Breaking Amish (show on TLC)

[Jpoy85]

Anyone else watching it? I LOVE it so far. I think its informative and going to be a good show.

 

:001_smile:

[Julie Smith]

Never heard of it.

[itsheresomewhere]

Have you watched the one on the Nat Go channel? It is amazing and not scripted. I just get the impression that the TLC one is scripted and very "reality" show for them.

[Desert Rat]

I'm looking forward to checking it out. There was a similar show on another cable channel, History maybe, about the Amish leaving their homes. It was very interesting. What was even more interesting was an ordinary American girl trying to become Amish. I found that very curious.

[DawnM]

I would be interested in it but we no longer have cable.

[itsheresomewhere]

I'm looking forward to checking it out. There was a similar show on another cable channel, History maybe, about the Amish leaving their homes. It was very interesting. What was even more interesting was an ordinary American girl trying to become Amish. I found that very curious.

 

The adopted girl who just wanted a sense of belonging was so interesting. I don't think she found what she was looking for in the end of the season. You just wanted to hug her.

[SunnyDays]

Interesting... I hadn't heard of this. I'll have to see if they're replaying the first episode or if I can find it online. I might check it out.

 

I love reading Amish based fiction, so it'll be interesting to see how the portrayal of culture compares between the two sources...

[mytwomonkeys]

we don't have cable. :( if someone finds it online, please tell me where.

[simplyme99]

I watched it and really liked it. Learning a lot about their culture - real eye-opening!

[mommaduck]

It would probably drive me crazy, because I'd be sitting there critiquing it. But filming real life is easier than reading Amish based fiction...those REALLY make me twitch at times.

[simplyme99]

Anyone else watching it? I LOVE it so far. I think its informative and going to be a good show.

 

:001_smile:

 

I wonder why they all want to go to NY? I mean, NY is scary to me and I come from a BIG city (Houston). Loved the previews of the upcoming shows though!!

[Mrs Mungo]

I wonder why they all want to go to NY? I mean, NY is scary to me and I come from a BIG city (Houston). Loved the previews of the upcoming shows though!!

 

We watched last night. I think the show must be helping them go to NYC and that's why?

 

I think they need to go live with a different sort of family in Oklahoma City or somewhere more middle of the road to get an idea of what typical non-Amish life is like. Your average person doesn't act like the kids on Jersey Shore, but the Amish kids seem to have that idea?

[Mrs Mungo]

Only if it's like "Breaking bad"!

 

I haven't seen it, but surely the mean NY state, right? Not the city. Too many people don't realize the difference, sadly.

 

I have totally lost all my stereotypes about the Amish after living among them this past year. Some are nice, some are quite rude. Some are clean, some actually stink. I have seen well kept animals and horrid puppy mills that they run. I have seen happy little kids and some who looked totally miserable. All in all, they are just like any other group of people.

Edit-- I see you are correct- they do mean NYC! I've seen them at Niagra Falls, the mall, and hiking in parks. Are they visiting or moving there?

I also see it's on TLC, which I call the Carnival Freak Show channel. Perhaps this is just their year to test out the world. If so, then it's really all about nothing.

 

The show seems to be taking them to NYC to live in an apartment. These are young adults who want to leave their Amish/Mennonite communities. They have been told that if they leave, then they will be shunned and cannot come back.

[athomemom]

I watched it. I want to know how TLC found these kids? It's heartbreaking, really. I understand the need to be yourself, but they have no where to turn.

[Catwoman]

I thought the Amish frowned on having their photographs taken. I would think a reality television show would be absolutely out of the question. :confused:

[T'smom]

I thought the Amish frowned on having their photographs taken. I would think a reality television show would be absolutely out of the question. :confused:

 

Besides the kids that want to leave, only one family appeared on camera- the rest had a statement saying "So and so's family refused to appear on camera."

 

I also wondered how TLC found these kids. I felt really bad for them. I found it interesting that two of them mentioned repeatedly that they had been adopted and didn't feel like they fit in with the Amish.

[Annie G]

It seemed like they hand picked some pretty troubled kids- and then set them up. Hey, we'll send you to NYC- won't that be fun?

 

The Amish have a time to decide whether they want to commit to the church- and after that, they are expected to follow the rules. Have these young people accepted the faith and joined? I guess I wonder if they went through rumspringa and decided to join the church or if perhaps they're still going through it.

