The Rapist Formally Known as Prince Satirical Meme
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THE RAPIST FORMALLY KNOWN AS PRINCE
Overview
This is an edited satirical meme targeting Prince Andrew, a British royal figure. The top text overlay reads 'THE RAPIST FORMALLY KNOWN AS PRINCE', a deliberate pun on the iconic phrase 'The Artist Formerly Known as Prince' linked to the late musician Prince. The base image is a real photograph of Prince Andrew seated in a car, displaying a shocked, wide-eyed expression; it has been edited to give him one glowing red, demonic-looking eye, amplifying the meme's negative, mocking tone. The wordplay replaces 'Artist' with 'Rapist' (referencing public sexual assault allegations against Prince Andrew) and swaps 'Formerly' for 'Formally' to twist the original cultural phrase into a derogatory, critical label. The meme combines visual editing and word-based satire to criticize and mock the figure.
Origin notes
This is a user-created remix/edited work, derived from a public photograph of Prince Andrew and the well-known cultural reference to musician Prince's name change. It likely originated on mainstream social media platforms like Twitter/X, Reddit, or Instagram, where satirical memes about public figures are widely shared. The image was modified using digital editing tools such as Photoshop to add the glowing red eye and text overlay. It circulated in online communities during periods of heightened public attention to Prince Andrew's sexual assault allegations, serving as a means of mocking and criticizing him.