While Richard and Mayumi Heene await charges — which could include up to six years in prison and a $500,000 fine — Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden says he's considering ""the possibility that . . . some of the media outlets may have had some knowledge about this." He adds, "Let's call it [my statement], short of speculation, that a media outlet was in on the hoax, but let's not discount the possibility." He wouldn't be specific about the outlet, saying only that it was a show that blurs "the line between entertainment and news." The AP asked Gawker (notably not a "show") if it had been involved in the hoax, presumably because of Gawker's exclusive interview with Heene employee Robert Thomas. Gawker editor-in-chief Gabriel Snyder said, "No, that wasn't us."

It's still not clear — and may never be — what "entertainment/news" organization was involved in the Heene's plan, or whether they got involved before or after the hoax was in motion. But Alderden's comments suggest that Falcon Heene may have been at the center, not only of his parents' craving for reality-show fame, but of the media's desire for new weirdos to put on TV. Sadly, both could still be satisfied.

The Heenes are unlikely to go to jail, according to the LA Times, because this is their first offense and because Colorado prisons are suffering from budget cuts. And, according to TV experts (whose very existence seems like sort of a sign of the end-times), their willingness to waste tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars and force small children to lie on Larry King will be no obstacle to their continued fame. Tim Brooks, co-author of "The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows," says,

In terms of what TV will exploit, there are few barriers - and I don't think this crossed any of them. I wouldn't be at all surprised if we see them again.

And Robert Thompson of the Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse reminds us (like we need to be reminded) that reality TV is about "entertainment value," not moral fiber. He says, "'Real Housewives of New Jersey' is incredibly trashy. But it's a trash masterpiece." He does point out, however, that Richard Heene's weird, halting demeanor could stand in the way of his stardom. Thompson says,

On camera [Heene] was so inarticulate you had to wonder if he could put on much of a show. He'd get a question and there were these long pauses. Would we watch 13 episodes of that?

And would we watch 13 episodes of Falcon Heene vomiting? The kid was clearly put through the wringer by being made into his parents' ticket to fame and fortune, and (one would hope) some viewers might turn away out of compassion for a kid who wasn't really old enough to decide whether he wanted to be "balloon boy" forever. It's also debatable whether parents who would put a kid in that position deserve to continue raising him, and earlier domestic violence calls from the Heene household further complicate matters. Child Protective Services is investigating, but the family's lawyer says,

These are, by all appearance, well-loved, well-taken care of, well-adjusted ... little boys. I think unless they have good solid evidence of some sort of child abuse, these children need to stay with parents who love them.

No doubt the Heenes do love their kids, and it's good news that Robert Thomas says the boys weren't afraid of their father. All the same, it's pretty troubling that Heene so readily fed his kids to the reality TV beast, and that this beast was — and may remain — more than willing to gobble them up.

News Money Eyed In Balloon 'Hoax' [NY Post]
In A Jon And Kate World, Richard Heene, 'Balloon Boy,' And Family Have Future On Reality TV [NY Daily News]
Sheriff: Balloon Boy Hoax May Have Conspirators [AP]
'Balloon Boy's' Parents Could Be Charged With Felonies [LA Times]
Lawyer: Balloon Boy Parents To Surrender To Authorities [People]
Lawyer: Balloon Boy's Family Preparing For Arrest In Alleged Hoax Saga [ABC]
Exclusive: I Helped Richard Heene Plan A Balloon Hoax [Gawker]

Falcon's explanation of why he hid in a garage for so long while the entire nation prayed for his safety — "we did this for a show" — has lots of people speculating that the whole balloon incident was a hoax. Richard Heene's refusal to let his son explain — instead he fulminated about how "appalled" he was that Wolf Blitzer would even ask — seemed both suspicious and graceless. And TMZ now says that the local sheriff's department is "investigating the situation." But even if Richard Heene's fears that his son had flown off in a balloon were completely genuine, what's clear from his (many) TV appearances is that while he loves publicity, he's really, really bad at it.

