To describe the Shrek franchise as culturally influential is nothing if not an understatement. The films have inspired memes, provided us with iconic quotes, made history in the animated film industry, and played an important role in many of our childhoods (including mine). Released during a time where LGBTQ representation in children’s films was rare, Shrek broke boundaries by including queer-coded characters in its stories.
Several minor characters serve as examples, including Kyle (Shrek 2), the Fairy Godmother’s bedazzled chauffeur, and Raul (Shrek The Third), a shrewd royal aesthetician, both of whom exhibit traits that fall into common stereotypes assigned to queer men. More notably, fan theories abound speculating that Prince Charming is gay, citing his preoccupation with appearance, love of theater, and effeminate habits, such as wearing lip gloss (“Cherry flavor–want a taste?”). In fact, his voice actor, Rupert Everett, is openly gay, and many believe that was intentionally reflected in Charming’s character.
I cannot talk of Shrek’s queer-coded characters without mentioning Doris. Introduced in the second film as one of the “ugly stepsisters” from the tale of Cinderella, Doris is a beloved character in the series. While in Shrek 2 she plays a minor role, in its sequel, Shrek The Third, she is presented as a friend and ally of Shrek, Fiona, and the other princesses, helping them take down Prince Charming in the final act. Doris is well remembered not only for her big heart and comedic one-liners, but also for being one of the most recognizable animated trans-coded characters of her time.
Though it is never explicitly stated that Doris is transgender, when we take a look at her character design, it is clear that there is queer influence. Her thin, arched eyebrows and dramatic lip liner and eye-shadow clearly draw inspiration from the traditional look of drag performers. In addition, the combination of her deep voice (provided by radio and TV host Larry King), tall, muscular build, and stubbly facial hair are all details that imply that Doris may have been assigned male at birth. Her entire design is practically a caricature painted by how trans women were seen at the time.
Many fans believe Doris to be a man dressed in drag, and while this could be the case, there does exist evidence to support the conclusion of her being a transgender woman. While there was never any confirmation in any of the films, an Easter egg from the Shrek 2 video game hints that the theory may be canon. This Twitter post by user @doctoruncola shows us a set of photos that can be found in the game, which show a mustached man who resembles Doris as the "before" and a photo of Doris as we know her as the "after." This heavily implies, if not outright confirms, that Doris has transitioned.
The Bad: When Shrek Punches Down
I mentioned earlier that there are several queer coded characters in Shrek, and while their presence in the films was groundbreaking, it's not uncommon to find them presented as the butt of a joke. Prince Charming in particular is often laughed at implicitly or explicitly for his effeminate tendencies, especially in Shrek The Third, where he is given a more prominent role as the main villain. On a recent rewatch of this film, I couldn’t help but notice how often Charming is ridiculed for not adhering to masculine standards. Shrek himself even takes part in the sexist mockery after he insincerely compliments Charming’s leotard, adding, “Does it come in men’s sizes?”
Even characters that are not as overtly queer-coded are subject to discrimination for their deviation from gender expectations. In Shrek 2, the Fairy Godmother describes the Big Bad Wolf as “gender-confused,” referring to his signature outfit: a pink nightgown. Later in the film, Pinocchio is subject to vigorous teasing when he accidentally reveals that he wears ladies’ underwear. These casual comments, like the ones made at the expense of Prince Charming, imply that expression that differs from what is expected for your gender is something to be laughed at and looked down upon.
On the topic of gender-based discrimination, I would be remiss not to come back to Doris. Perhaps the most glaring offense against her character is her in-film title: “The Ugly Stepsister.” Choosing a trans-coded character to fill the role of a specifically unattractive character, as you can well imagine, is incredibly insulting to the entire trans community. Even for those that continue to deny Doris as trans or drag representation, insisting she is simply a cis woman with natural masculine traits, this remains a serious issue. Assuming Doris is a cis woman, to describe her as “ugly” for exhibiting traits commonly associated with trans women is still, in itself, transphobic. In addition, implying that any woman is less beautiful for having features such as a deep voice, large build, and facial hair can be harmful to cis and trans women alike. The message is clear: as a woman, if your body doesn’t adhere to culturally accepted standards, you are less desirable, less feminine. The fact that several of these supposed “ugly” features are those prominent among transgender women is simply the icing on the cake.
In addition to saddling Doris with this dehumanizing label, both films that Doris appears in contain several moments in which she is othered or treated differently due to her gender expression. Several times, upon first seeing Doris, her fellow film characters exhibit emotions of shock and disgust. One of the more notable examples is Doris’ first scene in Shrek 2. King Harold nervously approaches the bar at The Poison Apple, where he sees a female bartender with her back turned. “Excuse me, I’m looking for the Ugly Stepsister,” he stammers, and, immediately, the woman (Doris) turns, revealing her face. Her “masculine” features are made even more prominent by the dramatic lighting of the bar, and the king recoils in a moment of shock. Without a word of confirmation, Harold understands: this must be her, the ugly stepsister. The king’s reaction tells the audience exactly how to feel about Doris: she, and women like her, are not normal; more than that, they are clearly undesirable.
