“Amish Mafia” Season 4 News: New Season at Risk to Cancel; Two Organizations in Pennsylvania with Over 3,000 Business Members Refuse to Allow Filming

While there is no confirmation yet regarding the fourth season of “Amish Mafia” due to the dispute between the cast the show’s crew, the series comeback may be jeopardized because of another reason. The Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and the Pennsylvania Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau have asked local members of their organizations to refrain from assisting the crews who are aiming to shoot scenes for the series. While there is no confirmation yet regarding the fourth season of “Amish Mafia” due to the dispute between the cast the show’s crew, the series comeback may be jeopardized because of another reason. The Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and the Pennsylvania Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau have asked local members of their organizations to refrain from assisting the crews who are aiming to shoot scenes for the series. Local filmmaker Mary Haverstick started the movement last June. The movement aims to fight what she referred to as “Amish-spoilation.” The filmmaker hopes that the movement will be an instrument to get shows like “Amish Mafia” to taken off air. She believes that such TV programs create a negative and wrongful perception of the peace-loving and religious people. Lancaster Online reported that the two organizations signed a joint statement on July 23, requesting businesses that have memberships with them to stop assisting TV crews who endeavour to give the Amish a negative image. A part of the joint statement reads, “Over the last few years, a growing number of TV-based attempts have been made to exploit this lifestyle. These attempts, often under the guise of ‘reality television,’ raise serious questions of religious and cultural bias.” According to the same statement, the exploitation “...consistently portrays the entire county in a negative light and stands to significantly damage our overall reputation as a wonderful place to live, visit and do business.” Over 3,000 local businesses are enlisted as members of the two organizations. Haverstick also started a website RespectAmish.org and a Facebook page to help spread the word and gain support from the online community. The website has an introduction that reads, “No religious group in America should have to endure a barrage of 'reality' television filled with criminal acts and non-stop images of their youth in violation of their beliefs. Neighbors are now speaking out and saying this is not the Amish community we know and bears little resemblance to reality.” In an interview with a local news station, the filmmaker explained how shows like “Amish Mafia, “Breaking Amish,” and “Amish Haunting,” are a form of bigotry as they portray a negative light to the Amish lifestyle. As of posting, no premiere date for Amish Mafia Season 4 has been announced yet. The show is currently on hiatus after the reported cast and crew dispute.