As most people with Internet access know now, the Heene family was previously on Wife Swap, where Richard made a "bitchmeter" for swapped-wife Sheree Silver and said, "You're a man's nightmare. I'm so glad my wife was born in Japan." His family also has a YouTube page chock-full of weird videos, including one in which he rants about makeup while doing dishes. But all this on-camera experience didn't prevent Heene from looking halting and strange on Larry King.

Nor did it make his three energetic sons actually want to be on TV. Last night, the two older ones were sort of able to sit still, but Falcon basically acted like a human slinky, leading Tracie to point out how unlikely it was that he would willingly stay put in a garage for four whole hours. He also may have blown his family's whole scheme, but what's most obvious from his squirming and on-air vomiting is that this is a child who belongs outside playing, not in front of a camera lens.

Unfortunately, that's not his dad's plan. On Larry King, Richard said he had his kids make YouTube music videos — including the semi-creepy one above where the kids complain that pajamas are "pussified," and one dresses up like Mr. Hanky — because he wanted to get them into music, and hoped that seeing positive comments on YouTube would inspire them. But what parent in his right mind hopes to inspire his kids through YouTube comments? Maybe one who desperately wants attention for himself and his family, but who's so lacking in media savvy that (again, as Tracie points out) he thinks he can get little kids to lie convincingly on national TV?

A lot has been said about parents like the Gosselins who work the media system to parlay their cute broods into TV careers. But what Richard Heene shows is that even parents who work the system badly can now get more than 15 minutes of fame. His unvarnished weirdness makes him kind of riveting to watch, just as his kids' unruliness makes them kind of refreshing. But it also shows that a medium that was once the province of child actors — professional kids mature before their time — is now open to kids who are totally unprepared and not mature at all. Both systems have their problems, and it's hard to say which is really worse. The new one, though, appears to cast a wider net. It doesn't take talent to get on TV anymore — it doesn't even take media knowhow. All you need is a dad who's willing to let America watch you vomit.

Sheriff's Dept. Investigating Balloon Family [TMZ]
Interview Sets Off Skeptics Of Balloon Drama [NYT]
Balloon Dad's Blatant Misogyny [Broadsheet]
Balloon Drama Unfolds On TV, Web [LA Times]

The hoax appears to be based on an urban myth circulated by e-mail since 2005. Police departments around the country have been getting calls about the texts, which are tailored to each local area and claim gangs are killing women at Walmart as part of their initiation rites. The texts are making the rounds in at least 16 states, including Maryland, Delaware, Florida, North Carolina, Colorado, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Hawaii. It's a particularly inopportune time for Walmart, since many stores are holding Twilight parties at midnight on Saturday, but it's not clear if this is a coincidence or a coordinated effort to sabotage the event. [Advertising Age]

McCormic, 22, apparently invented the story in an attempt to lure an ex-boyfriend back into her life. She claimed that her ex, John Buchness, was the father of the child, and when Buchness showed up to meet his son, McCormic told him that "Riley" was missing. According to CNN, she described the child "as having a mohawk, a single tooth and a fake tattoo," and "that she had left him with a nanny who had a French accent and a gap between her teeth." She has been charged with filing a false police report and was being held on $500 bail.

McCormic claims she suffered a miscarriage in March, but admits that there never was a baby to search for. Sadly, McCormic's hoax was, as Miami Police Office Kenia Alfonso calls it, "an unfortunate waste of resources"; for every "hoax" that makes big news, there are hundreds of missing person cases that slip under the radar. One hopes Ms. McCormic will get the resources she needs to better understand her actions and the consequences they have had on her family, her ex-boyfriend, and her community, as well.

Police: Woman Faked Missing Baby Story To Win Back Ex [CNN]
Miami Police Say Missing Baby Story Was A Hoax [Boston Globe]