Just Plain Wrong

In this week's episode, we chat about the "Mennonite episodes" of two period dramas, Murdoch Mysteries (CBC) and Grantchester (BBC). We chat about our favorite dramas, Mennonites in England, rocks as weapons, gendered redemption arcs, and more.  Covered this week: Murdoch Mysteries, Season 16, ep 6, "Clean Hands" Grantchester, Season 4, ep 4. Episode is untitled.  We alway...

We're back! In our season 5 opener, we chat about what we did during the pause between seasons, break down the exciting things coming in season 5, and share our favorite non-Amish themed books we've read recently.  One announcement: For season 5, we will be switching to an every-other-week publishing schedule. Season 5 will also be a shorter season of 10 episodes in order to accommodate...

This week we celebrate the completion of another season of Just Plain Wrong! In our Season 4 wrap up, we provide updated listener stats, discuss common tropes, chat about our favorite and most surprising moments from the season, share bloopers, and thank our supporters.  Season 5 will launch in the Fall of 2023, though the exact date is yet to be determined. Follow us on social media or join the P...

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss Amish Forever Home, an Amish Romance set on Prince Edward Island. We chat Anne of Green Gables, auctions, romance tropes and more.  A special shoutout to our Discernment Committee level Patreon members who selected this book for us! We read and referenced this article: Understanding Amish Migrations to New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Manitoba, by Gabri...

This week, the MennoBrarians take a deep dive into Amish Romance self-publishing. Inspired by the conversation on Amish Country Treasure in season 2, in which Tillie speculated the book was written by a bot, Erin went on a research journey to see if she could figure out if the text was written by a human or AI (findings: inconclusive). In this episode, Erin shares some of what she found during thi...

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss YouTuber Peter Santenello's multi-part series on the Amish. We chat Pinecraft, interview techniques, and our favorite moments from the videos. We also maintain that Lemon Meringue and Key Lime pie are very different, and that Peter should work on mastering his pie identification skills.  Links to videos discussed this episode:  Meeting the Amish - First Im...

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss Nancy Drew book #33: The Witch Tree Symbol. During this episode of the Nancy Drew book series, Nancy helps recover stolen furniture in Pennsylvania Dutch Country. She and her friends stay with Amish families, drive buggies, attend a quilting bee AND a barn raising, and (of course!) solve the mystery.  We chat hex signs, Church Amish vs House Amish, outdated YA...

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss the the Netflix movie, Rumspringa, a coming of age / buddy comedy about a young Amish boy, Jacob, who travels to Germany for his Rumspringa. We chat family history trips, where to find the Original Hostetler, tree felling, Kazoos, magical zippers, and much more.  We always love hearing from listeners! You can reach us at plainwrongpod at gmail.com, or on Twitte...

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss the Oscar winning movie adaptation of Women Talking (tho we did not yet know at the time we recorded that it would win!). Women Talking was written by Sarah Polley, who won an Oscar for Best Adaptation. We covered the book Women Talking by Canadian Mennonite author Miriam Toews in our last episode, season 4 episode 13.  Tune in for discussions on differences be...

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss Women Talking, a book by Canadian Mennonite author Miriam Toews that tells a fictional story based on true events that took place in the Old Colony Mennonite colony in Bolivia.  We will cover the movie in our next episode, which will be out the first week of April. We had not yet seen the movie when we recorded this episode on the book. Tune in for discussions...

This week, the MennoBrarians chat with the author of the Amish Vampires in Space, Kerry Nietz. We learn how the AVIS came to exist, what it was like to be mentioned on the Tonight Show, and get important author-info on the question of vampire souls. Thanks to Kerry for joining us! Follow Kerry on Twitter: https://twitter.com/KerryNietz  Find his books, including AVIS, on Amazon:  https://www.amazo...

This week, the MennoBrarians cover the book When the English Fall by David Williams - a book that guest Valerie Weaver-Zercher recommended we cover way back in season one. Tune in for a conversation about apocalypse prepping, teenage profits, realistic pacifist dilemmas and more.  Content note:  Descriptions of gun violence from the book are referenced in  our discussion.  We always love hearing f...

