EdwardKnoxII Posted July 10, 2004 Report Posted July 10, 2004 http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,14470,00.html UPN: Amish Next Hot Thing by Lia Haberman Jul 8, 2004, 1:30 PM PT Bondage babes, horny bachelors and bug-crunching fame seekers need not apply for UPN's newest reality series. Indeed, the network's tapped into a large pool of previously unjaded participants for its latest TV experiment, Amish in the City. UPN announced today that the fish-out-of-water series, starring the horse-and-buggy set, would premiere in less than three weeks, with back-to-back episodes airing July 28. The Real World-style series pairs five Amish youths with six of their big-city counterparts, including a party girl and a club promoter, in a swanky Hollywood Hills home and tracks the ensuing culture clash as the housemates take a helicopter ride to a resort island, work with the mentally disabled and walk the red carpet at a movie premiere. Casting for the Amish youths was conducted mostly in the Midwest during the coming-of-age period known as rumspringa (Pennsylvania Dutch for "running around"), when the Amish are allowed to experience more "normal" teen activities, such as dating and driving, before deciding if they want to join the church. But "running around" is a relative term for the simple-living Amish. When the concept was first announced in January, it provoked an uproar from TV critics, advocacy groups and political types, with 51 members of Congress lending their John Hancocks to an anti-UPN petition. But network execs denied any allegations of exploitation. "Foremost in our minds as we went forward was to treat with the highest respect the young Amish people who were entering a world they had never before experienced," said a statement from UPN prez Dawn Ostroff. "In working with our producers, two of whom produced The Devil's Playground, a film that touched on many of these same issues, we believe we have succeeded in developing a program that is both serious and entertaining and ultimately very thought-provoking." As such, the series had to be filmed in secrecy and wasn't touted on the network's upcoming schedule at its upfront presentation to advertisers in May. The secrecy paid off for the network--CBS was forced to indefinitely postpone a similar series, the Real Beverly Hillbillies, after critics accused the Tiffany net of conducting a "hick hunt" through the Appalachians.
starvenger Posted July 10, 2004 Report Posted July 10, 2004 This has the potential to be either very interesting or really, really bad. Unfortunately the "Real World-style" angle would make me think that it'll be bad. These Amish kids would probably be ready for the real world, but I can't see them being ready for "The Real World".
Guest Agent of Oblivion Posted July 10, 2004 Report Posted July 10, 2004 This will be cool only if most of them renounce their Amish heritage. I love temptation.
Guest Salacious Crumb Posted July 10, 2004 Report Posted July 10, 2004 I'd imagine they'll ruin this by throwing every extreme in society at them. It could be interesting seeing how they react to every day things but we know it's just going to be them running into every kind of freak imaginable.
razazteca Posted July 10, 2004 Report Posted July 10, 2004 This will be cool only if most of them renounce their Amish heritage. I love temptation. Amish lesbian porn stars?
Guest FrigidSoul Posted July 10, 2004 Report Posted July 10, 2004 This will be cool only if most of them renounce their Amish heritage. I love temptation. They won't have to. I imagine most of them will tossed out for taking part in this. It will be funny however to see a girl show more than just her ankle in front of one of the Amish males. I bet he creams his pants.
Guest Salacious Crumb Posted July 10, 2004 Report Posted July 10, 2004 I would really doubt most would renounce being Amish. Amish products are a very profitable business.
2GOLD Posted July 10, 2004 Report Posted July 10, 2004 But in being part in this, haven't they just eliminated the fact they are now Amish? I mean the only reason we make fun of the Amish is they don't see us on television. So by starring in a television program, doesn't that automatically end any hope they can have of being Amish? Oh that wacky UPN with their stupid ideas. I can wait for "Abortion now!" Sundays on FOX. Where guys try to knock up their girls and then convince them to have an abortion and the first one who can do it gets ONE MILLION DOLLARS! And the losers? THEY HAVE TO KEEP THE BABY! See, it's high risk! Like Fear Factor meets Eden!
razazteca Posted July 10, 2004 Report Posted July 10, 2004 Fox already stole the idea of putting a white mom in a black family home from the Chapelle Show, so anything can happen.
starvenger Posted July 11, 2004 Report Posted July 11, 2004 But in being part in this, haven't they just eliminated the fact they are now Amish? I mean the only reason we make fun of the Amish is they don't see us on television. So by starring in a television program, doesn't that automatically end any hope they can have of being Amish? I think that there's some sort of rite of passage where the Amish kids learn about the big, bad world and then decide what they want to do.
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