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«It's Like Being Waterboarded With Green Magic»: The Bizarre Cult of Gen Z Shrek

Mike Myers as Shrek in Shrek Forever After

It's 11 a.m. on a rainy Friday morning, and I'm making my way past a crowd of snotty kids children and American tourists queuing at the London Eye, ready to take part in what one disgruntled TripAdvisor user called «the most expensive day out for parents desperate for something to do mid-term» in the capital. Before you jump to the comments section, no, this is not the Sea Life center but Shrek's Adventure, a sprawling temple to the grumpy green ogre located in a Grade II listed county council building.

Nothing makes you appreciate the enduring popularity of the 2001 DreamWorks film like spending two hours in a pitch-black maze full of cheering five-year-olds and enthusiastic Rada students dressed as princesses and knights at every turn. The Shrek films were a hit upon release, thanks in large part to a stellar cast of actors: Mike Myers as the eponymous (Scottish) ogre and Cameron Diaz as his love interest Princess Fiona, with support from John Cleese, Julie Andrews, Rupert Everett and Eddie Murphy — and over the past two decades they have become even more popular.

In 2021, the Guardian newspaper received a record number of complaints about an article calling Shrek an «unfunny and overrated blockbuster animated character» to mark his 20th anniversary. The writer was bombarded with insults on Twitter for daring to suggest that Shrek is far from a genius. And it's that last adjective that many continue to describe it: it was voted the best children's film ever made, is the second-highest-grossing animated franchise of all time, was declared one of the most rewatched films on Letterboxd, and was the first film to win an award. Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film (beating Toy Story in the first place). Al Pacino liked it so much that he was recently photographed with an iPhone showing Shrek's face.

Having spawned three sequels (and a musical), the first of which turns 20 next month (cinemas across the US are currently holding special screenings), Shrek still has a legion of devoted fans. How do they prove their loyalty? Collecting vintage memorabilia on eBay, filming their own versions of films (as seen in the 2018 YouTube series Shrek: The Retelling, in which over 200 fans recreated the original film, frame by frame), wallpapering the downstairs bathroom photos of Shrek. and Fiona kissing or sleeping in an AirBnB Shrek style, to name a few.

21-year-old Oliver, who lives in Texas, wasn't even born when the first film was released, but that didn't stop him from diving headfirst into the world of Far Far Away. Watching Shrek for the first time as a small child, he says, was like discovering «a world I fit in well in: full of weirdos and loud people who don't care what people think of them.»

Growing up gay in a conservative community, Oliver found new idols in the sassy fire-breathing dragon Shrek and the barmaid Doris: “I was completely obsessed. I asked for Shrek figurines for every birthday, hiding them in my room from my brothers. These films are the perfect antidote to the classic and traditional Disney films — I loved how quirky they were.” These days, Oliver spends hours searching eBay for rare items, from plastic cups to pillows and teddy bears; He estimates he spent over $2,000 on ogre goods.

BIDEN: Why didn't you ever show ME the swamp?
OBAMA: «Draining the swamp» is a metaphor, Joe.
BIDEN: Where will Shrek live? pic.twitter.com/xEKzJJpazZ

— Possibly: Brendan Bergen (@carpetislava), November 11, 2016

London-based marketing manager Phoebe remembers her grandmother taking her to the cinema to see Shrek 2 when she was six. “It was like being doused with green magic,” she laughs. «The fart jokes, the music, the fact that Princess Fiona was happy with swamp green skin and overweight but still got a happy ending.» Since then, Phoebe has remained loyal to the pair of cute green ogres, even going so far as to hang a photo of Shrek and Fiona on their wedding day above the downstairs toilet (“Ironically! My friends dared me,” she hastens to add). ).

