In Jean Baudrillard's 1981 treatise Simulacra and Simulation, the philosopher describes An American Family, arguably the first "reality" television series, as a marker of a new age in which the medium of television has a "viral, endemic, chronic, alarming presence".
Dalam tesis Jean Baudrillard tahun 1981, Simulacra and Simulation, sang filsuf menjabarkan An American Family, dianggap sebagai serial televisi "realita" pertama, sebagai penanda masa baru media televisi memiliki "kehadiran yang viral, endemis, kronis, mengkhawatirkan".