Amish in the City
Last night I watched the premier of the latest in reality-tv: Amish in the City. The show received some publicity before airing because of protests by US congressmen and others who felt the show could only exploit the Amish people. As it turns out, it is most definitely the non-Amish who seem backwards and close-minded.
The series revolves around five Amish youths moving into a luxury-condo in LA with six non-Amish youths, as part of rumspringa, the cultural rite of passage during which young Amish people leave their homes to explore the outside world before committing to a lifetime with their people. (The 2002 documentary Devil’s Playground takes a closer look at this cultural tradition.)
It’ll be interesting to see where the show goes, and for now I’ve pulled together some initial reactions:
Washington Post - ‘Amish in The City’: Hollywood’s Urban Desert
NPR Audio - ‘Amish in the City’: Getting the Reality Show Treatment
Christian Science Monitor - ‘Amish in the City’: Nobody drives buggies in L.A.
MSNBC News - ‘Amish in the City’ raises red flags for the sect
The Patriot News - UPN affiliate takes wait-and-see stance with ‘Amish’
The Times Reporter - TV Amish not typical, but community — especially young — curious
Philadelphia Daily News - The reality of this show is its crudity