year-old boy is aboard a weather balloon he should't be.
- The parents of a six year-old boy have called emergency services in a attempt to rescue him.
- Parents try to get their six year old son rescued from a weather balloon which could climb thousands of feet.
- Parents watch and wait for a miraculous rescue of their son who snuck onto a weather balloon.
- Helpless parents pray for the rescue of their son who is aboard a weather balloon.
- Distraught parents pray for their child, who is most likely terrified, alone, and in great peril; his helpless parents cam just wait, pray, and hope.
I know I can't speak for everyone, but I believe that I finally can pinpoint why so many people were drawn to this tragedy. I'm not a parent, but I would venture to say that there's probably no greater nightmare for a parent than knowing they may be in peril and there's nothing they can do about it.
And what a jarring reminder this must have been to those parents who have ever been faced with such a tragedy.
So consider this.
This family used as the premise for their hoax, the idea that their son's life was on the line as he waited, terrified and alone.
Their hook was that their son faced imminent death.
Of course the boy was actually safe, but they correctly anticipated his perceived danger would attract attention and PR.
They were willing to use the notion of their own son's death as a vehicle for publicity to launch a reality show. Could there be anything more heartless or grossly offensive to parents who actually have lost children?
When I realized this, I was really angry. But I was a whole lot sadder than angry.