RIP Pat Loud, an American Family Star

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An American Family captivated the minds and imaginations of the American public for several months in 1973. No one had ever seen a show quite like it. It gave viewers an inside look into the life and drama of a middle-class family in America. Bill and Pat Loud and their 5 children were filmed for months on end in what became the first true reality TV show. It was absolutely groundbreaking for its time and American television has never been quite the same.

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The series documented seven months in the home of the Loud family in Santa Barbara, California. The show chronicled controversial subjects that viewers weren't used to seeing so candidly on television. The Louds were in the process of getting a divorce following 21 years of marriage.

Lance, their eldest son, came out as gay. The subject of homosexuality was previously something that was rarely if ever addressed on television. The show subsequently stirred up quite a bit of controversy, but for more reasons than just the sensitive themes that it touched on.

Critics accused the show of turning up the dial on the drama-meter, selectively editing the footage to tell a less than authentic story just to increase ratings. Many were convinced that the Louds weren't their authentic selves because of the presence of the cameras. These same arguments are still used to question the authenticity of reality TV shows to this day.

This debate isn't the only legacy that An American Family has left behind. Ripples of its influence are still felt today. TV shows like Big Brother, Survivor, and The Real World took major cues from An American Family and it's very clear that the series broke new ground, and once those floodgates were open, they would never close again.

Pat Loud, the fiery matriarch of the family, has just passed away at the age of 94. Her family put out a public statement on Facebook that announced her death and gave a brief recap of her life and accomplishments. She won't soon be forgotten, nor will the show that she was such an integral part of. In this video, we hope to honor her memory. We will also take a behind-the-scenes look at An American Family focusing on what kind of impact it had on society.

RIP Pat Loud, an American Family Star
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