Is Shrek Hypocritical in Its Message on Appearance?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the perceived hypocrisy in the movie Shrek regarding its message on appearance. Participants explore the implications of the film's treatment of the character Lord Farquad, particularly in relation to the overarching theme of accepting individuals regardless of their physical traits.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants argue that the film's message is to not judge others by appearances, yet it mocks Lord Farquad for his height, suggesting a contradiction.
  • Others contend that Farquad's villainous actions justify the negative portrayal, asserting that the humor derived from his character is based on his evil deeds rather than his stature.
  • A participant emphasizes that children may not grasp the hypocrisy, as they focus on Farquad's evil rather than his physical attributes.
  • Some participants reiterate that the film's humor regarding Farquad is acceptable because he is a torturer and a villain, which may allow for a different interpretation of the message.
  • There is a repeated assertion that the film's message is undermined by the mockery of Farquad, raising questions about moral judgments based on actions versus appearance.
  • One participant points out that Farquad is portrayed as a phony, which adds another layer to the humor beyond his height.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on whether the film's treatment of Farquad is hypocritical or justified. There is no consensus on the interpretation of the film's message regarding appearance and moral judgment.

Contextual Notes

The discussion reflects varying interpretations of the film's themes and character portrayals, with some participants highlighting the complexity of moral judgments in relation to actions and appearances.

timmeister37
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Have any of you seen the movie Shrek?

The message of the movie Shrek is that we should accept everyone regardless of their physical appearance, yet the movie Shrek made fun of the Lord Farquad character for being short throughout the entire movie. Am i the only person who thinks this is hypocritical?
 
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You must have never heard the Hollywood adage: If you want to send a message, use Western Union.
 
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I'd say the message, such as it is, is that you shouldn't judge anyone (including yourself) by appearances, not that you should accept people regardless of their appearance. Farquad's a pretty terrible person (he starts the movie by having a henchman waterboard a guy then waving the guy's amputated legs in his face, remember) and fully deserves the heroes' enmity regardless of appearance. Given that the movie apparently approves of killing him at the end, I can't really see a few below the belt comments about his height as undeserved by the same measure.
 
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Ibix said:
I'd say the message, such as it is, is that you shouldn't judge anyone (including yourself) by appearances, not that you should accept people regardless of their appearance. Farquad's a pretty terrible person (he starts the movie by having a henchman waterboard a guy then waving the guy's amputated legs in his face, remember) and fully deserves the heroes' enmity regardless of appearance. Given that the movie apparently approves of killing him at the end, I can't really see a few below the belt comments about his height as undeserved by the same measure.
In a (children's) movie in which the message is that we should not judge anyone by their physical appearance, it is extemely hypocritical to make fun of a character for being short throughout the movie.

The real message of the movie Shrek is that it is wrong to judge anyone by their physical appearance, UNLESS IT IS A SHORT MAN!
 
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I don’t think children get that message. They see the evil of Lord Farquad and Shrek didn’t pick on any other characters that way.

Only an adult would see your message and miss what the kids see.
 
timmeister37 said:
The real message of the movie Shrek is that it is wrong to judge anyone by their physical appearance, UNLESS IT IS A SHORT MAN!
And you don't think his unrepentant evil figures at all in this? I mean, you shouldn't make fun of someone for their physical appearance. But this particular person is a torturer, probably a murderer, he evicts all the fairytale creatures by force, dumps them in Shrek's swamp, then strongarms Shrek and Donkey into doing an extremely dangerous job for him. I'd say that "it's ok to make fun of evil characters" is at least as valid a reading of the movie. To provide some support that reading, I don't recall anyone making fun of the king in the second movie, nor Merlin in the third, neither of whom is exactly tall.
 
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timmeister37 said:
In a (children's) movie in which the message is that we should not judge anyone by their physical appearance, it is extemely hypocritical to make fun of a character for being short throughout the movie.

The real message of the movie Shrek is that it is wrong to judge anyone by their physical appearance, UNLESS IT IS A SHORT MAN!

Farquad is judged not because he is short, but because he is the villain. In other words, he is judged because his actions are bad and thus we feel justified in judging him. Contrast this with Shrek, who is judged because he is an ogre, not because of his actions.

Now, whether it is morally okay to judge someone whose actions are deplorable is a different question for people to answer.
 
Farquad is funny not because he's short, but because he's a phoney.
 
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Bandersnatch said:
Farquad is funny not because he's short, but because he's a phoney.
But the movie made fun of Farquad for being short
 
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If the last thread taught us anything, this thread is not about discussion. It's an opportunity for us to agree with the OP.
 
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Shrek suggested we close this thread because his friendly dragon is breathing fire down his back.

Thank you all for your comments here.
 
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