King of Hypocrisy: Prince Harry to Charge $33 for Fans to Watch His 'Trauma' Therapy via Livestream
A sad part about covering some of the slimiest figures in politics and culture is the constant inundation of hypocrisy. It’s almost enough to desensitize a writer or reporter to the non-stop stream of hypocritical double-talk spewing forth from their mouths.
And yet, every once in a while, you encounter something that’s just so brazenly hypocritical on so many levels, it reminds you that this behavior shouldn’t be normalized or tolerated — it needs to be called out and condemned in the harshest terms.
Case in point: Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, will be participating in an international livestream event with controversial “trauma expert” Dr. Gabor Maté. (According to the New York Post, Maté has run afoul of the law for treating mental illness with the Amazonian plant ayahuasca.)
So, why is this livestream so hypocritical? Where to even begin?
First and foremost, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, made quite the bellyaching scene when lamenting about how much they valued privacy and wanted to just live their lives away from the prying eyes of the paparazzi.
They intone as much in the trailer for their wildly misleading Netflix special:
Notice all of that (fake) imagery of the two being constantly hounded by the media? But even if you think that’s too generous of an interpretation, don’t take my word for it. Take theirs (emphasis mine):
“Their Royal Highnesses recognise that their roles as members of the Royal Family are subject to interest, and they welcome accurate and honest media reporting as well as being held to account if appropriate. Equally, like every member of society, they also value privacy as individuals and as a family.”
That’s a direct quote from their website.
So, again, for a couple that apparently values their privacy enough to make a Netflix special about it, publicly airing these intimately vulnerable moments on a livestream seems to fly directly in the face of that desire.
But wait! Perhaps there’s a sense of altruism here. Harry implied as much when speaking to People Magazine in January, about his book, “Spare,” which this virtual event is essentially a large promotional campaign for (attendees of the virtual sitdown will get a free hardcover copy of the book).
“My hope has been to turn my pain into purpose, so if sharing my experience makes a positive difference in someone’s life, well, I can’t think of anything more rewarding than that!” Harry told People.
Fair is fair, and that’s actually a commendable sentiment.
Well. It’s commendable until you realize that all those people that Harry wants to share his experiences with to make a “positive difference” have to pony up first.
Yes, to tune into this sham of an event, you have to pay a cool $33.09 (not including fees) or $60.96 (also sans fees) in these tumultuous economic times.
So, does this event maintain that privacy that Harry and Meghan so desperately crave? Nope.
Is this event actually open to anyone and everyone who may need help coping with trauma? Nope.
Is this the utter height of hypocrisy and should the hashtag “#ShutUpHarry” start trending again? Yup.
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