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Okay, so I watched the first episode of TLC’s Breaking Amish last night. I was not impressed and here’s the main reason why; These kids are being portrayed as leaving the Amish for the first time and experiencing the “English” and city life for the first time, and that’s not true. Here’s how I know; I met Jeremiah (one of the main characters on the show) several times about four or five years ago. He was not Amish at the time and hadn’t been for years. He has been driving motor vehicles for years. He seemed like a nice guy the several times I spoke with him but the way he is being portrayed on Breaking Amish, is just not true.
I’ve never met any of the other cast of Breaking Amish so I can’t tell you whether they’re prior life is being accurately portrayed or not.
So, on to the content of the episode… Most members of the cast come off as extremely disrespectful. Jeremiah who was adopted, talks about being “thrown into this Amish crap and it’s not cool.” You’d think he would have some respect and love for his adoptive parents. Abe tells his sister very rudely, to get into the house and help Mom with dinner. The one girl, Rebecca I believe, takes the camera crew right up to her grandfather’s home and then feigns surprise when he’s not happy about it. From my perspective as an ex-Amish person, that was incredibly rude and disrespectful. I live with a handful of other ex-Amish kids, and none of us are ***holes like the kids on that show. All of us left the Amish and live in a fairly large city but none of us would disrespect our friends and family like that. Could it be that these kids were purposely disrespectful in order to anger their Amish friends and family and thereby increase the drama of the show? Either that, or they’re just naturally ***holes.
Not far into the episode, Jeremiah talks about having driven a horse and buggy all his life. Bull****! See my first paragraph.
One of the cast tells us that Amish men fear doing dishes. That’s not even funny. I know a lot of Amish men who help in the kitchen and the home. Then Rebecca fixes a meal for two of her somewhat demanding male cousins. The Amish may be sexist but these two scenes were obviously staged to point that out in a dramatic manner.
The kids are shown doing chores and working in their “good” clothing. In reality the Amish would wear “everyday” clothing to do those things. In fact, we would get reprimanded if we did chores in our Sunday clothing. Soiling them would force Mom to make new ones.
At one point, one of the male cast members claims that the Amish aren’t allowed to show love. Ridiculous! The Amish may be a little more emotionally reserved than most cultures but there are no rules against showing love.
I saved the best for last: Jeremiah is shown to be living in Holmes County, Ohio, and for the most part, his attire seems to support that (different Amish communities wear different styles of clothing and it’s often easy to tell which area an Amish person is from). As Jeremiah is there on what’s portrayed as his home place in Ohio, the “Bishop’s wife” goes past on a scooter. Now we have a big problem with the show. The “Bishop’s wife is dressed as Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Amish (with the distinctive heart-shaped head covering). Lancaster is where Kate is from and the “Bishop’s wife” looks suspiciously like Kate. There is no sensible explanation for this incongruous scene other than that it was completely staged.
TLC’s Breaking Amish is a lie. If you want to learn about kids leaving the Amish, watch NatGeo’s Amish out of Order. If you don’t want to learn anything, if you want to see made up crap, and if you want to see ridiculous drama, then watch Breaking Amish. But please, please, keep in mind that most of this show is staged and scripted, else you too will be guilty of propagating these falsehoods about Amish culture.
X Amish Atheist 
I am not Amish(born Lutheran thank goodness!) but I have family who lives in a new suburb near Gobbler’s Knob PA. Jeremiah stood out for me as having left a lot longer than they said. His clothes were ill fitting, he was wearing a Sunday or Singing hat not his everyday hat, he was wearing van sneakers, buttons on his shirt, and their were a bunch of colored graphic tee-shirts in his drawer. Even allowing for different districts and regions this just doesn’t look right too me. At least Kate was honest that she had left before the show and only went back because she got arrested.
Hi, I post as PedanticEditorType on AV Club – saw your link there – was interested in your thoughts. I grew up in Mennonite Church USA, my dad’s a pastor, and I am frequently frustrated by the lumping in of Mennonites as just like the Amish, but with cars, and also the whole “look at the dumb hick in the big city” portrayal in general.
The TLC site ticks me off, too, as totally inaccurate, although most of my experience with Amish people has been in Elkhart and LaGrange Counties in Indiana. But they leave no room for nuance.
Anyway, thanks for your thoughts.
Thank you for speaking out about this show. There were things about the show that confused me, but as I am not familiar with Amish culture or traditions, I wasn’t sure. I didn’t even finish the first episode and will not watch any more. It’s a shame TLC had to sink to this level instead of showing something more realistic. I have watched bits and pieces of a few of the NatGeo show, which may be why this one didn’t ring accurate for me.
As for your personal journey and search in life, I hope you find what you need and what gives you personal peace.
