How far is too far?

Television viewers watched a balloon float in the sky, believing a young boy to be trapped inside.

Sound like the pilot of a new TV drama? More like live footage on news broadcasts.
This story, nicknamed “Balloon Boy,” turned out to be a hoax, a complete sham cooked up by the boy’s parents, Richard and Mayumi Heene.

According to news reports, the Heenes, who met in a Hollywood acting school, came up with the hoax to make themselves more marketable for a reality television show.
Is this the depth to which people have sunk in seeking media attention?

These parents’ exploitation of their 6-year-old son makes me sick. Yet we ate up their performance, desperate for another sensational news story.

Bravo, Heenes, on making us sit on the edge of our seats, sympathizing with your heartfelt act, only to realize it was a media stunt.

Does the world really need another “Jon and Kate Plus 8?”

No, Heene family, America does not need you clogging up our airwaves when we already have reality show gems such as Bravo’s “The Real Housewives,” VH1’s “Tool Academy” and MTV’s “Parental Control.”

But we want you. As ratings show, viewers can’t get enough of reality TV and its “stars,” such as Tila Tequila, Kim Kardashian, Kristin Cavallari and Bret Michaels.
Why reality television has survived for so long astounds me.

The sensationalism, the exploitation, the drama, the blatant scripting and the ridiculousness of it all is entertainment at its lowest. 

What happened to quality television?

Although several good shows with promising performers have arisen this season, including “Glee,” “Modern Family” and “FlashForward,” I miss the genius of shows such as “The West Wing” and “Gilmore Girls,”  which captivated audiences with witty dialogue, interesting plots and dynamic characters.

However, as long as people like the Heenes exist, entertainment value will continue to disintegrate.

America, keep watching your reality shows on MTV, TLC and VH1. Meanwhile, I’ll be mourning the loss of good television and applauding the Heenes on finally getting their 15 minutes of fame.