Amish Mafia

Living in the Amish country for a number of years I find your phony Amish program culturally offensive. They speak more English than true Pennsylvania Dutch. They drive cars -not in the Amish culture-the violence does not happen in Amish culture. Even the image of the church in the introduction -not Amish don't have churches. They also don't allow themselves to be photographed. Mennonites speaking Dutch no they don't they don't even mix with the Amish -they are considered English and are treated as such. None of this represents true Amish culture and absolutely refuse to watch it and inform my family who don't live in Amish country and friends as well about the bad image you try to inflict on the Amish culture the peace loving people!

It's just an awesome show, I saw 2 seasons in 2 days!

I understand why people find it offensive by calling it reality tv, they do inform you that some scenes are staged and reacted, but I think maybe most of the show is. It's series/movies like this in almost every religion but please call it action/drama, not reality or documentary (That's what it's categorized in Norway), that's not right, FIX IT!

But if you can look past that, the show got action, it's funny and very entertaining! It's worth a try if you like shows that are a little weird and not "mainstream". I say weird because Amish Mafia, who would believe that.

I can believe the Amish might use their own "police" force rather than depend upon outside authority. And I can believe that drugs and prostitution have probably found their way into the community and are generally hushed up. I can even be persuaded that the cars Levi uses are paid for from the earnings of his privately owned company rather than from money extorted from his community. And there are manipulative women, thugs, and both simple and stupid men in the communities around the Amish, so why wouldn't they also exist inside the Amish community. All of this I can believe.

What I can not believe at this point is that a rival Amish "police" group from Ohio would try to start an interstate take-over of the group in Lancaster, Pa. These are relatively small communities with small groups of thugs that can barely maintain control over their own communities let alone attempt to take control of other communities over three hundred miles away from their home territory.

Most people posting reviews seem to think "Amish Mafia"'s "validity" should be based on whether it's "real" or not. People, it's basura whether or not it's the truth. *

"Amish Mafia" exists for only one reason -- to pander to the public's taste for the trashy and disgusting -- in the name of revealing the "truth". Instead of a thoughtful, carefully researched series on Amish life -- of which the "Amish mafia" would be a legitimate part -- we are instead "treated" to some of the rottenest Bible-spouting "human beings" one can imagine, with the implication that most Amish are only slightly less-bad.

I watched /none/ of the first season, and recently watched the last five episodes of the second, plus the "wrap up" episode, to see if it was as bad as some people said. "Vile" is the kindest thing I can say. Its only value is as a negative -- extremely negative -- example of how people /should not/ lead their lives. I won't be watching any more, and my only disappointment will be not being around to see Esther receive her comeuppance for betraying her brother.

Discovery has largely abandoned high-quality programming, instead presenting phony "documentaries" about mermaids and giant prehistoric sharks. "Alaska the Last Frontier" is perhaps the best of its reality programming, showing how intelligent, responsible people lead their lives. "Fast n' Loud" is a charming bit of fluff, with Richard a model of good small-business management. "Mythbusters" remains one of the best non-fiction TV shows /ever/, but I hope Adam and Jamie will find the courage to move to some other network, to evade the stink wafting in from Discovery's other "offerings".

"Amish Mafia" is television at its absolute worst. It deserves a negative rating for the harm it causes, to both the Amish and the viewers.

* I suspect it's largely true. However, this page says it's completely scripted (though without any hard evidence). I wouldn't be surprised.

http://kindofviral.com/10-rigged-reality-shows/10/

I see a lot of reviews saying how fake the show is. It very clearly says at the beginning that a lot of parts are reenacted and are based on stories. This show definitely doesn't deserve the awful rating its gotten. People claiming that its not a "real" mafia, are comparing it to actual mobsters. The Amish community would be completely different then what we consider the mafia. Destroying a buggy or kicking out "English" people might seem like vandalism to us, but to them it would be considered a huge offense. They live by completely different rules then we do. So comparing them to Italian Mobsters or Cartel kingpins just isn't viable.

Now, do I think this is all real and that everything they show is what is actually happening? No. I certainly don't think that. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that some camera angles or footage would be impossible to get with out it being faked or reenacted. But the director, the writers do a good job telling a story. The story is good, even the acting is decent. The camera work isn't that bad. Overall the show is very watchable, doesn't seem overly fake, overly real. Just enough to make it enjoyable.

And lastly. For critics saying that the reason they dislike it so much is because it is overly fake. That the Amish and Minutenites driving Mercedes Benz and Cadillacs is completely unrealistic and that making that much money from what they do is a lie. I can tell you I know for a fact that its true. I've personally seen them drive those vehicles and my brother works as a CBP officer at a Mexican boarder. And has told me numerous times that the Minutenites are some of the most criminally involved people he has ever encountered. Not all hardcore criminal activity. But the transferring of drugs over the boarder and the smuggling of money into Mexico is such a problem that the majority of loads of drugs they catch have some sort of Minutenite involvement. And that they declare they're money coming in and out of the US and its easily over the tens of thousands of dollars AND in Cadillacs and Mercedes. So it's not completely far fetched to assume that there's some truth to these stories.