Authenticity of reality show 'Breaking Amish', which airs on TLC and follows the lives of several young people who has left their Amish community, has come under scrutiny, with some critics saying parts of the show's premises are downright fraudulent.
The show, which has been advertised as five young people leaving the close-knit religious community of the Amish for the outside world, has come under fire by critics, saying it lacks in authenticity and fools viewers to believe that the cast is completely new to the world outside of Amish.
One group of critics have made a Facebook page called "Breaking Amish: The Truth", purportedly created to reveal inconsistencies with claims the show has made about the cast. However, according to the people behind the Facebook page, they are not out to spread "hurtful information about the cast," but to "pass on accurate portrayals of Amish and Mennonites."
To prove their point, the group published photographic evidence of the cast members living outside their communities, some of them for years prior to the casting. This stands in stark contrast to the portrayal of the show, where they have been described as just having left their religious community, according to the critics.
In an official statement, TLC has responded saying, "There is a lot of information floating around about the group on 'Breaking Amish.' Much of it is not true, but some of it is- and is addressed in upcoming episodes."
The premiere of the reality show boasted the best ratings of TLC in eight years, according to Examiner.com.
