Ever since the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, 2022, where Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage, Hollywood award shows have been plagued with controversies. Following the 2022 Oscars, the very next year, Mark Wahlberg got immense hate from fans for presenting an award to an Asian cast during the SAG Awards.
Considering Mark Wahlberg’s notorious history of racism, fans slammed the SAG Awards in 2023 for letting the actor present an award to an Asian cast. Calling out Hollywood’s hypocrisy for taking Wahlberg’s issue lightly while banning Will Smith from the Oscars for slapping Chris Rock, fans waged war on social media.
SAG Awards Faced Criticism Because of Mark Wahlberg
With the award seasons currently going on in Hollywood, it’s time to recall some of the previous year’s incidents that made headlines. Ever since the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, 2022, where Will Smith slapped Chris Rock, Hollywood award shows have been subjected to public scrutiny and controversies.
Therefore, the previous year during the 2023 SAG Awards, the event came under fire for a controversial decision they made. According to CBS News, the award show hired Mark Wahlberg to present the award for Outstanding Performance in a Motion Picture, to the mainly Asian cast of Everything Everywhere All At Once.
Throwing light on Mark Wahlberg’s history of racism and committing several hate crimes, fans openly criticized the SAG Awards for allowing the actor to present the award. Especially since Wahlberg offered the award to the Asian cast, fans sparked controversies over the award show’s decision.
Fans claimed that the actor who went to jail for committing hate crimes against two Asian men at the age of 16 should have never been called on stage to offer the award to an Asian cast. Calling out the award show for taking the issue of racism lightly, netizens crucified the SAG Awards. Although Mark Wahlberg had previously apologized for his history of hate crimes, many fans were still upset with why he was chosen to deliver the award.
Fans Call Out Hollywood’s Hypocrisy After 2023 SAG Awards
Calling out the hypocrisy of Hollywood, fans took the matter to the next level. Comparing the issue created by Will Smith during the 2022 Oscars with Mark Wahlberg presenting an award to an Asian cast during the 2023 SAG Awards, despite his history of racism, fans pinpoint Hollywood’s favoritism.
Claiming that what Will Smith did during the 2022 Oscars wasn’t any sort of racism or hate crime, fans began questioning why the actor was banned from the event, while Hollywood has been taking Mark Wahlberg’s history of racism lightly. Stating that Smith slapping Chris Rock was nothing compared to what Wahlberg had inflicted on people, fans called out the disparity.
I feel like if Mark Wahlberg (or his management) wanted his checkered racist past to fade into obscurity, presenting the SAG award to EEEAAO would not have been on the list of gigs to take.
— Cecilia Tan (@ceciliatan) February 27, 2023
I gotta say, having Mark Wahlberg, who literally went to jail as a teen for committing a hate crime against a Vietnamese man, present an award to the cast of Everything Everywhere All At Once was certainly a choice
— Bonnie Stiernberg (@aahrealbonsters) February 27, 2023
Wahlberg committed these horrific crimes as a minor, & there should be a path to redemption. But there's something wrong with him casting himself as a saint in film after film & never even discussing the true hate crimes he committed. https://t.co/Q8rgvHexpf
— Heather Robinson (@HE_Robinson) February 27, 2023
Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Mark Wahlberg, the man who presented a SAG Award to the cast of Everything Everywhere All At Once, once go to jail for committing a hate crime against a Vietnamese man. An interesting choice, no?
— Tarang / तरंग (he/him) (@tarang_chawla) February 27, 2023
Will Smith ostracized while Mark Wahlberg get to present an award to an Asian cast. #SAGAwards2023
— Torraine Walker (@TorraineWalker) February 27, 2023
Taking to different social media platforms, netizens addressed how hypocritical it was to see Will Smith suffering consequences after slapping Chris Rock, while Mark Wahlberg was invited to present at the SAG awards show. While Smith was under disciplinary review from SAG, Wahlberg’s history of hate crime was taken lightly by the same committee.
