I was having a conversation with a friend today regarding various movies and television series. And at one point I made a brief aside about Mark Wahlberg being a horrible human being.
My friend looked at me in confusion and asked what Mark Wahlberg had done. I told her and the conversation moved on.
But now I’m wondering. Is my knowledge of Wahlberg’s past unusual? Or was my friend’s ignorance of Wahlberg’s past unusual?
I’m not looking for a general discussion on the topic (you can look it up after answering if you wish). But if somebody said to you that they considered Mark Wahlberg to be a terrible person, would you know what they were talking about?
Okay, maybe I need to dial down what I think is common knowledge.
For the record Mark Wahlberg has been the lead in several major movies; Boogie Nights, Daddy’s Home, The Departed, The Fighter, The Italian Job, The Other Guys, Planet of the Apes, Ted, a couple of the Transformers movies. He’s had two Oscar nominations. He was a successful rapper back in the nineties before moving to acting and he had a reality show about his restaurant business than ran for ten seasons.
I’m pretty familiar with Wahlberg’s life and work and have no idea what you’re talking about.
If it’s about some of the things he did as a youth; does that make him a horrible person in your eyes? Still? You don’t think he may have grown up?
Yes, they were horrible acts. Committed by a 15yo, who went to jail and served his time. And has spent 35 years being a citizen. Is he a horrible person?
You said you aren’t interested in discussing the particulars, but your question is not clear to me. I wouldn’t know for sure what you meant by saying he was a horrible person. I would assume there was some knowledge you had that I didn’t.
Yes, I would know what they were talking about. Walhberg’s iffy past was discussed in popular media already in the 1990’s. Not that many (any other?) A-listers have caused serious injuries to other people.
I have read on-line about Mark Wahlberg’s past, but I am not surprised when I meet someone who is less interested in celebrity trivia than I am. (Not to call what he did “trivial”.)
If this person knew a lot about Mark Wahlberg’s personal life but still didn’t know about what he did in his youth, then in that case I would find it surprising.
His past is pretty much public record and it’s revolting, considering the violence and racism involved. I won’t share the wiki entry (there’s a six-paragraph section devoted to “legal issues”) because I think the preview here would drop the n-bomb repeatedly.
These days he makes more news for a) his intense, Mel Gibson-esque hardcore Catholicism: up praying hours before dawn, church twice on Sunday, loads of proselytizing. Which is no crime even if this atheist finds it over-the-top and somewhat performative. And b) his chest-pumping patriotic machismo (movie after movie about the glories of the American military and lone wolf heroes who kill with near-pornographic glee) and dumbass statements regarding 9/11. He was supposed to be on one of the flights that day, and later claimed he would have single-handedly been able to overpower the hijackers and save the plane. Which, come on.
He has done a lot of charitable work in recent years and good for him, but if the people who he brutalized in his youth choose not to forgive him, I certainly see where they’re coming from.
I’ve liked some of Wahlberg’s movies and know who he is. He’s always come off as someone I probably wouldn’t want to get a beer with in real life, but I don’t have any particular reason to assume he is a “horrible human being.” I would question what you were referring to if you used that phrase without clarification. I am fully aware of every detail of his juvenile criminal record. But there’s a reason such records are usually sealed and juvenile offenders typically are not tried in adult criminal courts–we recognize people have dramatically diminished, physical capacity for decision making in their brains than they do as adults.
Like if I found out someone who was 60 years old and had lead a life as a good and upstanding person from age 18 to 60, but I found out at age 14 they shot and killed someone in a mugging, and had done 6-7 years in juvenile prison for it then got out, gone to college, raised a family etc–I would not assume that person is a horrible person. It’s very easy when you are impressionable and young and from a bad background to fall into a life of crime, and you have a poor capacity for judging the consequences of your crime or controlling your impulsive actions.
I’ve never listened to his music, but I saw some of his films, so I’ve been aware of him for over 20 years (since Boogie Nights I think), and I’ve once read a Cracked article called “15 celebrities with horrible pasts” or some such and thus know what he did in his youth.
To me, the name Mark Wahlberg is vaguely familiar, and when I racked my brains trying to figure out why I’d heard of him, the best I could come up with was “wasn’t he one of the folks involved with Facebook?”.
I certainly don’t remember any details about any scandal.
I was vaguely aware of “Marky-Mark” or whatever his rap name was as a rapper. I’ve seen a lot of Mark Wahlberg movies, and I’m pretty familiar with him as an actor. I have no idea what you’re referring to regarding his past (or I didn’t until reading some of the posts in this thread).
I assume you’re referring to Super Bowl LI, where Wahlberg, who claimed to be a lifelong Patriots fan, left at halftime when the Pats were down 21-3, then when asked about it after the Patriots historic comeback, blamed his early departure on one of his kids.
I aware of his racists past where I think he beat up an Asian guy. I would still ask what you’re talking about since I have no idea if he’s done something recently or you’re complaining about something he did 30 years ago.
Neither. People are different. Some people are more curious and engaged in information about public figures, others not so much.
Personally, I would be someone who would know what you were referring to, but would suggest that maybe using the past tense (in referring to Whalberg being a terrible person) would be more accurate.