A Wish of Amish

Ice Ice...Amish?
This was my first thought when I saw the headline: "Vanilla Ice to 'Goes Amish' in new reality TV Series". So many things were wrong with this headline. A) I thought we left Vanilla in the 90's! B) What is with all of the Amish? C) Why does the public need to watch this?

In today's age, we use technology to exploit the mysterious and unknown. Computers, televisions and phones give us access to all of the information we could ever wish for; there are very few aspects of life and culture that you can't just google or find a hashtag for on Twitter.

It looks like the Amish communities are the newest trend to hit pop culture and its technology. "Vanilla Ice Goes Amish" joined ridiculous reality programs such as "Breaking Amish", "Breaking Amish: LA" and "Amish Mafia" that give the average American an all access pass to the lives of the elusive Amish.
Many of these programs, including "Breaking Amish", surround a group of Amish young adults entering the "English" world and experimenting with different clothing, technologies and cuisines. Entertaining moments include the Amish cast on their first plane rides, watching television and using computers.

 I think that these shows are so popular and fascinating because they provide a perspective of our society that we could never imagine. From infancy, we are exposed to so many forms of technology: televisions, computers, phones, iPods, iPads, video games. They are tools for communicating, learning and entertainment.

Most Americans, including myself, could not fathom living without our daily dose of technology. Life without iEverything seems so old fashioned, outdated and un-cool.

 In pop culture, the Amish are both intriguing and appalling because it makes us ask an important question: can you be considered a member of society if you don’t comply to the use of technology?

The whole topic of Amish in pop culture reminded me of the video we watched for class, “They’re Made Out Of Meat”. While re-watching this video, I could imagine how the Amish community would think of the “English” people as the meat, and vice versa. There seemed to be an obvious distaste of the word “meat”, making it seem like it was associated with animals, something subhuman. To the main characters in the video, it was beyond revolting and inappropriate for the “meat” people not to live like them. 

With the recent exposure of the Amish community, it seems like the public is stating how unbelievable it is that the Amish don’t live like everyone else. The television shows don’t seem to respect the traditions of the community, but rather create unnecessary drama and increased distance from their culture and ours. 

On the other hand, it does not seem that that the Amish portrayed on these shows show the same disrespect. In this outtake from the television show “Amish Mafia”, Merlin, one of the main cast members, shows how he can balance technology and his culture. He uses a cell phone for work but once he leaves his job, he turns it off “because if not, it’s gonna distract you from your family, its going to distract you from things that are really really important in life,”. 

Well said, Merlin. Well said. 

Coincidentally, the clip ends with the necessary hashtags to further explore the Amish Mafia, (are you #teammerlin, #teamlevi or #teamesther?) and a link to www.discovery.com/buggyrace . 

In conclusion, I think that everyone in our society needs to stop, collaborate and listen. Are the Amish the extreme ones for not using technology, or are we insane for our reliance on it? Will there ever be a time where those who don’t wish to use technology can coexist with those who do?

I have no idea. But maybe Vanilla Ice can let us know.