This week, the MennoBrarians cover the 1989 horror movie, Warlock. We chat about all kinds of things this week, including our "unexpected" horror experiences, Mennonite PA dutch hex signs, cabbage farms, implausible movie plot points and what someone from 1691 might smell like. Around the time we recorded this episode, news broke that the actor who played The Warlock, Julian Sands, went...

This week, the MennoBrarians chat with Dirk Eitzen, professor of Media Studies at Franklin & Marshall College, and author of the newly released book, Fooling with The Amish: Amish Mafia, Entertaining Fakery, and the Evolution of Reality TV .   We chat about Amish Mafia, media literacy, Amish romance, social gossip, and the connections between all of these. We return frequently to questions aro...

This week, the MennoBrarians cover the the "Amish Episode" of the 80s TV show, MacGyver.  After accidentally careening off a cliff, MacGyver is rescued and nursed back to health by a nearby Amish family. During his stay, he helps mediate a conflict between the Amish and a construction crew, makes eyes at an Amish widow, and saves two children who have fallen into a well. We chat bad driv...

This week, the MennoBrarians chat sequels! We selected three sequels to books covered in earlier seasons of Just Plain Wrong, and share what happens next.  Covered this episode:  Tillie: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Crime by Tamar Myers. This is the 2nd book in the PA Dutch Mystery series.  The first book was covered in Season 1, ep 17. Erin: Crimson Storm by Amy Patrick, the 2nd book in the Crimso...

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss several episodes of the tv show, The Office, with special attention paid to the family history and backstory of Assistant to the Regional Manager, Dwight Schrute. Is his family Amish? Probably not, but it's fun to speculate! We chat beet farms, tenuous Amish connections, and our favorite Office moments.  Episodes covered:  Season 2, Ep 20: Drug Testing  Se...

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss Mennonite and Amish representations on social media, with a particular focus on Amish TikTok. With us to discuss her research and interest in Amish TikTok is Dr. Melanie Springer-Mock, Professor of English at George Fox University. We chat about personal social media habits, authenticity, connections to reality television and lots more.  Follow Melanie on Twitt...

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss the Hallmark movie Runaway Romance, in which the same cast from Love Finds You in Charm  and Follow Your Heart reunites in an Amish community in Kentucky. We chat idyllic runaway spots, the dangers of visiting caves with strangers,  terrible driving and confusing plot lines.  We always love hearing from listeners! You can reach us at plainwrongpod at gmail.com,...

The MennoBrarians couldn't find any Amish-themed Christmas movies, so we took a different angle to stay in the holiday spirit - reading the book Not Regina by Mennonite author, Christmas Carol Kauffman. We chat unlikely romances, early anabaptism, Mennonite propaganda and more.  We always love hearing from listeners! You can reach us at plainwrongpod at gmail.com, or on Twitter, Instagram, an...

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss the book Killer Carol, by Laura Bradford, the 7th book in the "An Amish Mystery" series.  We chat cozy winter memories, Amish villiany, and why you definitely shouldn't buy your partner a house without telling them first.  We always love hearing from listeners! You can reach us at plainwrongpod at gmail.com, or on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook...

This week, the MennoBrarians launch season 4! In our season opener, we chat about what we did during the pause between seasons, break down the exciting things coming in season 4, and share our favorite non-Amish themed books we've read recently.  We always love hearing from listeners! You can reach us at plainwrongpod at gmail.com, or on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. If you want to help s...

This year the Mennonite/s Writing Conference took place Sept 30-Oct 2, 2022 at Goshen College and Tillie Yoder and Abby Nafziger got to present as a part of a panel on Humor. Here is a recording (due a head of time to practice) of their presentation called "Humorously Wrong: A Presentation on Just Plain Wrong. We always love hearing from listeners! You can reach us at plainwrongpod at gmail.c...

This week, the MennoBrarians muse on the highs and lows of season 3 and wonder at how fast time moves. We also check up on important statistics about listener location, types of content reviewed, and tropes encountered. We also issue some corrections, clarifications, and updates (including about the "witches" in our families).  We always love hearing from listeners! You can reach us at p...

This week, the MennoBrarians discuss the Amish romance novel Strength in the Storm by Laurel Blount.  We give lots of quizzes, lament the underappreciation of the heroine, and applaud the book's attempt to dismantle toxic masculinity.   Content note: Gun violence is referenced and discussed throughout this episode, albeit without the depth that such an issue merits. If this might be triggerin...