Buffoon Dad

Do you wonder what gets into some parents? Why do they shove their precious little kids into the mass media glare where they get dehumanizing nicknames like Balloon Boy? And why do reputable news organizations fall all over themselves covering these dubious, amped-up stories?

Inquiring minds want to know.

The Los Angeles Times ran a story the other day that seeks to unravel this peculiar form of nuttiness.