Similar scenes, in which other characters (usually men) react in surprise and/or disgust to Doris, abound throughout both films. Doris has never been shy about her attraction to Prince Charming, and at the very end of Shrek 2, she finally has her chance to make her move. As she advances on Charming, his face contorts into a look of surprise and confusion. Most importantly, in this moment, the audience is invited to laugh at Charming, to celebrate the moment as part of the villain’s not-so-happy ending. There is a clear indication that being pursued by a trans woman is laughable, even shameful.
A similar implication exists in Shrek The Third, when Doris, Fiona, and the other princesses escape their prison and stage an attack to retake control of the kingdom. In order to distract a group of guards, Doris pulls up her skirt and reveals her bare leg, hiding the rest of her body behind a corner. This entices the guards, and they approach. Once they are close enough, Doris steps around the corner, exposing her face and revealing her deep voice: “Hey, how’s it goin’?” The guards are stunned for a moment, and Doris takes the opportunity to knock them both out with a mighty punch.
Again, the audience is invited to laugh, this time at the guards, for being “tricked” into being attracted to a trans individual. As Parker Schwartz points out in his journal article, “Transphobia in Shrek: An Anti-Feminist Attack," aside from implying Doris is undesirable and unfeminine, this scene carries serious implications due to its reinforcement of a common misconception: that the goal of trans people is to “trick the cisgender individuals for their own purposes.” It is incredibly unfortunate that Shrek The Third perpetuates such a foul stereotype, especially one that trans people have been fighting for decades.
Now, there is an argument that could be made that this scene is, in its own way, empowering for Doris. The entire montage shows this group of women subverting the roles and expectations placed on them by men. Over and over again, they utilize qualities which men have deemed feminine (and therefore weak or laughable) and use them to their advantage. Similarly, in the leg scene, Doris is simply utilizing the negative associations and stereotypes forced upon her to her own benefit, which I have to admit is sort of bad-ass. Even so, the scene does much more harm than good for the trans community. By perpetuating such inaccurate and harmful stereotypes, it actively reinforces the hurdles trans people have to jump through in order to gain basic rights.
Most of the jabs at Doris are implicit, but characters are not above openly mocking her. In Shrek the Third, after Doris and the princesses have been trapped in a dungeon by Prince Charming, Snow White refers to the group as “Four…well, three, super hot princesses,” looking pointedly at Doris as she makes her correction, implying that Doris is unattractive. However, shockingly, the character that is most cruel to Doris appears not in the films themselves, but Far Far Away Idol–the interactable special feature included in the DVD edition of Shrek 2. Simon Cowell appears as a guest, playing himself as a judge alongside Fiona and Shrek in an American Idol style game show featuring the rest of the cast.
When Doris performs her (admittedly off-key) rendition of “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” for the judges, Shrek and Fiona both seem supportive. Of course, this is somewhat overshadowed by Fiona’s comment, “You go…girl?”, though, in Fiona’s defense, she could simply genuinely be unsure of Doris’ chosen gender identity. The true horrific moment comes when Simon, who looks utterly disgusted, responds by saying, “Yeah, you go girl, and get an extreme makeover and some singing lessons.” Despite the severity of this insult, the audience is meant to simply laugh it off, and again, we are reminded that women who don’t fit the image of a conventionally attractive cis female are to be ridiculed.
For a series whose original film contained powerful messages against conformity and society’s beauty standards, its sequels fell flat in their portrayal of marginalized groups. Schwartz highlights this irony with the following statement:
Watching the direct change in these character’s behavior, going from being understanding of different people and being empathetic towards all types of creatures, to calling a woman ‘the Ugly Stepsister,’ making insensitive jokes towards her throughout the series, and largely refusing to use her name shows the audience that being a marginalized individual does not prevent a person from being an oppressor and continuing the cycle of hate. – Parker Schwartz, The Macksey Journal
When all is said and done, it’s incredibly unfortunate that a franchise featuring a character like Shrek, who at his core is a hopeful symbol for all who are oppressed and othered by society, would choose to “punch down” with its use of humor.
The Good: A Story that Resonates
Despite the aforementioned issues with its representation, Shrek remains a beloved franchise by the majority of the queer community, and for good reason. In fact, several of us who identify as LGBTQ have recognized ourselves not only in the queer-coded side characters, but in Shrek’s story itself.