Thanks Layla_A!
Altough I am not Amish I have read extensively about them for years and live in a region where we have many different Orders of Amish & Mennonite and just seeing the previews online made me suspicious of the whole show. THeir language and the fact that they were comfortable on camera made me feel immeidately they were extenisvely exposed to the outside world on a familiar basis. I felt that some were living outside the community, then I watched th efirst episode and I do not beleive one of these people was straight from the farms as they imply. Finding this site I was confirmed in my belief especially about Jeremiah. I think if people really want to learn more about the Amish they need to watch Devil’s Playground to see what Rumspringa is like for many of these young people an dhow embroiled many of them get in the seedy part of “Englsih” life.
I wish that people would try ti find out the truth about different religions and living and avoid beleiving hyped up shows like this that sensationalize the whole culture.
Devil’s Playground is accurate for a small subset of Amish youth but not for all of them. The kind of stuff shown in Devil’s Playground did not happen in the community I grew up in but I do believe that it happens in a few of them.
I thought I’d like the show until I found out just how fake it was. I realize that “reality shows” can’t be real “reality” as they can’t expect the cameras to be there for crucial times but come on. It’s a farce. And why was Kate’s hair down in her DUI mugshot (she obviously dressed “normally” that day) but when she goes to NYC she has her hair pinned up and is wearing her Amish clothes? Come on!! These kids were supposedly LEAVING the Amish community, not taking the Amish community into NYC. Here is Kate’s mug shot:
http://starcasm.net/archives/173229
Hey, I was wondering what your RSS feed link is so I can put your feed on Former Amish News?
http://www.facebook.com/formeramish
Awesome! My posts feed is; https://xamishatheist.wordpress.com/feed/
Agreed with all the past comments..all must be fake and left a long time ago…i for one knew kate ..worked with her in Lebanon p.a. as a bartender in a restaurant where she owned her very new second car… wore normal clothing… partied..lived in an apartment in myerstown with roommates…she worked with me for about six months and moved to Florida …no one knew why or the real reason…i assumed school and sge was more than excited to leave some drama.
Thanks a lot for this new info! What was the name of that restaurant? You wouldn’t happen to have pictures of Kate at the time she worked there, would you? Pictures or other documents are what I need to really show the truth.
Or even if you have full names for several of Kate’s friends, it might be easier for me to locate her. If you do, email them to xamishatheistATgmailDOTcom
Thanks!
Ruby tuesday….one girl actually wrote on facebook that she planted the idea to go make money as a joke but then said something about on her facebook page that most pics were deleted…her page wasnt under kate but some odd alias… as far as i know hef one roommate was a cousin of hers idk about the rest. Talking to her was like talking to a brick wall most of the times… yea onlg ppl i know she spoke with were co workers …mighf i add they are all flipping out about this…one remarked i can not wait for girl to show up o tv wearinv the clothing shs had bought from me..others commenting on the elevator key …she has used an elevator before… and drank before ….um as a bartender we sample all our featured drinks to know how to suggestive sell it..including wine..i worked there for years git aoong and clicked with everyone but something wrong always stuck out with her and ner trusted the gurl …she spoke like everythinv was fake of she was a victim on her firdt day at work…idk i had drama with her also not going to lie…
Fyi …her hair was always down or in a quick pony with heavy eye makeup and tight uniform …. black on black we bought ourselves
Angela — EXCELLENT point! Didn’t even think about the fact that her hair was down in the mugshot or that she was obviously in “normal” clothing (as far as the rest of us go, I mean) but in Amish garb in the city — why WOULD she do that if it wasn’t staged? Can’t believe I didn’t catch that!
Although I know the show is faked, I do believe that you are told to remove all head gear and leave your hair down, by the police, when doing mug shots, so that is not a good argument (is that the right word? it is in my language…) But I was bewildered by the foul language, and the disrespect these people portrayed, as I always pictured Amish people as descent people before watching this show. Although I am disappointed about the desceit, I do like watching the show, as I am convinced that the actors are portraying feelings they`ve once experienced when first leaving their communities.
On the first show, they actually say that Abe and she knew each other. Someone said the show stated they`d never met before, that`s not true.
