The Amish: America's Most Dedicated…Hipsters?

The Amish:

America's Most Dedicated…Hipsters?

          Take a look at this clip by one of my least favorite humans on earth, Weird Al Yankovich.  The only thing he's good for is gathering together easily identifiable stereotypes associated with a given topic or demographic, and exploiting those for his own sorry gain.  Let's try to pick apart some of the stereotypes he's unearthed here about the Amish:

• All are farmers - while many Amish do continue farming, many have jobs doing other work such as carpentry, construction, and furniture making.
• They have "plain" women - who's to say that a woman is "plain" by what she is wearing, or how much make-up she has on?  Many women look more genuine and therefore more attractive without pretentious clothing or heaps of paint covering their face.
• They hate electricity (only candle-light is acceptable)
• They don't use cars because they hate them
• They don't use phones … because they hate electricity - Contrary to popular belief, the Amish actually do use these things, and even have lights in their homes, and carry personal cell-phones for business purposes.  Some hire drivers to take them in cars to places they need to be, and some travel on public transport such as planes and trains.

          

Again illustrated below here as a light-minded critique of the Amish lifestyle, this meme has a negative effect on the public's perception about what Amish believe and the reason behind it.  The most common misconception, it seems, is their treatment of technology, presented by, media and by mistaken word of mouth.  

          

           The media conveys the idea that the Amish hate technology because they believe it is evil.  More accurately put, the Amish are selective users technologically.  They do not consider technology evil in and of itself; the evil stems from the results of living with modern technology perpetually and without restriction.  It makes sense.  Amish children spend their time learning how to provide for themselves rather than leveling up on Zelda.  Cyber-bullying takes a back-seat to stick-pull--a more dignified and straightforward means of conflict resolution.  Seldom is there an Amish girl whose goal it is to keep up with the Kardashians, or shape her butt like J-Lo's.  

         

Social stereotypes can limit a group's ability to interact with society.  When one person has pre-conceived notions of what another is like, labels appear, conversations are directed down unfair paths, and people are excluded.  The Amish are a peace-loving people with many moral values almost universally accepted as 'good.'  Without all the facts, the outside world finds it easy to count them out as behind-the-times, radical, or even dangerous to modernity.  We do know, however--from their longstanding and numerous examples of kindness and benevolence--that the "real world," could stand to learn a thing or two about priorities from a people so pious.