 

It's not going to turn out well- it's not as if running off to NYC is the only other thing besides being Amish. There's a whole lot of life between Amish and NYC and they could explore that. But with TLC at the helm, it's going to be a train wreck.

 

But of course I'm still watching it. Which is awful, I know.

[simplyme99]

Besides the kids that want to leave' date=' only one family appeared on camera- the rest had a statement saying "So and so's family refused to appear on camera."

 

[b']I also wondered how TLC found these kids. I felt really bad for them. I found it interesting that two of them mentioned repeatedly that they had been adopted and didn't feel like they fit in with the Amish.[/b]

 

Right? I was struck by that too. The one boy who said he wondered what his life would be like if he'd been adopted by an "English" family. He said he'd been teased by the Amish. In retrospect this morning, I guess that wouldn't be too odd, since he wasn't "born into" the Amish, they maybe view him as an outsider? I really don't know that much about their beliefs.

[Mrs Mungo]

Have these young people accepted the faith and joined? I guess I wonder if they went through rumspringa and decided to join the church or if perhaps they're still going through it.

 

Rumspringa happens when kids are around 16. One of them mentioned something (I forget if it was in the show or a preview) that they wanted more time than Rumspringa would have allowed. Plus, these are young adults in their early twenties.

 

It's not going to turn out well- it's not as if running off to NYC is the only other thing besides being Amish. There's a whole lot of life between Amish and NYC and they could explore that. But with TLC at the helm, it's going to be a train wreck.

 

But of course I'm still watching it. Which is awful, I know.

 

Agreed, on all counts.

[plansrme]

The Amish have a time to decide whether they want to commit to the church- and after that, they are expected to follow the rules. Have these young people accepted the faith and joined? I guess I wonder if they went through rumspringa and decided to join the church or if perhaps they're still going through it.

 

There is a fabulous book on rumspringa. The title is--wait for it--Rumspringa. It is both incredibly respectful towards the Amish and eye-opening.

 

 

Terri

[FaithManor]

We watched last night. I think the show must be helping them go to NYC and that's why?

 

I think they need to go live with a different sort of family in Oklahoma City or somewhere more middle of the road to get an idea of what typical non-Amish life is like. Your average person doesn't act like the kids on Jersey Shore, but the Amish kids seem to have that idea?

 

Exactly!

 

It kind of gripes my cheese that the Amish in our area give the teens a HUGE wad of money and send them to Detroit! Seriously, send them to my house.

 

But, I think it's deliberate. If they send them into an abnormal, frat-house style party environment, they hope their kids will be so turned off by the immorality and immaturity that they'll come back. I think that if they came to my home, did their chores, enjoyed some board games and a good movie, went to church with us, and saw a more daily, routine life but with electricity, modern conveniences, cars, etc. and saw that non-Amish people really weren't "going to h&ll in a handbasket", they might lose more of them to the "English".

 

We've recently had a large number of Amish couples leave and join the Mennonite church. It wasn't because of "rumspringa" (sp?", but because of a strict bishop that doesn't want anyone to have medical care. His belief is that it circumvents God's will for people to die at his appointed time. One young couple was shunned when they allowed their son, very very badly injured, to be taken to the hospital for treatment. I don't think that's necessarily the belief of all of the bishops, just this one.

 

Faith

[simplyme99]

We watched last night. I think the show must be helping them go to NYC and that's why?

 

I think they need to go live with a different sort of family in Oklahoma City or somewhere more middle of the road to get an idea of what typical non-Amish life is like. Your average person doesn't act like the kids on Jersey Shore, but the Amish kids seem to have that idea?

 

My thoughts exactly (although I don't think I articulated it right). They could go to any large city, even Philly, to see how others live, but NYC?? NYC is unique, not like most big cities - the city that never sleeps! But then like someone else posted it's a train wreck waiting to happen.

[Mrs Mungo]

But, I think it's deliberate. If they send them into an abnormal, frat-house style party environment, they hope their kids will be so turned off by the immorality and immaturity that they'll come back. I think that if they came to my home, did their chores, enjoyed some board games and a good movie, went to church with us, and saw a more daily, routine life but with electricity, modern conveniences, cars, etc. and saw that non-Amish people really weren't "going to h&ll in a handbasket", they might lose more of them to the "English".

