The New Gary Janetti Show About the Royals Could Be Hilarious, but We’re Worried about One Thing
Let's just stick to dragging the royal family as an institution, please
Prince Harry may want to stop The Crown from depicting his life, but it looks like there’s another TV show he’ll have to contend with first—and we have a feeling it’ll be *a lot* harsher than anything Peter Morgan can come up with. On January 21, it was announced that HBO Max has greenlit The Prince, a satirical animated comedy show about the royal family told from the perspective of six-year-old Prince George. If this sounds hella random, it actually kind of isn’t. Written by Family Guy producer Gary Janetti (who will also voice the lead character), the show is inspired by Janetti’s super popular Instagram account, which pokes fun at the royals via sassy posts mostly from the POV of the Queen’s eldest great-grandchild.
“George is pleased,” Janetti wrote alongside a photo of the series announcement.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7l_r3yHCpf/
According to Deadline, the animated show will follow the future King as he grows up a modern day prince, spilling the royal “tea” on his family, followers and the British Monarchy along the way. And while I’m all here for even more royal content (bring back The Crown now, you cowards!), I’m a little nervous about Janetti’s show; specifically, I’m worried about how he’ll portray George. Here’s why:
Gary Janetti is funny…but he can be pretty offensive
With almost a million followers (many of them celebs), there’s no denying that Janetti’s account is super popular—and for good reason. The account calls out both the royal family and how the media depicts them in the saltiest way (see: ridiculous headlines from British tabloids that dramatically proclaim how obsessed the young prince is with tractors. Is that weird, though? Sounds like a normal six-year-old interest to me).
Janetti’s account—and George’s imagined insights—is at its best when the writer is chipping away at the family’s prim and proper facade, calling them out for egregious behaviour that’s being swept under the rug. Like a December 2019 post, that featured HRH, Prince William, Prince Charles and Prince George laughing while making Christmas pudding, and was captioned: “Here we are making Christmas pudding, totally not trying to distract from her son being a molester.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6WhCvxnZhM/
I gasped. The caption was obviously in reference to the Queen’s other son, Prince Andrew, who has been accused of sexual assault and has been criticized for his friendship with accused predator Jeffrey Epstein. Since his relationship with Epstein and the allegations against the royal resurfaced, HRH has cancelled Prince Andrew’s 60th bday party and the Prince has stepped back from royal duties—but that’s about it. The family has been criticized for their lackadaisical response, which makes Janetti’s joke A+.
Similarly A+? Any and all memes that poke fun at others in positions of power, from Donald Trump to George’s own dad and his bald head. These jokes work because Janetti and George are punching up—taking aim at fully grown humans those who already have a lot of power.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5tdv9qncER/
But, as with any form of comedy that takes aim at IRL people, sometimes Janetti’s account can come across as kind of cruel. From jokes about Meghan Markle being a social climber (which Janetti has recently vowed to change) and jabs at Princess Eugenie and her wedding dress, to increasingly frequent jokes about Princess Charlotte and how much she eats (which, random) and harsh AF jabs at George’s wardrobe (he doesn’t dress himself!), several posts elicit more of a cringe than a cackle. And that’s definitely the case when it comes to jokes about George’s sexuality. In May 2018, Janetti came under fire for several posts implying a same sex relationship between George and a fellow pageboy at Harry and Meghan’s wedding.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjDABIohKaQ/?utm_source=ig_embed
The fact that Prince George could be gay is 100% not the issue; most people took offence to how the post sexualized George, considering his age, and the fact that him being gay was framed as a joke. Considering that The Prince seems like it’ll be in the same vein as Family Guy, a show that seriously pushes the boundaries of taste and has been called out for episodes that are cruel towards the trans community, make light of sexual assault and are straight up Islamaphobic, pardon us for being nervous about how jokes about Prince George’s sexuality will go down.
And just in general, the thought of an IRL child being at the centre of a satirical comedy that will most likely have him engaging with (and potentially giving voice to) the royal family’s ideas on race (you just know that racist broach is going to come up), class issues and LGBTQ+ rights makes me nervous. Are they going to make him into an even sassier, royal version of Family Guy‘s Stewie Griffin, a weirdly sexual and wildly offensive baby who wants to kill his mom? I don’t like this!
We have to remember that Prince George is a real person
Which is a scary notion considering the fact that, hey Gary Janetti, ICYMI George is a real person! This is important to remember as we make the jump from Instagram to streaming service. While I agree that as public figures, members of the royal fam should be fair game for scrutiny and a little bit of ridicule (especially when they’re associating with known predators), it’s important to remember that George is still a tiny child who has had no say in his lot in life. Unlike Family Guy, where the characters are fictional so poking fun is relatively safe, making fun of George—even for something as seemingly inconsequential as his wardrobe—carries more weight. It isn’t just a funny joke, but something that could actually have an affect on him. You guys, what if he actually really likes his cute suspenders and high-sock combo?!
What we say about people, even those who seem untouchable like the royals, can seriously and negatively affect people, a fact that we should all be familiar with considering the recent departure of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex from royal life, after months of media scrutiny and hounding aimed specifically at Meghan.
And let’s remember: Prince George is now old enough to know what’s going on
Like the Duchess of Sussex, not only is Prince George a real person, he’s also a developing person. As he gets older, it’s safe to assume that George—if he doesn’t already—will be able to grasp what’s being said and posted about him (trust, that kid will pull an Uncle Harry and have a finsta). Which is why it’s even more important to watch what we’re saying—and the jokes we’re making—about him (not to mention all the other royal kiddos).
Sure, the jokes about George’s sexuality might be meant in good fun, but it’s important to consider what the young royal might take from the idea of him being gay as something to laugh about, and how he might feel about sexuality being framed as a joke at all. Also, can we please stop with the jokes about Princess Charlotte’s eating habits?! Let’s just nip that one right in the bud.
So please, HBO and Mr. Janetti, let’s just stick to the funny, tongue-in-cheek content:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5_N6ZHnv4Y/
Or alternatively, feel free to continue dragging Cats…because that was a GD mess.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6O01o-nauN/