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Entries tagged with 'Mermaids'
Posted Oct. 4, 2007,
Lance Loud in An American Family in Santa Barbara
By Ann Magnuson
Lance Loud may have been America's first reality TV star. He certainly was the "breakout" star of his family whose lives in upscale suburban Santa Barbara were captured in the infamous 1970's PBS documentary series An American Family. (What a shame all the parties involved can't agree on getting this series available on DVD already!) The wise-crackin', charismatic Lance was very "out" and he influenced many, many people of a certain age who felt like misfits in their own suburban prisons. (Particularly those who didn't live as well as the folks in Santa Barbara!) Hoards of disaffected Bowie-worshipping teens were inspired to hightail it out of their stifling enviroments and, like Lance, become bohemian artists in New York City! The episode where Lance moves into the Chelsea Hotel certainly inspired me to make my move to the Big Bad Apple. (Where I was promptly mugged... then happily made my way to CBGB's)