 

I think you are probably right.

[Guest meatisgood]

This is why I highly doubt the show is anything but scripted made-up garbage. There really isn't much ACTUAL reality on TV. It's all led in a certain direction, not totally 'real'.

 

I live in Lancaster, PA where about half of these guys are from. Word in the street is that in a nut shell, the show is pretty much a total fabrication. For staters, anyone is who Amish, including the familes of these people would NEVER be on TV. I've done photo shoots for Amish products and they won't even allow a hand in a photo. Apparently two of the people in the show "hookup" even though they had a kid together two years prior. The one who is Mennonite has been outside the church for somtime and basicly dressed up for the show, another has already been divorced. I was about LIVID watching the fist epiosode how they put this major focus on being shunned. It does not work they they made it out to be, the entire concept of forgivness is pretty much written off by TLC. Yes, if you live a sinful life your not going to be let back into the church until you repent... but your not cut off from your family. There are several ex-amish around here and they socialize like the rest of us. Most Amish are VERY well off given they don't have as many "Needs" as the rest of us seem to think we have, they take vacations, know a lot about the 'English', and while uneducated by our standards are good business people and increadibly hard workers (many business in our area won't even try to complete). What I find most amazing is that their population continues to grow very quickly. There is not enough employment on farms so many work in trades. Don't think you've learned a shred of anything about these communities by watching the show. Honestly I thought TLC held themselves to a higher standard of programming than this.

Edited September 11, 2012 by meatisgood

[CupOCoffee]

I live in Lancaster, PA where about half of these guys are from. Word in the street is that in a nut shell, the show is pretty much a total fabrication. For staters, anyone is who Amish, including the familes of these people would NEVER be on TV. I've done photo shoots for Amish products and they won't even allow a hand in a photo. Apparently two of the people in the show "hookup" even though they had a kid together two years prior. The one who is Mennonite has been outside the church for somtime and basicly dressed up for the show, another has already been divorced. I was about LIVID watching the fist epiosode how they put this major focus on being shunned. It does not work they they made it out to be, the entire concept of forgivness is pretty much written off by TLC. Yes, if you live a sinful life your not going to be let back into the church until you repent... but your not cut off from your family. There are several ex-amish around here and they socialize like the rest of us. Most Amish are VERY well off given they don't have as many "Needs" as the rest of us seem to think we have, they take vacations, know a lot about the 'English', and while uneducated by our standards are good business people and increadibly hard workers (many business in our area won't even try to complete). What I find most amazing is that their population continues to grow very quickly. There is not enough employment on farms so many work in trades. Don't think you've learned a shred of anything about these communities by watching the show. Honestly I thought TLC held themselves to a higher standard of programming than this.

 

:iagree: we really need a like button! This is a great post!

[Elfknitter.#]

 

This is why I highly doubt the show is anything but scripted made-up garbage. There really isn't much ACTUAL reality on TV. It's all led in a certain direction, not totally 'real'.

:iagree:

[Jpoy85]

I think its interesting but i dont think its meant to be a documentary. KWIM?

[*Michelle*]

TLC and standards? Maybe back when it was "The Learning Channel."

[momma2three]

I live in Lancaster, PA where about half of these guys are from. Word in the street is that in a nut shell, the show is pretty much a total fabrication. For staters, anyone is who Amish, including the familes of these people would NEVER be on TV. I've done photo shoots for Amish products and they won't even allow a hand in a photo. Apparently two of the people in the show "hookup" even though they had a kid together two years prior. The one who is Mennonite has been outside the church for somtime and basicly dressed up for the show, another has already been divorced. I was about LIVID watching the fist epiosode how they put this major focus on being shunned. It does not work they they made it out to be, the entire concept of forgivness is pretty much written off by TLC. Yes, if you live a sinful life your not going to be let back into the church until you repent... but your not cut off from your family. There are several ex-amish around here and they socialize like the rest of us. Most Amish are VERY well off given they don't have as many "Needs" as the rest of us seem to think we have, they take vacations, know a lot about the 'English', and while uneducated by our standards are good business people and increadibly hard workers (many business in our area won't even try to complete). What I find most amazing is that their population continues to grow very quickly. There is not enough employment on farms so many work in trades. Don't think you've learned a shred of anything about these communities by watching the show. Honestly I thought TLC held themselves to a higher standard of programming than this.

