‘Shrek’
The 2001 animated film Shrek turned 20 last week, prompting some grumpy Gen-Xers to propose the radical notion that Shrek is bad, actually. Well, as an equally grumpy millennial, I’m here to say: Shrek is good! Yes, the 3D computer animation looks painfully bad upon rewatch, to the point of it being mildly terrifying. But you have to understand: For millennials, Shrek is the first movie for kids that didn’t talk down to us. Shrek belched, Shrek quipped, Shrek beat up those knights-in-shining armor squares. Shrek was cool. He was an all star. And between fart jokes and needle drops, Shrek ultimately did deliver a message that kids my age desperately needed to hear: Rather than conform to societal beauty standards, demand that society catch on to the fact that you are already beautiful. You’re a rock star, baby. Go play.