Sign-In
Cart
Fooling with the Amish: Amish Mafia, Entertaining Fakery, and the Evolution of Reality TV
Audio Book
Entertainment & Performing ArtsTelevision
Currently unavailable to order
Please enter your email and a message will be sent to you when this product becomes available on our website.
Publisher: Recorded Books
Published: Sep 13 2022
Language: English
Using Amish Mafia as a window into the interplay between the real and the imagined, this book dissects the peculiar appeals and potential dangers of deception in reality TV and popular entertainment.
When Amish Mafia was released in 2012, viewers were fascinated by the stories of this secret group of Amish and Mennonite enforcers who used threats, extortion, and violence to keep members of the Amish community in line--and to line their own pockets. While some of the stories were based loosely on actual events, the group itself was a complete fabrication. Its members were played by ex-Amish and ex-Mennonite young adults acting out scenarios concocted by the show's producers. What is most extraordinary about Amish Mafia is that, even though it was fictional, it was cleverly constructed to appear real. Discovery Channel, which aired it, assiduously maintained that it was real; whole episodes were devoted to proving that it was real; and many viewers (including smart reality TV fans) were fooled into believing it was real.
In Fooling with the Amish, Dirk Eitzen examines the fakery in Amish Mafia and how actual viewers of the show responded to it to discover answers to two questions that have long 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 answer to these questions is that, in taking liberties with facts, Amish Mafia works very much like gossip. This helps to explain the workings not just of this and other reality TV shows but also of other forms of media fakery, including fake news.
The book winds through numerous fascinating case studies of media fakery, from P. T. Barnum's famous humbugs of the nineteenth century to recent TV news scandals. It examines the social and emotional appeals of other forms of entertaining fakery, including professional wrestling and supermarket tabloids. It explains how and why conventions of contrivance evolved in reality TV as well as the ethics of media fakery. And, for readers interested in the Amish, it tells how the ex-Amish stars of Amish Mafia got involved in the show and the impact that involvement had on their lives.
1 different editions
Also available
Fooling with the Amish: Amish Mafia, Entertaining Fakery, and the Evolution of Reality TV
Eitzen, Dirk
Hardcover
Also in
Television
The Official Sherlock Puzzle Book: Are You as Smart as Sherlock Holmes? (Sherlock Holmes Puzzle, Detective Gifts, Mystery Gifts)
Maslanka, Chris
Tribe, Steve
Paperback
Anime from Akira to Princess Mononoke: Experiencing Contemporary Japanese Animation
Napier, S.
Paperback
I'll Believe in Anything: The Making of Heated Rivalry Season 1 (the Annotated Scripts)
Tierney, Jacob
Hardcover
Lil' John: Laughing My Way Through Life: Stories from an Accidental Career on Cleveland Tv--And More!
Rinaldi, John
Paperback
Screenwriter's Bible, 7th Edition: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script
Trottier, David
Paperback
Bottom of the Pyramid: A Memoir of Persevering, Dancing for Myself, and Starring in My Own Life
Sioux, Nia
Hardcover
The Tribe and I Have Spoken: The Definitive (Unofficial) Lore and Legacy from the Game's Smartest Surviving Loser
Cesternino, Rob
Kavutskiy, Alex
Hardcover
Parks and Rec: The Underdog TV Show That Lit'rally Inspired a Vision for a Better America
Keishin Armstrong, Jennifer
Hardcover
A Place Both Wonderful and Strange: The Extraordinary Untold History of Twin Peaks
Meslow, Scott
Hardcover
The Sopranos Family Cookbook: As Compiled by Artie Bucco
Bucco, Artie
Rucker, Allen
Scicolone, Michele
Hardcover
Don't Buy What I'm Selling: On Breaking Up with Advertising and Finally Learning to Love My Whole, Fat Self
Chekowsky, Lu
Hardcover
Scriptnotes: A Book about Screenwriting and Things That Are Interesting to Screenwriters
Mazin, Craig
August, John
Hardcover
Love Johnny Carson: One Obsessive Fan's Journey to Find the Genius Behind the Legend
Malkoff, Mark
Hardcover
Andy's Bravo Scrapbook: Twenty Years Behind the Scenes of the Real Housewives and the Bravoverse
Cohen, Andy
Hardcover
Book Meets World: The Definitive Inside Story of the Hit Sitcom Boy Meets World
Fishel, Danielle
Strong, Rider
Friedle, Will
Hardcover
Heroes' Feast (Dungeons & Dragons): The Official D&d Cookbook
Peterson, Jon
Witwer, Michael
Newman, Kyle
Hardcover
The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better
Storr, Will
Paperback
I Am the Night: The Ultimate Unauthorized History of Batman: The Animated Series
Dockery, Daniel
Hardcover
Yellowstone: The Official Dutton Ranch Family Cookbook: Delicious Homestyle Recipes from Character and Real-Life Chef Gabriel Gator Guilbeau
Guilbeau, Gabriel Gator
Hardcover
Save the Cat!(r) Writes for TV: The Last Book on Creating Binge-Worthy Content You'll Ever Need
Nash, Jamie
Paperback
The Love Producer: My Unscripted Journey from a Reality TV Career to My Own Happily Ever After
Laplaca, Julie
Paperback
Love in the Afternoon, and Evening: Essays and Conversations on Soap Operas
Druckman, Charlotte
Sen, Mayukh
Paperback
Sookie's Recipe Book: Gilmore Girls: An Official Cookbook
Fish, Elizabeth
Ostow, Micol
Craig, Elena
Hardcover
No Lessons Learned: The Making of Curb Your Enthusiasm as Told by Larry David and the Cast and Crew
HBO
Ali, Lorraine
Hardcover
Exquisite Exandria: The Official Cookbook of Critical Role
Critical Role
Szewczyk, Jesse
Marsham, Liz
Hardcover
Star Wars: Galactic Drinks: From Mandalorian Mocktails to Cantina Cafs, Captivating Beverages Inspired by a Galaxy Far, Far Away!
