Breaking Amish

[peter]

Apparently a reality show relating the experiences of a group of Amish (and Mennonite) youngsters in New York as they wrestle with the decision as to whether to return to their religious communities or to stay out in the wider world.

Episode 5 apparently concetrates on a visit to a strip club by the boys, the first meeting of the girls with a gay man and the process of one of the girls being 'waxed' prior to a bikini shoot. I think the kids might be getting a slightly lopsided view of the 'wider world' - at least a few things in it do not pertain to sex.

[sgt.null]

soon they cook meth and end up in prison?

[Billy G.]

I stay away from any of those Exploiting the Amish for TV ratings shows.

[sgt.null]

to be fair the kids seem to want the exploitation. will be interested to see what they are up to a full decade later.

[peter]

One also has to wonder to what extent it is we, the audience who are in fact being exploited by these shows. In the photo I saw of the 'Amish' kids they had a look of slightly more 'worldly awareness' than might be expected. Perhaps they are indeed Amish - but one wonders if they are Amish in the stict sense or whether the have already had a 'pre-tasting' of what the program purports to be exposing them to for the first time.