By she, I meant Rebekka, in my last post. A part of the comment was deleted by mistake. But knowing what I know now, I wasn`t able to enjoy the show as much as I used to, as all I see is the irregularities and the bad acting. They sure learned to use chopsticks real fast, Jeremiah`s driving teacher thinks his driving is fantastic, which is no wonder, if he`s been driving for years, they all sure have a great fashion sense in light of being new to fashions,Kate and Becka were really good at walking in high heels for the first time at the model agency, they all seem to have adapted real quick to the taste of alcoholic beverages, and knowing the names of them all (the drinks), Sabrina learned how to do her make up real quick, and as others have mentioned before, I was wondering about the “no video taping-policy”, and then cameras being inside their houses afterwards… And knowing that Jeremiah is probably a wife beater, just made me like him even less than I used to. So this show is ruined for my sake. Thank you, XAmishAtheist, for bringing the truth out there, `cause these are not the kind of people I would like to learn anything from. I have learned however, to know the cynical business of the entertainment industry a bit better…
Like i previously said i helped trained her as a bartender at ruby Tuesday haha..
I also didn’t like that Jeremiah was cursing in the first episode- I agree they seem really disrespectful. I’m disgusted that TLC would go to the effort to fake it all. Disappointing when I thought this might actually be endearing. I’m a Christian and am all for finding things for yourself and exploring your faith journey- but the blatant disrespect and caddy-ness- I had hoped for more.
I thought it was incredibly catty (fake or not) to go on and on about Rebecca’s false teeth. Kate is a bi***.
Jeremiah is definitely playing the role of dumb hick with that dopey look on his face. The Amish leave school at 8th grade and they may not be up on current events or wordly things, but the ones I’ve seen have been just as well-spoken as most college grads I know.
I also noticed in the shot of Kate discovering Rebecca’s false teeth, her hair was down, and it was long but not “never been cut” long.
There’s just such a mountain of obvious evidence it’s not even worth piling on at this point! These “actors” may not be Amish anymore, but you’d think they’d retain enough values that they wouldn’t lie so blatantly. It would be interesting to learn more about who the so-called “Amish producers” are that the production company entrusted to find subjects for them. I guess they figured Amish don’t watch TV so they’ll never know!
Very well said Linda! 🙂 I love the part where you describe Jeremiah as playing the role of a “dumb hick with that dopey look on his face”. LOL
i do not believe rebecca for one min the way she said the amish pulled i call bullshit tlc should at least tell half truths
Jeremiah is faking the whole “dumb hick” thing? really? Humh. 🙂
I was hoping that this show would turn out to be a good source of info on Amish. I have always been interes in what there beliefs are. Living in Texas growing up you don’t ever see are hear about the Amish. And from the first time I did I was interested. I was young and probably saw some actors playing a role on TV. I was much like you I grabbed the A encyclopedia an like with snythi that ffascinated me got lost in everything Amish I could find. When I was 16 I spent the summer and fall in Ohio so I got some first hand experience with Amish. So not to long after that their was another reality show come out called Amish in the city. Watched it was offended and was not even Amish it your not familiar with it look it up. I’m pretty sure one of the show Amish men are now on the natgeo show. My fiancé really was looking forward to breaking Amish. I hoped for the best and expected the worse and surprise what did I get pure garbage. I watched the first show and thought something was fishy when they had camera crews in Amish communities. And now I would not be surprised if that was not all actors. After the first show I had no interest in the show. So today I come home and my fiancé is watching a repeat of one of the shows and she tells me about this breaking scandal and that lead me hear. I read the beginning of your story and plan on finishing it soon. Thank you for sharing the truth about growing up Amish and leaving. I really am excited to read on about your life and deciding to leave. So in a way breaking Amish might serve some good. If it lead me here who knows who else it might lead here to.
I initially really liked the show, but now that I am reading all these remarks about the people on it, like Abe and Rebecca alreadyhaving a kid together and Jeremiah being divorced and having three kids somewhere and all that stuff about Kate, I am disappointed…I too really wanted to see something more authentic. Its too bad Breaking Amish turned out this way.
Living a couple of hours from an Amish community in Adams County, Ohio, I’ve been lucky to be able to make frequent trips to a beautiful place of calming ambiance, wonderful food and, yes, the Amish stores! I’ve always had great respect for these lovely, hardworking, orderly people, but I’ve also always been curious as to how the young people of the community handle such a strict life, or the rejection thereof, hence, my interest in watching Amish: Out of Order and now, Breaking Amish. However, the two shows are like night and day, the former substantive and enlightening, the latter just downright silly and over the top. I am so grateful to know now that Breaking Amish is false on so many levels, as I was appalled by the “characters” in Breaking Amish from the very first. It struck me from the beginning that Amish who had truly just broken away from their communities could not possibly be as cynical and rude disrespectful and worldly as these kids come off. No way their “English” ways would be so fully developed and so prevalent so early on. Everything I know about the Amish borne by my many trips to Adams County over many years just did not ring true at all in the cast of this show. I may keep watching just for the entertainment value, but my high opinion and faith in the Amish, as well as my empathy for those who choose to break away, will never be swayed by the bitter, sniveling punks who “star” in this crap.
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Great blog yoou have