YouTube user korviday created a 25 minute long video essay that explains this better than I ever could (and I highly recommend that you watch it if my essay has been interesting to you). In their video, they explain the ways that the stories of Shrek and Shrek 2 can be seen as detailed metaphors for common queer experiences. While they acknowledge that the Shrek movies were likely not intentionally made to be viewed this way, the films explore many of the emotions and situations that queer people heavily relate to.
korviday explains why the titular character, Shrek, is someone that members of the LGBTQ community have seen themselves in since the first film was released in 2001. They remind us that at the start of the original film, Shrek is oppressed, hated, even attacked due to his appearance and for simply being who he is. Shrek does not live up to the ogre stereotype these people seem to associate him with; he doesn’t kill or eat people. All he seems to do is want to live a peaceful life in his swamp, yet he is attacked by mobs so regularly that he seems almost bored with it. As Shrek puts it later in the film, “I’m not the one with the problem, okay? It’s the world that seems to have a problem with me.” This is a reality that many members of the LGBTQ community know well.
The video also highlights Fiona, who, in the first film, is essentially the equivalent of a closeted or straight/cis-passing queer person; she can hide the part of her that makes her different (her ogre form). Fiona is tortured by this side of herself, wishing more than anything that it would go away. She idealizes the idea of fulfilling society’s expectations of marriage to a knight or prince, hoping that by doing this, she will leave this part of her behind. It isn't until the end of the film that she realizes that not only does Shrek love her exactly how she is, but that she can love herself, too. A message like this is empowering to any queer person who has dealt with being closeted in a less-than-accepting environment.
All of the above points are included in korviday’s video, along with a full and detailed analysis of how these characters and others reflect the queer experience. The video goes on to highlight other issues from the first two films that are relatable to LGBTQ people, including oppression that stems from patriarchy and toxic masculinity, gate-keeping from fellow members of a marginalized community, the decision whether or not to assimilate into society in order to be more accepted, and navigating familial and societal expectations after entering into an unconventional relationship.
An article written by Devin McCue for The Mary Sue titled, “Shrek, the Unacknowledged Hero of Queer Youth, 20 Years Later” shares a similar sentiment. McCue reflects on the original film and how it resonated with queer children.
Shrek stood out to queer kids because…[it] told a story of accepting people as they are and loving the parts of yourself that other people find monstrous. … While many of us didn’t know it yet, there was a huge part about ourselves that some people wouldn’t like, and it was that same part that would someday be our favorite part about ourselves. – Devin McCue, The Mary Sue
Whether or not it was intentional, LGBTQ people saw themselves in these characters, and, especially at a time when queer representation was severely lacking, this meant everything. In addition, most children’s films featured themes that upheld non-controversial ideals. Shrek broke the mold by daring to challenge society’s standards directly.
It is unfortunate that a franchise so dear to the hearts of many in the LGBTQ community was often problematic in the way it portrayed its queer-coded characters, but not all of the representation was negative. As an example, we return once again to Doris, who, aside from some comments at her expense, was presented overwhelmingly positively in Shrek The Third. While most of the time, queerness in children’s animation is reserved for villains (such as Disney's Ursula, Scar, and Hades), in this film, Doris quits her job at the Poison Apple and becomes one of the good guys. Without hesitation, she is given a seat at Fiona’s baby shower among all the other women, and, for the most part, treated as a member of the group, even being featured prominently in the feminist montage that is this scene (though, as discussed previously, this clip is not without its own issues):
As is to be expected with such a diverse group, there isn’t complete agreement among the queer community over these films and how they have impacted us. On one hand, in a time where queer representation in children’s media was limited, Shrek stood out through its willingness to push against societal expectations and feature characters with diverse self-expression. On the other, when it comes to the portrayal of many of these characters, the films often perpetuate stigma against queer people rather than challenge it. Whether you uphold the Shrek films as champions of queer culture or feel the representation comes up short, there is no denying that these stories have influenced LGBTQ people in a myriad of ways–both negative and positive.
References
McCue, Devin. “Shrek, the Unacknowledged Hero of Queer Youth, 20 Years Later.” The Mary Sue, 15 Feb. 2021,
Schwartz, Parker. “Transphobia in Shrek: An Anti-Feminist Attack.” The Macksey Journal, 2022,
Shrek 2. Directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, and Conrad Vernon, performances by Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy,
Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, John Cleese, and Jennifer Saunders, DreamWorks, 2004.
Shrek. Directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jensen, performances by Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz,
and John Lithgow, DreamWorks, 2001.
"Shrek is Queer culture and here's why." YouTube, uploaded by korviday, 15 April 2020,
Shrek The Third. Directed by Chris Miller and Raman Hui, performances by Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz,
Antonio Banderas, Rupert Everett, and Justin Timberlake, DreamWorks, 2007
This is a great analysis! You put a lot of research and effort into this. And I love the title 🤣