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Royal fans slam 'cruel' cartoon of Prince George
Royal fans have taken aim at animator and popular satirist Gary Janetti after a glimpse at his upcoming cartoon series The Prince about Prince George was dubbed ‘cruel bullying’.
The eight-part series from HBO Max features a host of royal characters from Meghan Markle, to Prince George and even the Queen herself, though George will be the central character.
The character of George is based off Janetti’s popular Instagram page which satirises the royal family through sassy commentary from a ‘Prince George’ persona.
Janetti, who was formerly a writer on Family Guy and Will & Grace, initially shared a glimpse at the show on the Instagram page in November with a clip of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis arguing about their Halloween costumes.
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The series has attracted big names including Orlando Bloom who will voice Prince Harry, and Sophie Turner who voices Princess Charlotte.
Janetti may boast a slew of celebrity fans including Jennifer Garner, Kelly Ripa, Sarah Gellar, Lisa Rinna and others, but now royal fans are so incensed they have launched a petition calling for the show to be pulled.
Petition calls for ‘irresponsible’ series to be axed
“Cancel Gary Janetti's new show 'The Prince',” the petition is entitled, and so far it has around 700 of its hoped-for 1000 signatures.
Created by The Mountbatten-Windsors Royal Fan Page, the petition argued the series mocks George and exploits an innocent child.
“I would like to put an end to a series that mocks an innocent child, his siblings and his family in order to create comedy,” the petition reads.
“It is very uncomfortable to use a non-consenting child's likeness in this way without considering how it might affect him in the future. It is irresponsible and cruel.
“He is only 7. His siblings are only 5 and 2 and having adults voice them and portray them in ways that are dishonest and crude is very disgusting.”
Other fans have also left comments on Janetti’s Instagram slamming the humour, and have taken to Twitter with the same complaints.
Clips so far released from the series include George sending a message to fans during the lockdown.
“Hey guys, it’s me, Prince George,” the clip begins.
“I know self-isolating is difficult and we’re all sick of being stuck in the same 775 rooms, or, you know, studio apartment, it’s different for everyone.
“Stay positive and be nice to your serving staff. They’re doing the best they can, even though lunch f****** sucked today.”
Another clip shows him threatening his new school teacher’s job.
Commentators have raised concerns around the portrayal, with a Disney producer reportedly telling The Daily Mail they consider the show ‘cruel and unfair’.
“It’s one thing for film-makers to play fast and loose with the truth in shows like The Crown but poking fun at a seven-year-old child seems cruel and unfair,” the insider was quoted.
"Some things should be off-limits. It’s morally wrong to use a child to get cheap laughs."
Buckingham Palace has not responded to the controversy, and Janetti has simply said the jokes are meant ‘with affection’.
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