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December 11, 2012

'Amish Mafia' Documentary: Entertaining But Bogus, Experts Say

New TV show reflects American fascination with popular "counter narrative" within moral Amish culture.

Melissa Steffan

The Amish aren't exactly known for mob-style antics: drinking, gambling, blackmail, and so on. But the Discovery Channel's newest show, "Amish Mafia," purports to offer viewers "a first-ever look at the men who protect and maintain peace and order within the Amish community in Lancaster."

The problem? Leading Amish experts say this "Amish mafia" doesn't exist.

Elizabethtown College's Donald Kraybill and Messiah College's David Weaver-Zercher both told The Patriot News that the show, which premiers Wednesday (with a preview Tuesday night), amounts to "foolishness and stupidity and lies" about Amish culture.

Discovery's website does acknowledge that "some scenes have been reenacted," but it leads viewers to believe that the stories are true.

CT has regularly reported on the Amish, including past shows such as "Amish in the City," and PBS's The Amish documentary. Earlier this year, CT also interviewed both Kraybill and Weaver-Zercher about their new book, The Amish Way: Patient Faith in a Perilous World.

posted by Melissa Steffan | Comments (4)

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I realize that the news cycle is connected to the marketing cycle, but could we please wait unti after the "documentary" has been released before asking experts to comment on it? This is the third article I've seen on this, and they all amount to asking authors on all-things-Anabaptist for an instant gut reaction to the TEASER TRAILER!!
This could very well end up being a lot of typical TV nonsense, or it could end up being a well researched expose, but until we know what the actual claims are, we have no basis upon which to critique it.

Posted By: Isaac D | December 12, 2012 2:36 PM

@Issac D: In defense of the 2 college professors, it appears from the original article in which they were interviewed that they simply questioned the possibility of an "Amish Mafia," which someone could comment on without needing to see the entire series.

Posted By: John H | December 13, 2012 5:10 AM

It's all true!

Posted By: Lebanon Levi | December 14, 2012 4:11 PM

Levi,are you kidding me?? Come to south Florida
I'll show you how to run a family!
Looks like a bunch of bitches to me!
All you do is help your own kind!
Come to my world ,I dare you
Grow some balls.ill take you while fake organization over!
I'm Gambino all the way !!amish mafia
Is a fake tv show

Posted By: Jason wright | December 26, 2012 7:31 PM

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