If you haven’t seen Shrek 2, you should watch it, it’s amazing. In the movie, Shrek and Donkey take a potion and become a better looking version of themselves. Donkey, turns into a white horse and Shrek turns into a “handsome” man. Here is where the problem arises. Shrek turns into a handsome white man, when he should have turned into a handsome black man.
First of all, society within the Shrek franchise has formed a culture around outcasting ogres. From the beginning of the series Shrek lives by himself in a swamp because the entire kingdom hates him simply because of what he is. Society does not give him a chance because of what he looks like and where he lives. Shrek is minding his own business and hunters came into his swamp to hunt him down. People fear him but they don’t take the time to listen to what he has to say. He is constantly ostracized but looked to when someone is needed for the dirty work (Lord Farquaad sending him to get Fiona). As the movie progresses and we get to know Shrek we see that he actually has a heart of gold. He takes care of those around him and that is also central part of black culture. He looks out for his own and isn’t afraid to stand up for what he believes in.
Shrek’s experience while trying to be happy with Fiona represents another experience black man go through. Fiona, a white woman, is seen as a disgrace because of her decision to be with Shrek. The entire second movie revolves around the King trying to sabotage Shrek and Fiona’s marriage and Shrek trying to prove that he was good enough. The King had no knowledge of Shrek, or his life, but he believed Shrek was not good enough for his daughter based entirely on him being an ogre.
Overall Shrek was an outstanding franchise but if I could change anything about it, it would be to make handsome Shrek the black king he was meant to be. Shrek is a representation of what black men go through in society and that should have been acknowledged.
