Ok, I have seen Amish and I know there are different levels of "strictness", but these Amish, especially the girls, seemed pretty comfortable with sheding their clothes and prancing around in Bikinis. Also, How would someone that doesn't wear makeup, look like such an expert putting it on (Miriam). I am not doubting they are Amish, but I am wondering how long they have been out of the community prior to doing this show. I Bet several years AT LEAST and I bet they have been living "English" lives.... By the way.. On the official Amish site there were a bunch of photos. I looked the first day and their were several photos of the girls on the beach.. I am 90% sure of of the pictures showed Miriam, in the distance, with a tatoo on her lower back. I thought maybe they blurred it for the filming. I just went back on the site ans that photo is gone.. Hate to be a conspiracy guy, but its not there anymore... Also, in the first show Miriam says, (i'm paraphrasing), I "always" feel fat when I try on bikinis.. Was this her first time wearing a bikini or did she try them on before?.. Also, the girls AND Randy was wearing an earing in one scene.. Did they get their ears pierced duing their trip or where they done before? I would assume they would show it done if it happened when they were on the show... Also, RUTH was smoking,,, I don't think Amish smoke...

Anyway, I don't want to ramble too much, but I get a feeling if you do some searching you will see that these Amish kids are not as "virginal" as the show wants you to believe. If they were just plucked off a farm, I think they would seem MUCH more uncomfortable with things...

• RE: Something Fishy about AMISH,realitycoholic, 06:08 PM, 08-01-04
  • RE: Something Fishy about AMISH,Smooth23, 08:39 PM, 08-02-04
    • RE: Something Fishy about AMISH,SurvivorBlows, 10:14 PM, 08-02-04
• RE: Something Fishy about AMISH,Sweater_Puffs, 02:59 PM, 08-14-04

I agree. I lived in Lancaster, PA, Amish capital of the US and from the small bit of the show I saw there's NO WAY these people are just off the farm! I remember seeing the Amish boys parking their buggies at the hitching post at the supermarket and getting into their "illegal" cars and cruising. You could spot them a mile away...

Also, most Amish have a very distinct way of speaking with a pronounced Amish accent and these girls and boys do not have it. This shows that they've been away from strict Amish roots for a long time.

There are several sects of Amish ranging from the "Witness" type who live without electricity and cars, adhering to a very simple lifestyle to a more liberal (yet still restrictive) lifestyle.

I'm betting these kids are from Amish backgrounds and not Amish in the strict sense of the word.

Except Mose, I think he's the only legit just off the farm amish on the show.

LAST EDITED ON 08-02-04 AT 10:16 PM (EST)

Mose is definitely "farm fresh" (btw, I can't believe no one made the obvious "why didn't you just part the waves?" joke after his "near drowning") but my understanding is that all these kids were already on a rumspringa of some type when they were recruited -- that was part of the producer's "non-intrusion" idea. No idea "how long" they might have been gone though...

I haven't seen the show, but based on what you said it seems the family being featured as Amish have probably removed themselves from mainstream Amish living.

I don't think a real Amish community would allow a reality TV crew into their lives. They make enough money to fill every need, and secondary to that it probably offends every religious sense they have.