Balloon Boy's Parents Still Pursuing Deals? Will Marketers Buy In?

by Wayne Friedman, Nov 16, 2009, 12:47 PM

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The parents of "balloon boy" have pleaded guilty to a massive hoax costing Colorado-area state and federal officials some $70,000 -- and huge embarrassment for all.

There could be fines and jail time -- but it won't end there.

Now we know that Richard Heene, who led his family into a couple of appearances in "Wife Swap" and was the mastermind behind the hoax featuring his son and a balloon, is looking for an "employment opportunity" in New York or California.

Hmmm, I wonder what that could be -- cab driver, meteorologist? Perhaps he'll audition as a float rope-holder for Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.

It seems pretty clear Heene is looking to sell his story -- again -- to the entertainment industry, which is what got him in trouble in the first place.

I'm guessing that at some point if he's paid his fines, someone may want to give him a big payday --  maybe for the "inside" story of the stunt, or maybe the supposed real TV show idea he was rumored to be considering, the one about unusual science experiments and stunts.

With the 15 minutes of fame the world of entertainment provides, he'd better hurry up. Jon and Kate Gosselin might want to do the same, since they have used up about 13 minutes of their allotment.

Advertisers still look for that big out-of-nowhere TV show, some lightning in the bottle. Some got just that with those high-rate, season-ending "Jon & Kate Plus 8" episodes earlier this year. But remember, a 10-million-viewer-episode show can quickly grumble to just one million.

In this digital world, the entropy of entertainment is increasing -- up, down, sideways.  TV networks are desperately looking for hits; marketers will make bigger bets.

Balloons may burst -- or just fly away with no one along for the ride.

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0 comments on "Balloon Boy's Parents Still Pursuing Deals? Will Marketers Buy In?".

1. Paula Lynn from Who Else Unlimited
   

   commented on: November 16, 2009 at 2:43 p.m.

   You would trust him to do...what?

2. Aaron B. from AnimationInsider.net
   

   commented on: November 16, 2009 at 3:43 p.m.

   Has he signed a book deal yet?

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