Balloon Boy action figure perfect for attic
(Credit:
Herobuilders.com)
We should have seen this one coming. Richard Heene, much better known these days as "Balloon Boy's dad," has been made into an action figure.
Oxford, Conn.-based Herobuilders.com--whose action figures include Sarah Palin, Elliott Spitzer, and Joe the Plumber--is newly out with the Heene model. It sports a T-shirt with an arrow that points upward and the text "I'm with stupid." Attic box, confused 6-year-old boy, and gaggle of reporters not included.
The action figure costs $34.95, which seems a bit pricey given that you can get an entire Balloon Boy Halloween costume kit from Canadian company Plantraco Microflight for just $20. That paraphernalia includes a 38-inch-diameter silver helium balloon, an "As Seen on CNN Sticker," and a 10-foot string.
Plantraco, a maker of ready-to-fly airplanes, suggests costume wearers ring the doorbell and declare, "I'm supposed to be flying in there, but my dad said to stay in the box for the show!" It also recommends keeping a pitchfork handy, as "pitchforks are a time-tested and true method of keeping a balloon on the ground after it makes a landing."
And to round out your Balloon Boy parody experience, might we suggest listening to "The Ballad of Balloon Boy" by CNET's very own Dan Ackerman.
Leslie Katz, senior editor of CNET's Crave, covers gadgets, games, and most other digital distractions. As a co-host of the CNET News Daily Podcast, she sometimes tries to channel Terry Gross. E-mail Leslie. 
What a laugh this is becoming.