Fooling with the Amish: Amish Mafia, Entertaining Fakery, and the Evolution of Reality TV

Amish Mafia was a fictional show that aired in 2012 on the Discovery Channel. It was cleverly constructed to appear real, but it was actually a fabrication. In Fooling with the Amish, Dirk Eitzen examines the fakery in Amish Mafia and how actual viewers of the show responded to it. He argues that reality shows appeal to and gratify viewers because they take liberties with facts, and that people are taken in by falsehoods in the media because they work like gossip. The book also explores other forms of media fakery, including fake news, professional wrestling, and supermarket tabloids, and explains how conventions of contrivance evolved in reality TV.

Format: Hardback
Length: 248 pages
Publication date: 08 November 2022
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press

Amish Mafia, a captivating television series that delves into the intricate interplay between the real and the imagined, serves as a fascinating lens through which to explore the peculiar allure and potential dangers of deception in reality TV and popular entertainment. Released in 2012, the show captivated viewers with its tales of a secret group of Amish and Mennonite enforcers who wielded threats, extortion, and violence to maintain order within the Amish community and enrich themselves. While some of the narratives were loosely based on actual events, the group itself was a complete fabrication. The individuals portrayed in the series were ex-Amish and ex-Mennonite young adults who were recruited to act out scenarios meticulously crafted by the show's producers.

What sets Amish Mafia apart is its remarkable ability to convincingly portray itself as a genuine reality show. The Discovery Channel, the television network that aired the series, went to great lengths to maintain the illusion of authenticity, dedicating entire episodes to proving that the show was indeed real. Many viewers, including seasoned reality TV enthusiasts, were duped into believing the narrative was true.

In his book, Fooling with the Amish, Dirk Eitzen delves into the fakery of Amish Mafia and examines how actual viewers responded to it. Through a comprehensive analysis, Eitzen seeks to answer two enduring questions that have puzzled media scholars: What is it about the so-called reality of reality shows that appeals to and gratifies viewers? How and why are people taken in by falsehoods in the media?

Eitzen's ultimate conclusion is that Amish Mafia, by taking liberties in manipulating facts, operates in a similar manner to gossip. This insight sheds light on the workings of not just Amish Mafia but also other forms of media fakery, including fake news. The book weaves through a series of captivating case studies, ranging from P. T. Barnum's infamous humbugs of the nineteenth century to contemporary examples of media deception.

By examining the allure of deception in reality TV and popular entertainment, Amish Mafia serves as a cautionary tale about the power of storytelling and the importance of critical discernment. It reminds us that while entertainment can be captivating and engaging, it is crucial to be aware of the potential for fabrication and misinformation. As viewers, we must remain vigilant and question the narratives we encounter, seeking out credible sources and verifying the facts before accepting them as truth.

Weight: 499g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781421444185