The Observer Magazine Cover & Five-Page Feature: 2006

Prince's Sex-Obsessed Enigma Unraveled

The cover and five-page feature in The Observer Magazine (February 1, 2006) asked whether Prince was a sex-obsessed pop polymath or a Jehovah's Witness, concluding one thing was certain: the artist known as Prince was back to his dazzling best. Barney Hoskyns caught up with the superstar in New York and at his home in Los Angeles to unravel the continuing enigma.

The article opened with a satirical SNL sketch recreation: "EEEEEEEEEEEERRRRE'SPRINCEY!!!!!" — depicting Prince (impersonated by Fred Armisen) in a black turban and purple jacket, barely speaking, communicating through Beyoncé (Maya Rudolph), with Steve Martin as his chef complaining about burned pancakes, and Prince gazing into a mirror with an ostrich-feathered eye-mask while Beyoncé intones “Prince is gazing into the mirror of reflection.”

Article Overview

Publication Details

Magazine: The Observer Magazine (UK).

Date: February 1, 2006.

Format: Cover + five-page feature article.

Text Extract: full article below

Sex-obsessed pop polymath? Jehovah's Witness?

One thing is certain, the artist known as Prince is back to his dazzling best. Catching up with the superstar in New York and at his home in Los Angeles, Barney Hoskyns unravels a continuing enigma

EEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRE'SPRINCEY!!!!!

H Yes, folks, we're live tonight in New York City for The Prince Show, complete with sidekick Beyoncé Knowles and special guest Drew Barrymore. The set is a gaudy conflation of psych-edelic shack and beaux arts boudoir, with our host kitted out in black turban and purple jacket. Except that he's barely deigning to speak, communicating his thoughts and wishes through buxom Beyoncé.

Prior to the entrance of La Barrymore there's an unscheduled appearance by a silver-haired Frenchman claiming to be Prince's chef. He says he's been preparing meals for His Royal Highness for many years 'but it's an honneur to finally meet you'. Prince isn't too thrilled to see the guy, com-plaining that he burned his tongue on his pan-cakes that morning. Turning away from the chef he picks up an ostrich-feathered eye-mask and contemplates himself in an ornate gold mirror.

'Prince is gazing into the mirror of reflection,' Beyoncé intones in a bored voice. Confused? You should be. Amused? Possibly not.

Beyoncé, of course, isn't Beyoncé at all. This particular night in early February, she's Saturday Night Live's Maya Rudolph, just as the silver-haired chef is none other than Steve Martin, hosting SNL tonight for a record 16th time. Prince himself is being royally impersonated by Fred Armisen, another regular on the late-night show.

Did you have this Observer Magazine cover/feature in your archive? Were you ready for the Prince enigma? Share in the comments!