 

LOL, no I think that this is pretty much their normal standard.

[stripe]

It seemed like they hand picked some pretty troubled kids- and then set them up. Hey, we'll send you to NYC- won't that be fun?

 

The Amish have a time to decide whether they want to commit to the church- and after that, they are expected to follow the rules. Have these young people accepted the faith and joined? I guess I wonder if they went through rumspringa and decided to join the church or if perhaps they're still going through it.

 

From what I understood from reading Saloma Furlong's book and blog, if you leave before you are baptised / join the church, you are merely pressured to join, but there is no shunning, you just haven't done it yet. (She did this for a while.) She eventually joined the church, so that when she left her community, it was a big deal. At one point her family came to get her, and she settled down again for like another year or two, until she left again, which was permanent. She continued to visit them and attend family functions. According to her, the main part of the shunning was that she had to sit at a different table, but her mother still allowed her to visit and talked to her. She very clearly knew they disapproved. Each of her sisters also left the Amish, and all her brothers stayed.

[Pawz4me]

This is why I highly doubt the show is anything but scripted made-up garbage. There really isn't much ACTUAL reality on TV. It's all led in a certain direction, not totally 'real'.

 

:iagree:

 

It boggles my mind that SO many people believe "reality" TV is real. And I'm not flaming anyone here -- my DH is totally taken in by reality TV. It doesn't matter how many times he hears how contrived it is, he still wants to believe it's real. :banghead:

[mommaduck]

I live in Lancaster, PA where about half of these guys are from. Word in the street is that in a nut shell, the show is pretty much a total fabrication. For staters, anyone is who Amish, including the familes of these people would NEVER be on TV. I've done photo shoots for Amish products and they won't even allow a hand in a photo. Apparently two of the people in the show "hookup" even though they had a kid together two years prior. The one who is Mennonite has been outside the church for somtime and basicly dressed up for the show, another has already been divorced. I was about LIVID watching the fist epiosode how they put this major focus on being shunned. It does not work they they made it out to be, the entire concept of forgivness is pretty much written off by TLC. Yes, if you live a sinful life your not going to be let back into the church until you repent... but your not cut off from your family. There are several ex-amish around here and they socialize like the rest of us. Most Amish are VERY well off given they don't have as many "Needs" as the rest of us seem to think we have, they take vacations, know a lot about the 'English', and while uneducated by our standards are good business people and increadibly hard workers (many business in our area won't even try to complete). What I find most amazing is that their population continues to grow very quickly. There is not enough employment on farms so many work in trades. Don't think you've learned a shred of anything about these communities by watching the show. Honestly I thought TLC held themselves to a higher standard of programming than this.

Yep, there are many Amish that go to the shore and pull out their swimsuits...and they aren't like the modest swimsuits that come up on the board here and there.

[Poke Salad Annie]

There was a great documentary about the Amish on PBS in February, called American Experience--The Amish. It was very interesting, and I thought that it covered much of what meatisgood's post discussed earlier in this thread.

 

At the end of the show, there was a segment about some of the Amish families desiring to move to Colorado (I think), as the land (in their part of PA) is almost consumed by the population, and there is not enough farm land to go around to the next generation.

[mjselmk]

There was a great documentary about the Amish on PBS in February, called American Experience--The Amish. It was very interesting, and I thought that it covered much of what meatisgood's post discussed earlier in this thread.

 

At the end of the show, there was a segment about some of the Amish families desiring to move to Colorado (I think), as the land (in their part of PA) is almost consumed by the population, and there is not enough farm land to go around to the next generation.

 

That was a great documentary. I've always been very interested in the Amish but I don't think I would want to watch a reality show about their culture. That seems like an oxymoron somehow.:lol:

[Annie G]

There was a great documentary about the Amish on PBS in February, called American Experience--The Amish. It was very interesting, and I thought that it covered much of what meatisgood's post discussed earlier in this thread.

 

At the end of the show, there was a segment about some of the Amish families desiring to move to Colorado (I think), as the land (in their part of PA) is almost consumed by the population, and there is not enough farm land to go around to the next generation.

 

That was an excellent documentary. I wonder how much difference there is between the different Amish settlements. The main one in our state doesn't seem much like what we saw in Lancaster.

 

Reality tv and documentaries are worlds apart, that's for sure!