Mark Makovec

    

Mark Makovec
Makovec in December 2017
Born	Mark Jacob Makovec, Jr. (1988-03-19) March 19, 1988 Escondido, Laguna
Nationality	Sierran
Alma mater	Mulholland University (BA)
Occupation	Journalist food critic
Years active	2015–present
Employer	RBS
Television	The Report of the Week with Mark Makovec
Parents	Mark Makovec, Sr. (father) Debbie Radcliffe (mother)
VidStream information
Play buttons 100,000 subscribers 2013 1,000,000 subscribers 2015 10,000,000 subscribers 2017 50,000,000 subscribers 2019

Mark Jacob Makovic, Jr. (born March 19, 1988) is a Czech-Sierran journalist, radio show host, television personality, and food critic. He is the television host of RBS's The Report of the Week with Mark Makovec and the radio show host of RBS Radio's Voice of Mark Makovec International Show (VMMIS), a weekly podcast and live radio talk show. He also regularly writes columns for Newstar and the Porciúncula Times. On both shows, he covers weekly news and topics and has been described as a moderate, although Makovec has personally avoided turning his programs political. He discusses a wide variety of topics such as philosophy, morality, self-help, and everyday life. He is also an amateur food critic and features a food review segment on The Report of the Week.

Makovec is notable for dressing in 1980s and 1990s styled long suits, his calm and apolitical demeanor, as well as his manner of speaking and vocal inflection. He initially gained notoriety when he began publishing social commentary videos and food reviews on VidStream at the age of 17. He joined RBS as a guest after he won a contest held by the network for content creators. He was eventually picked up in 2015 with his own show which has seen critical success.

Early life

Makovec was born on March 19, 1988, the son of Debbie Makovec (née Radcliffe), a social worker, and Mark Makovec, Sr., a construction company manager. His mother was a native of San Joaquin with English and Jacobite ancestry, while his father was a naturalized Czech immigrant. He was raised with a Catholic background in Escondido, Laguna and graduated from Mission High School. During his adolescence, Makovec began wearing his signature style of suits in public and shared amateur videos covering various subjects to friends and family. Interested in journalism, Makovec was the editor-in-chief of the high school newspaper. During his junior year in high school, Makovec began publishing videos on his VidStream channel where he shared his opinions and did food reviews of popular food chain items. Makovec has stated that his videos were created purely to "express his musings on the human experience and life" and to engage with his viewers. Much of his work was later incorporated into his later career. He interned with the local Escondido Daily Times while he studied at community college. He also joined his community college theater troupe, the Piccadilly Paupers where he learned to overcome his social anxiety and fear of public speaking.

In 2008, Makovec began attending Mulholland University with a major in journalism. He became a senior writer for the The Mulholland Ranger and the media liaison officer for the Associated Students of Mulholland University. He also hosted his own talk show for the university's own radio station, which served as the prototypical basis for his later work in radio through his coverage of a variety of topics.

Career

Makovec became a VidStream personality in 2005 but did not receive monetization from his videos until 2010 when he reached 50,000 subscribers. In June 2011, his channel received its first media coverage when Makovec was featured on the fifth episode of Slapstick TV's comedy show Posh.wav's third season. Makovec's video style and mannerisms were lampooned and Makovec was filmed interacting with Posh.wav's host, Benjamin Posh in a skit format. Following the episode's airing, Makovec's popularity grew and he gained doubled the amount of his subscribers within a month.

In February 2015, he reached 100,000 subscribers and received the VidStream Silver Play button. He started work as a professional columnist for Newstar, becoming a regular contributor towards the magazine's lifestyle and culture section. His increased reach across media garnered attention from several major publication companies, and he was invited to write for Porciúncula Times as a guest columnist in December 2015.

Views

Political views

While Makovec tends to avoid expressing overt political beliefs on his content, he has been described by Newstar as "moderate" or "centrist" with classical liberal tendencies. In 2018, Makovec described himself as a "democrat in the plainest sense". He has occasionally been described as having libertarian sympathies although he is not registered or affiliated with any political party. Makovec generally plays the role as an objective moderator when he allows guests on his programs to discuss politics. He has also encouraged listeners and viewers to vote and participate in order to "exercise their civic duty and have their voices heard".

He has been a strong supporter of freedom of speech and an advocate for pacifism. Makovec has stated that he personally dislikes commentating on politics because he prefers to "focus on what is good, charitable, and wholesome". He has dismissed claims that he is politically apathetic and said, "I am not disengaged from politics. Far from it, I simply believe it is not my place to speak on them publicly in lieu of more qualified individuals."

Personal life

Makovec currently lives in Camarillo, Gold Coast. In a 2018 interview, Makovec revealed that he has never been in a romantic relationship and that he was asexual. He stated, "While I acknowledge and respect sexuality as an important force in many people's lives, when it comes to me, I have come to a realization that my life is still very fulfilling without it."

Makovec was raised with a Catholic background. During a segment on his RBS program, Makovec confirmed that he was still a Roman Catholic although he has not specified further on the matter. When discussing topics regarding spirituality and religion, he has primarily discussed it from a nonsectarian point-of-view. In line with his general avoidance of partisan politics, Makovec has also abstained from discussing theological matters deeply. He has expressed belief in a higher power and cosmic fate but has not revealed whether or not if such power matches that of the Abrahamic God, another being, or abstract concept.