Subject of PBS’ “The Amish: Shunned” finds Amish reality shows “inaccurate” and “disappointing”

Tonight, PBS debuts its American Experience film “The Amish: Shunned,” a follow-up to its successful and fascinating 2012 installment “The Amish.” The two-hour “The Amish Shunned” focuses on the Amish practice of “shunning,” and the cost people who leave the Amish pay. The program follows seven former Amish, who reflect on their decisions to leave the community.

Among those featured is Naomi Kramer, a former member of the Old Order Amish who has gone on to become a nurse and to set up the Amish Descendant Scholarship Fund for other former Amish. At a press conference for “The Amish: Shunned” last month, Kramer, pictured above, was asked what she thinks of some of the Amish reality shows on channels such as Discovery and TLC, programs like Amish Mafia and Breaking Amish.

“I think a lot of those shows are a very inaccurate portrayal of the Amish,” Kramer answered, “and I find them personally kind of disappointing. I was very fearful when I was first contacted by PBS to do this documentary because of that. It kind of caused a mistrust for me because of all that’s out there in the media. So, yeah, I think it has caused mistrust within the Amish culture because they do portray them pretty inaccurately.”

Given Kramer’s initial hesitancy to be involved with this project, it says a lot for PBS and American Experience that she eventually felt comfortable enough to tell her story for their cameras. If you’ve seen the original film “The Amish,” I can say that this follow-up offers an equally insightful, mesmerizing and hauntingly photographed foray into this world.

American Experience — The Amish: Shunned premieres Feb. 4 at 9pm ET on PBS.

The film is preceded at 8pm ET by a re-airing of American Experience — The Amish. Check local listings for both programs.

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Courtesy of Naomi Kramer

The post Subject of PBS’ “The Amish: Shunned” finds Amish reality shows “inaccurate” and “disappointing” appeared first on Channel Guide Magazine.

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