Ted: Mark Wahlberg Set One Major Boundary With Seth MacFarlane Regarding His Jokes
Seth MacFarlane may be known for pushing boundaries when it comes to his comedy, but rarely has he ever made something more downright irreverent than the "Ted" movies. The duology of films, featuring Mark Wahlberg as John and MacFarlane himself as John's childhood teddy bear come to life, often go no-holds-barred with their provocative jokes. Nonetheless, Wahlberg has revealed that he set one major comedic boundary with MacFarlane that he wouldn't let his character in the movies cross.
In an interview with ScreenSlam, Wahlberg spoke about his rigid stance on his comedic boundaries in the "Ted" movies. "I don't think you should be able to censor comedy, but for me, I have boundaries. I told Seth anything with religion, I'm not going to say. Ted can say whatever he wants, but for me, my own personal faith and beliefs, I don't want to go there. He was like, 'No problem.' So, you know, you make your own personal choices."
Wahlberg had an awkward encounter with the Pope regarding Ted
While Mark Wahlberg established very clear boundaries with Seth MacFarlane regarding making jokes about religion in "Ted," there actually is one instance from outside of the films when the popular movie star made a "Ted"-related joke to Pope Francis of all people. Suffice to say, it went over rather poorly.
As reported on by Vanity Fair, during an onstage appearance at Philadelphia's World Meeting of Families event in 2015, Wahlberg said that he had just learned that a 14-year-old opera singer who performed for the venue was a fan of "Ted." "I told him that was not appropriate for his age. Holy Father, please forgive me," the actor joked in reference to the Pope, who was in attendance. He continued: "I've always hoped that the good Lord has a sense of humor, when it comes and pertains to many of the movies that I've made."
Wahlberg's joke garnered laughs from the event's audience, but Pope Francis didn't appear to find the stunt very amusing. In an interview with Adweek a few months after the incident, Wahlberg addressed the incident, noting that the Pope probably didn't have the necessary context for the joke. "He's not one to watch television or go to the movies, so I don't think he knew who I was," he explained. "It's nice to meet somebody who doesn't want to ask you a bunch of questions. He was probably annoyed by me, but it was an honor."