Amish in the City
I just got done watching the new reality show "Amish in the City." I thought that this would be a show I'd watch for the first five minutes, and then flip it off in disgust.

I was surprised, however, when I was quickly sucked in to the show, and was left wanting to see more when it was over.

The premise: put five young Amish in a house in Los Angeles with five so-called "normal" young people. See what happens.

All of the Amish kids are going through their coming of age period where they are allowed to wear non-Amish clothing, wear makeup, and do things ordinarily not experienced by the Amish community. Each of the five are looking to see other aspects of the world to then choose whether to continue in the Amish tradition or to break it.

The expected culture shock sets in immediately, but it is more from the non-Amish housemates, who think that they are the victims of a bad joke. One of the housemates, Reese, a flamboyant young gay man, runs in horror from the Amish people, smacking into a closed patio door.

However, once the Amish kids change out of their bonnets and suspenders, the other housemates begin to open up. The Amish kids are very attractive, and the other housemates take notice.

But the differences are still apparent when one of the Amish guys, Mose, who is my favorite person on the show, asks Nick, a tooly, tough guy from Boston, if he likes puzzles or tricks. "No," Nick says gruffly. "Not puzzles?" asks Mose. "No," Nick says. "Oh, because I brought a lot of those," Mose says, with a hint of self-defeat.

Through several planned activities, the housemates come to understand and appreciate each other and the different worlds from where they came. One outing has the "regular" kids dressing up in Amish clothes to see how the public reacts. The group also takes a trip to the beach, which is something the Amish kids have never done before. It's sweet to see how much they appreciate something that most of us take for granted.

The show is done well, there is no editorial judgement made upon the Amish kids. If anything, the normal kids are seen in the negative light, as they make ignorant statements and show their own prejudice against the Amish kids, who seem very normal, down-to-earth, and open to any experience that is put before them.

Already, though, the drama was beginning to pervade. And I think once everyone grows more comfortable in their surroundings, it will only get worse. I know I'll be watching to see what happens next!