Gen Z has actually grown up not really understanding a world prior to memes and as such, have typically been at the leading edge of producing and perpetuating them. So, it stands to reason that things from their own childhood have ended up being common meme inspiration and stayed popular for many years. Gen Z is specified as those born in the late ’90s, so 2001’s “Shrek” and its subsequent sequels were a few of the most significant films of their youth and for many, a first “favorite motion picture.” It should come as no surprise then that “Shrek” memes are definitely all over.
The character of “Shrek” is a meme unto himself, with numerous gifs, YouTube videos, and TikToks showing people impersonated him, controling pictures of him, making deliberately bad computer animation of him, doing “Shrek”-themed ASMR, therefore a lot more. Shrek frequently has little or absolutely nothing to do with the context of the thing, but he’s just sort of ended up being the ubiquitous default character to develop a meme or joke around. That’s not to say that there aren’t plenty of traditional memes including him, Donkey, Fiona, Lord Farquaad, and more — however for an entire generation of meme-makers, “Shrek” is just where you begin when you have an idea for a funny internet thing.
Source: https://www.looper.com/911372/the-most-meme-worthy-movies-of-all-time/