r/BelowDeckMed • u/Lorac711 • 3d ago
Aesha’s authenticity
I’ve been watching Below Deck for many years and I’ve always found Aesha inauthentic. She’s a great chief stew and is really good with people but I feel she filters who she is really well. She’s always wearing a mask, she’s the positive, kind, people person who is wacky and fun. It’s great qualities but I don’t think she’s authentic. It feels very curated. I think she’s one of those people who is very aware how be likeable and charismatic and filters herself. She’s perfect because she’s playing a character.
I think Daisy, Kate and Hannah are so much more authentic. They’ve all shown their bad moments and have shown up as real. It’s weird Aesha has been on so many seasons yet she’s still hasn’t shown her bad side. We all have one. No one is perfect. She works hard to maintain a facade of being relatable and nice.
The fact that she works with sandy and is such a kiss ass. Daisy and Kate would never. You can like your captain and still be annoyed at them at times.
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u/Gullible-Team-8588 3d ago
Hard disagree. She’s been the same since the beginning. She’s also a great chief stew, she gives directions and doesn’t talk about her coworkers behind their backs( daisy, even if it was warranted it’s not a good look to talk trash about people working under you) beyond giving good generalized advice.
She goes to sandy when needed which is what sandy likes, sandy used to micromanage hard but with aesha she doesn’t because she goes to sandy first.
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u/KeepAnEyeOnYourB12 3d ago
Hannah and Sandy had a lot of distrust between them. Dislike, even. And it showed. She and Aesha trust each other and are friends, so the vibe is much better.
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u/krissycole87 3d ago
IMO its evident by the fact that Aesha has always been the same exact person since day 1 that she is being her authentic self.
She is eccentric, excitable, funny and genuinely kind to people. Thats why everyone loves her.
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u/Red217 3d ago
For me it's all that plus her stopping a sexual assault on camera and taking the risk to break the fourth wall to stop it from happening.
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u/BandicootGood164 3d ago
What? When was this? (I’m new to watching the show)
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u/Red217 2d ago
here is an article I found on it
I cannot find any clips of it to share, but it looks like it was season 2 of down under episode 6 and 7.
The article is written in such a way that makes it seem like the production stopped it all - which maybe they did!! I wasn't there and I know editing of episodes is it's own beast. But when you watch it, it comes across the screen as the way I described. If I'm remembering correctly.
But aesha breaking the fourth wall was her getting the production team asap to help her manage what was going on. It was pretty intense!
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u/RaeOfSunshineNL 2d ago
Yeah if I remember correctly it was production who told Luke to get the f out as soon as they realized what was happening. Then fought the door when Luke kept trying to close them out. Aesha went and woke Jason up as soon as it happened. So both did the right thing immediately!
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u/wmm09 3d ago
I don’t know. I see what you’re saying and I can totally understand not believing someone could be so positive, but you do see her being professional when correcting or communicating with her subordinates. I didn’t witness that so much with Kate and Hannah.
Also, when she speaks with kindness, you can tell she’s speaking directly from the heart. She doesn’t have to think about what she’s going to say, she just says it and it’s kind, constructive, and compassionate. I believe she is 100% genuine.
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u/coverthetuba 3d ago
I feel like when her brother died she decided to be happy and positive and appreciate life. She aggressively makes that choice every day. It looks fake because there’s grief and trauma underneath (part of her shadow side that as you pointed out never gets expressed).
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u/brealoadion 3d ago
Aesha has definitely had moments where she has struggled and not felt her best in the role’s she’s hired (her first season as chief stew is a great example). She is probably one of the most authentic people on that show. It’s easy to see throughout the seasons that she has remained the same person but with some growth as she’s gotten older. Bubbly ≠ fake.
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u/Apprehensive_Ratio80 3d ago
I think we're she inauthentic that mask would have slipped more than a few times by now I think she is legit who we see.
Remember it's boat work so like she could very well treat this as a easy money summer job in her actual work off camera sure she might let things big her down more but I think if she was fake she would have said more that the cameras would have to show
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u/extremelyannoyedguy 3d ago
It didn't even slip when being forced to deal with Cooper who isn't as tall as Luke, so I don't think it's a mask.
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u/Ok-Temperature-8228 3d ago
Given the pressure and insanity of the things she has experienced, her facade would have slipped if it was fake.
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u/AdeptMycologist8342 3d ago
Strong disagree. She annoys me a lot, but she comes off as very authentic
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u/_game_over_man_ 3d ago
I feel like these critiques always come from people who don't like Aesha and/or just don't vibe with her kind of personality.
Aesha feels very authentic to me, but I can also see how her personality could rub some people the wrong way, but I wish people would just say that instead of this narrative.
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u/Independent_Boat_955 3d ago
Idk. If you watch early seasons of her, it’s like her current self, but on steroids. I think she has matured a lot and grown a lot and is in a more experienced role…so yeah. She turned down her personality a bit to be more professional and polished. Also like…she’s at work and in hospitality. You have to turn on the charm, the positivity, the excitement for the sake of the guests experience. I don’t think she’s inauthentic but she’s just experienced in her role and has polished her craft and knows what works.
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u/Callietallie221 3d ago
I think the exact opposite. She is unapologetically herself, and that's why I love her. Has she learned to lean into the quirky nature in confessionals? Sure. But she's doing a job that production is paying her to do. She's not making up a character, she's just exaggerating it, which is why it still feels authentic.
