Series makes ‘city' kids look bad
By Bruce R. Miller Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, July 30, 2004
"Amish in the City" teaches two valuable lessons:
1. All kids should have the manners of an Amish teen-ager.
2. Everyone could use a rumspringa.
The messages come through, loud and clear, when five Amish kids move in with six "city" kids in the new UPN reality series. Unfortunately, the "city" gang represents some of the worst aspects of a generation. The non-Amish are rude, judgmental and loud. They make life difficult for their visitors and take every opportunity to lampoon them. The Amish, meanwhile, are grateful for the experience, thrilled with little things like swimming and television.
In many ways, this is the "Real World" series MTV doesn't have the guts to make. Sure, the "city" kids are every bit as obnoxious as the ones who move into the MTV mansions. But the Amish are something MTVers wouldn't tolerate. They're too polite, too focused for something as erratic as MTV.
In the opening episode, the five Amish kids get new clothes - not the homemade stuff they're used to - go swimming and learn how to maneuver. The Amish are extremely open. When Ruth sees the ocean for the first time, she cries. It's amazing how truly excited they can be with so little. They're like E.T., enjoying a new world without constructing barriers.
The "city" kids represent a variety of "types." The vegan - Ariel - theorizes about cows (wait 'til you hear what she has to say); the jock - Kevan - misreads a roommate's harangue.
Eleven in one house is too many for anyone to get a grasp of who's really who - particularly during the course of 10 episodes. But rumspringa - an Amish journey of discovery - is an intriguing idea.
What if others got to see what life was like in a whole new world? Would there be greater appreciation? Tolerance?
Think of politicians trading places with the people who elect them. The possibilities are vast.
"Amish in the City" doesn't make the outsiders look bad. It shows how good they've grown to be - without the influence of the hectic world around them. They're not as savvy as they should be, but they're innocents in a very good way.
"Amish in the City" is an intriguing experiment.
As a sequel, six "city" kids should move to an Amish community. Somehow, we think that show wouldn't last two episodes, much less 10.
1. All kids should have the manners of an Amish teen-ager.
2. Everyone could use a rumspringa.
The messages come through, loud and clear, when five Amish kids move in with six "city" kids in the new UPN reality series. Unfortunately, the "city" gang represents some of the worst aspects of a generation. The non-Amish are rude, judgmental and loud. They make life difficult for their visitors and take every opportunity to lampoon them. The Amish, meanwhile, are grateful for the experience, thrilled with little things like swimming and television.
In many ways, this is the "Real World" series MTV doesn't have the guts to make. Sure, the "city" kids are every bit as obnoxious as the ones who move into the MTV mansions. But the Amish are something MTVers wouldn't tolerate. They're too polite, too focused for something as erratic as MTV.
In the opening episode, the five Amish kids get new clothes - not the homemade stuff they're used to - go swimming and learn how to maneuver. The Amish are extremely open. When Ruth sees the ocean for the first time, she cries. It's amazing how truly excited they can be with so little. They're like E.T., enjoying a new world without constructing barriers.
The "city" kids represent a variety of "types." The vegan - Ariel - theorizes about cows (wait 'til you hear what she has to say); the jock - Kevan - misreads a roommate's harangue.
Eleven in one house is too many for anyone to get a grasp of who's really who - particularly during the course of 10 episodes. But rumspringa - an Amish journey of discovery - is an intriguing idea.
What if others got to see what life was like in a whole new world? Would there be greater appreciation? Tolerance?
Think of politicians trading places with the people who elect them. The possibilities are vast.
"Amish in the City" doesn't make the outsiders look bad. It shows how good they've grown to be - without the influence of the hectic world around them. They're not as savvy as they should be, but they're innocents in a very good way.
"Amish in the City" is an intriguing experiment.
As a sequel, six "city" kids should move to an Amish community. Somehow, we think that show wouldn't last two episodes, much less 10.
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