The Amish. "The secluded society in Pennsylvania." "People who dress in old fashioned clothes." "People who don't use electricity." All of these phrases are things that most people might say to describe the Amish people. These messages are reinforced by the media and I would say most people are of a particular knowledge of the Amish thanks to musician Weird Al's hit song"Amish Paradise." The message is consistent and the image is conveyed through their dress and lifestyle. The fact that these messages are being sent is important because most Amish do not view the media, and thus may not have a complete idea of how the outside world sees them or how they are portrayed.

I think its too bad that most people will never meet an Amish person in their lifetime. The messages conveyed are limiting because it kind of makes it seem like Amish people don't want to meet you! However, many people know that Amish are very welcoming in their towns and love having people come to shop and eat. The social implications for the Amish are enormous. They are citizens of the same country as we are but their opinion may be seen as being less important because they are less vocal in the media and in defending their image.

The Amish have become a topic of interest for television in particular. Amish Mafia on Discovery Channel and Breaking Amish on TLC. My conclusion is that the image of who the Amish are is the one that the media can make the most money off of. Would the word "Amish" have any intrigue if it meant the same thing as "white suburban" or "caucasian" or "Christian"? NO. People can monetize the Amish brand for their own benefit and not have to fear the repercussions or criticism from the Amish in the public sphere because the Amish are not present there either!