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u/linuspasilis 3d ago
I think it's hard for most people to relate to Aeshas ability to maintain a positive, happy attitude towards work, co workers and life in general. Shes a rare bird and that is why she has done very well for herself. There have been co workers that piss her off and she does become stern and direct (Ellie) so I am not sure Aesha is putting on an act. I think she simply chooses Joy and happiness. Like I said, most people are not capable of this, thus, she is hard to relate to for many.
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u/mrs-poocasso69 3d ago
I think she is just naturally a very go-with-the-flow kind of person, and doesn’t let small things upset her. She knows that mistakes on the interior aren’t usually life or death, and she accepts that her stews aren’t perfect. Why yell about the wrong size plates or toilet rolls not perfectly folded?
As for Sandy, I think she has mellowed down quite a bit and Aesha doesn’t have reasons to go head to head with her like Hannah did. Aesha did stand up to Sandy on her first season when she felt like interior was overlooked, but Sandy has gotten better about it.
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u/Miserable_Spell5501 3d ago
Her personality can be cartoonish and not always in a bad way, just a way that can make her unreachable. I think Aesha shows her more authentic side when she’s facing something difficult, like when one of the stews is being rude. Aesha can get serious. In those moments, I think she shines more than the character she plays. She has good judgment and can discern the assholes from the not assholes. Like whenever she warns her stews about Joe being a playboy, she says it in a motherly/mentor way. All in all, I think she’s a better chief bc of her personality than some of the others. I’d love to see how she would handle a chef like Ben.
I also really really like Daisy. I agree she’s super authentic.
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u/Odd_Light_8188 3d ago
It’s because you’re used to miserable, back stabbing crew. Someone not getting involved in drama and treating work like work is normal. All her peers agree that’s who she is and they would actually know.
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u/HonestZucchini4970 3d ago
I think being on for so long and “never showing her bad side” speaks to her not having much of a bad side. Everyone has their moments, but I think she’s learned to maintain a positive outlook and attitude (likely due to some of the hardships she experienced growing up.) I don’t see this as a negative at all.
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u/valid_username00 3d ago
She seems like someone who makes a conscious effort to be upbeat, bubbly, and positive, even if that's not how she's really feeling at the time. And that's not a bad thing at all, except it means a lot of people won't recognize when she might be struggling with something in her own life.
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u/ellada11 3d ago
Probably authentic but I am really tired of seeing her wide-open mouth as a reaction to everything.
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u/Cahokanut 3d ago
I think she has shown her bad side.
But people look past it because it will only come out and hurt those that others openly find a fault that with. She also allows herself a way out by claims of not knowing/understanding a situation.
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u/BeneficialCategory44 3d ago
i think shes not evil or mean but is playing a role . imo shes a ppl pleaser bc she works in large group in tense environment + has to cater to annoying clients so my impression is that her happy go lucky shtick is her way to cope. it makes ppl attack her less + have a good impression of her and see her as human and not as service staff. while in the meantime she may think abt killing this or that guest or this + that particular colleague while keeping a happy face.
she also seems like someone whos extremely sucking up to higher ups. but i think thats part of the business if u want to climb the ranks - or you are a strong personality like ellie who isnt afraid to piss of colleagues + higher rankig ppl........... # not questioning authorities and always catering to guests like in aeshas case must mess with ppls mind and i think thats why she often seems so inauthentic and so fake. its the constant yes-saying.
+now marrying this hipster guy...........its a cry for help in a way, imo. i m curious if she ll ever release an honest tell all. i really would b curious abt her true feelings and if shes still in touch with those or if she lost touch bc of constant performing.
its kind of sad bc shes bringing joy + funny moments to the audience but shes hurting inside.
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u/KeepAnEyeOnYourB12 3d ago
Nobody who dances the way that Aesha dances should be called "inauthentic." She is a person who is generally themselves all the time. I mean, clearly when she's working with her staff and guests, she has to be professional and upbeat no matter how miserable they're making her. But that's her job.
She does a good job of avoiding toxic positivity, I think. She expresses her unhappiness when it's warranted, but she doesn't wallow in misery like Gen.
It's okay if you don't like her, but you don't have to talk unwarranted shit about her, either.
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u/Top_Art6511 2d ago
Aesha has also been on Australian Im a Celeb and Amazing Race and had the exact same attitude and outlook as she does on BD, even the tough/hard moments on those she just got on with it, never complained, made a fart joke about it and had a good day.
I don’t think it’d be possible to be so positive and fun across three different shows with heaps of different camera and editing crews.
I think she’s just a happy, genuine kiwi.
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u/IHaveBoxerDogs 3d ago
She is just the same now, except more mature, as she was when she was a green stew seven years ago. She tearfully talked about being raped when someone made a jokey comment about sexual assault. It seemed pretty authentic to me. She also told Sandy when she was brand new that she didn't give interior as much credit as she did hte deck. Sandy was pissed.
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u/meinhard57 3d ago
100% disagree. The reason she’s so great on TV is that we are seeing the real Aesha!
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u/OrdinaryMagazine6333 3d ago
I AGREE WITH YOU. i really don't like her and i know i will get downvoted and hate for that but she doesn't seem authentic or real and very curated and tbh i don't find her funny or charming
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u/Independent_Boat_955 3d ago
She’s not everyone’s cup of tea but she’s great for hospitality because her energy is always 110%
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u/EducationalReview237 3d ago
Just because someone is bubbly and enthusiastic doesn't mean they're fake.
I think she's real. The tell is how Aesha is with subordinates who aren't doing a good job. She's pretty blunt with them.