‘Amish Mafia’ Cancelled: Star Alan Beiler Not Worried About Show’s Fate, Calls ‘Respect Amish’ Movement ‘Free Advertising’ [VIDEO]
A movement to have Discovery Channel's Amish Mafia banned from filming in Lancaster County and removed from television altogether isn't worrying one of the controversial program's stars.
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Alan Beiler, who has appeared in all three seasons of the show (though his appearance was more limited during the third season due to a prison sentence), hasn't spoken out about the movement much, but didn't appear to look at it as a threat when a fan asked him about it on Facebook.
"What's your opinion on this?" a fan asked Beiler August 8, posting a photo of a local newspaper which had an article on the movement featured as a cover story.
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"Free advertisement," Beiler responded with a smiling emoticon.
The show has been encountering an increased backlash since the Respect Amish movement started up in June, after local filmmaker Mary Haverstick felt the show was exhibiting racism towards the peaceful people who have helped characterize the area where they live.
In an interview with a local news station when she started the movement in mid-June, Haverstick explained that she felt the often violent acts depicted on the show exhibited an extreme form of bigotry that was putting a negative spin on the group's strictly religious lifestyle.
"You can't put shows on like this about Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, Evangelical[people]...it's just plain wrong," she said at the time. "I mean, you just can't do it and it would be seen for what it is, which is bigoted. It is bigoted and prejudice."
Her movement has since garnered the support of both business and religious organizations in the county as well.
In a joint statement July 23, both the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Pennsylvania Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau spoke out against the show and officially joined the movement, encouraging over 3,000 businesses that are members of their organizations to boycott the series and refuse to allow Discovery to use them for shooting locations.
"Over the last few years, a growing number of TV-based attempts have been made to exploit this lifestyle" the statement read. "These attempts, often under the guise of 'reality television,' raise serious questions of religious and cultural bias."
They were joined recently by the Lancaster County Council of Churches, which represents over 200 religious organizations in the area.
The growing movement and the increased backlash also resulted in an appearance by Beiler, Lebanon Levi Stoltzfus and Merlin Miller at a Lancaster Barnstormers baseball game in early July to be cancelled, something Beiler did respond to on his Facebook.
"I regret to inform everyone that the cast from Amish Mafia will not be attending the Barnstormers game this Friday night. We were looking forward to coming together to make the night not about us but to raise money for the charity Children Deserve a Chance," he wrote at the time. "Unfortunately us making an appearance for a good cause upset some people in the community and they lashed out...People should see the good in others and the good things they are trying to do. I think then the world would be a better and much happier place. God bless you all. Sorry again."
The show has not been confirmed for a season four return by Discovery, and has reportedly been on a hiatus since February 26 after the cast reportedly revolted against film crews.