Fujikawa, Jenn
Sumerak, Marc
Hardcover
Reality TV for Snobs: Everything You Need to Know about the Shows You're Too Intellectual to Watch
Barthwell, Ali
Paperback
Young Sheldon: The (Juicier-Than-Meemaw's-Brisket) Inside Story of the Hit Comedy
Radloff, Jessica
Hardcover
The Dunder Mifflin Employee Manual: How to Succeed in Work--And Life--According to the Office
Lieberstein, Warren
Baumgartner, Brian
Silverman, Ben
Hardcover
Supernatural: The Official Cookbook: Burgers, Pies, and Other Bites from the Road
Tremaine, Julie
Hardcover
Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated
Arngrim, Alison
Paperback
Gilmore Girls: The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge: The Official Guide to All the Books
Berlin, Erika
Hardcover
Survivor Legends: The Players Who Changed the Game (Unofficial & Unauthorized)
Merchant, Shaan
Hardcover
The Golden Girls Cookbook: More Than 90 Delectable Recipes from Blanche, Rose, Dorothy, and Sophia
Styler, Christopher
Hardcover
The Structure of Story: How to Write Great Stories by Focusing on What Really Matters
Hartmann, Ross
Paperback
The Witcher Official Cookbook: Provisions, Fare, and Culinary Tales from Travels Across the Continent
Sarna, Anita
Krupecka, Karolina
Hardcover
So Gay for You: Friendship, Found Family, and the Show That Started It All
Moennig, Kate
Hailey, Leisha
Paperback
This Book Is All Elite: The Inside Story of All Elite Wrestling
Greenberg, Keith Elliot
All Elite Wrestling
Hardcover
Do What You're Gonna Do: The Definitive Oral History of Breaking Bad
Norris, Dean
Layden, Joe
Hardcover
Cinematic Immunity: An Oral History of New York Filmmaking as Told by the Crews That Got the Shot
Nirenberg, Michael Lee
Paperback
Doctor Who: 1,001 Nights in Time and Space: Folktales Rescued from Around the Whoniverse
Magrs, Paul
Official Doctor Who Licensed
Cole, Steve
Hardcover
So Gay for You: Friendship, Found Family, and the Show That Started It All
Moennig, Kate
Hailey, Leisha
Hardcover
Stranger Things: Worlds Turned Upside Down: The Official Behind-The-Scenes Companion
McIntyre, Gina
Hardcover
Essentials of Screenwriting: The Art, Craft, and Business of Film and Television Writing
Walter, Richard
Paperback
The Crafter's Kitchen: An Official Minecraft Cookbook for Young Chefs and Their Families
Berne, Emma Carlson
Mojang Ab
Davidson, Danica
Hardcover
My Friend Johnny: The Last 20 Years of a Beautiful Life with Johnny Carson and Friends
Smith, Howard
Hardcover
Stupid Tv, Be More Funny: How the Golden Era of the Simpsons Changed Television-And America-Forever
Siegel, Alan
Hardcover
Midsomer Murders Location Guide: Discover the Villages, Pubs and Churches Behind the Hit TV Series
Hopkinson, Frank
Paperback
I Blame Television: Essays on the Pop Culture that Raised, Ruined, and Enraptured Me
Teets, Elizabeth
Paperback
What's Next: A Backstage Pass to the West Wing, Its Cast and Crew, and Its Enduring Legacy Ofservice
Fitzgerald, Melissa
McCormack, Mary
Hardcover
The Golden Girls Cookbook: Cheesecakes and Cocktails!: Desserts and Drinks to Enjoy on the Lanai with Blanche, Rose, Dorothy, and Sophia
Styler, Christopher
Hardcover
The Official Wednesday Cookbook: The Woefully Weird Recipes of Nevermore Academy
Mancusi, Mari
Melendez, Jarrett
Hardcover
Gilmore Girls Life Lessons: The Official Guide to Love, Friendship, and Coffee
Ulster, Laurie
Hardcover
Goodnight, John Boy: A Celebration of an American Family and the Values That Have Sustained Us Through Good Times and Bad
Giffin, Ralph
Hamner, Earl
Paperback
En Vivo Desde América: Cómo La TV Latina Conquistó Estados Unidos. Premio Publishers Weekly Booklife 2026
Marín, Javier
Paperback
Fallout: The Official Drinks Book: Post-Apocalyptic Potations for Every Wastelander
Reeder, Cassandra
Kwong, Erin
Hardcover
The Official Bridgerton Guide to Entertaining: How to Cook, Host, and Toast Like a Member of the Ton: A Cookbook
Timberlake, Emily
Hardcover
Springfield Confidential: Jokes, Secrets, and Outright Lies from a Lifetime Writing for the Simpsons
Reiss, Mike
Klickstein, Mathew
Paperback
Star Wars: The Mandalorian Cookbook: Official Recipes from the Outer Reaches of the Galaxy
Fujikawa, Jenn
Sumerak, Marc
Hardcover
Lost (and Found) in Space 2: Blast Off into the Expanded Edition
Cartwright, Angela
Mumy, Bill
Hardcover
The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better
Storr, Will
Hardcover