The adult appeal of the Shrek franchise is key to its enduring success. Dreamworks boss Jeffrey Katzenberg co-founded the studio after leaving Disney, and Shrek has been interpreted as a thinly veiled dig at his former bosses. The capital of Far Away is adorned with Hollywood-style signage, the main street is filled with fabulous riffs on big business (“Footlocker” becomes Ye Olde Foot Locker, “Abercrombie & Fitch is Evercrumbly & Witch” and a US dessert shop). Baskin Robbins adds a thinly veiled «Hood» at the end.

today let's all remember the reference to O.J. Simpson in Shrek 2 pic.twitter.com/lhyb0qvAjk

— bri 🥀 (@sxcksyko) April 11, 2024

Meanwhile, the jokes are more «American Pie» than «Snow White» — just imagine Donkey Murphy in typical oversharing mode while he regales the gang with a story about eating wild berries: «Dude, out of my ass there were some strong gases escaping that day!» Last week, a clip from the second film, in which Shrek escapes from the police in a white Ford Bronco along with Donkey and Gingie the Gingerbread Man, was widely circulated on social media after the death of O. J. Simpson, who five days after the murder, his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman fled Los Angeles by car in 1994.

And let's not forget about the soundtrack. Californian pop-punk band Smash Mouth became internet heroes after their hit «All Star» was played over the opening credits (they also covered The Monkees classic «I'm A Believer» with the fitting chorus: «I thought that love only happens in fairy tales»). «). Shrek 2 opened with «Accident in Love» by fellow California rock band Counting Crowds, which was later nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song. But it's Australian singer Butterfly Boucher's interpretation of David Bowie's Changes — transforming it from a heartbreaking reflection on the passage of time into a cheerful children's anthem about chasing your dreams — that really sticks.

Shrek's Swamp, photo on Airbnb. Photo: Airbnb

The film's core message of self-love and acceptance makes it no surprise that Gen Z has made it their favorite franchise. TikTok is filled with Shrek-themed trends, from videos of users painting their grandparents green and encouraging them to say «Get out of my swamp» to adding a Shrek avatar on top of their dance clips. My 17-year-old brother has a shelf in his room filled with Legos, comic books, Shrek ears and medals from a London attraction.

One fan told me that it was the film's use of fairy tale imagery—translating classic characters like Pinocchio, the Three Little Pigs, and the Gingerbread Man into adult situations—that helped it connect with audiences. “After 9/11, American children weren't so innocent—they didn't need cuddly teddy bears and pretty princesses. «Shrek showed that you can capitalize on nostalgia to appeal to adults while still convincing them to bring their kids along,» they say.

They're even persuading members of the notoriously antisocial generation, who are more likely to spend their evenings «rotting in bed» drinking green juices than drinking tequila, to visit nightclubs. Junior accountant Oliver, 24, who lives in Clapham, south-west London, dragged his housemates to nearby Vauxhall last March for his “first big party” since graduating from Exeter University during Covid. The can't-miss event we're talking about? London-based Shrek Rave is described on their website as «a six-hour extravaganza combining the magic of the Shrek universe with electrifying dance music and live performances.»

View this post on Instagram

Post published by user SHREK RAVE UK (@ukshrekrave)

Hundreds of sweaty bodies scratching under the slogan «I'm a believer», covered head to toe in green paint, was, in Oliver's words, «the best club experience I've ever been to.» People went out of their way to put on costumes — we saw one guy who had fake gray fur glued all over his chest and face to look like Donkey — and the atmosphere was amazing. No bullies, pushing, arguing or anything like that. It was just that everyone was dancing and being goofy because they knew that everyone was there for the same reason: they love movies.”

Shrek is officially cool, and even big business has embraced the craze: AirBnb has broken the craze. last October when they showed off a recreation of Shrek's swamp in Scotland, complete with a simple outdoor toilet and a tree trunk-shaped building, free for a few lucky winners, and eco-friendly beauty chain Lush has recently released a range of themed products. , including bath bombs and shower gel.

A fifth film, a «reboot» of the story, is rumored to be released in 2025 — marking the first reunion of the lovable ogres since 2010's Shrek Forever After — but until then, superfans will have to make do with their films. green themed products and baths. And, of course, a great Spotify playlist.

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