Balloon Boy: Hoax Americana?

We should have known something was up yesterday as we watched that helium-filled balloon float high above Colorado with the ease of that plastic bag in the movie "American Beauty."

The nation was transfixed for hours as it feared for the safety of 6-year-old Falcon Heene. When the story broke, it was believed that the Jiffy Pop contraption became untethered from the Heenes' Colorado home and that Falcon was inside. Word came that the family ransacked the house looking for him. Then the thing landed in a field. No Falcon. Folks freaked out that he might have fallen out. Um, no. Turns out Falcon was the one who freaked out and hid in a box in the attic.

And then came trouble.

There was the revelation of the Heenes' two appearances on the reality TV show "Wife Swap." The Larry King interview in which Falcon said, "We did this for a show." The "Today Show" interview where Falcon vomited on his dad. He did it again on "Good Morning America." And then came this: