Work

The Occu-Soap, Adrift

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: With its interest in going behind the scenes of elite maritime travel, it may seem at times as if Below Deck ’s documentation is less about demystification and more about further glamorizing luxury tourism. However, in its depiction of superyacht work culture, the franchise shows how “yachties” are promised an exotic experience but are quickly disabused by the grueling, repetitive physicality of onboard labor. This article focuses on the workplace culture of the superyacht, showing how persistent occupational conventions and hierarchies dramatize the occu-soap and the social worlds of work beyond it.

Source: Television & New Media

DOI: 10.1177/15274764261434887

Author: Nitin Govil

Institution: University of Southern California

Language: English

Topic: Emotional Labor in Professions

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,650