Intertextuality in Shrek 2

Dreamworks’ “Shrek 2” is littered with intertextual references to other films or media, arguably much more than any other Dreamworks or Disney movie. Viewers got straight back in line to rewatch the movie just to try to catch all the small gags, some of which lasted less than five seconds and could easily fly over your head. While I could list many references to other Disney pieces, such as all the fairy tale creatures, the princesses from other works, and likewise things, I will stick to analyzing just a two minute piece from the beginning of the movie. I intend to do this for three reasons. First, it will make it more interesting and won’t just be a list of other Disney pieces. Second, it will emphasize how many references there are throughout the movie and how quick they can come. If there are so many within two minutes, how many are there throughout the entire movie? Third, I will avoid any sense of plagiarism from Adrienne’s post (she wrote about intertextuality in the first Shrek, and covered mainly other fairy tale pieces). I planned to critique Shrek 2 anyway, as it is my favorite movie, she just happened to have a similar idea.

I piece will be analyzing is the honeymoon scene. It is the second scene in the movie and acts as the intro. The end of Shrek has Shrek and Fiona married, and Shrek 2 begins with their honeymoon, a joyful collection of short clips from their adventures with Counting Crows’ “Accidentally In Love” playing in the background.

The first blatant reference, besides the existence of Little Red Riding Hood, nods to Fred Zinnemann’s 1953 “From Here to Eternity”, a memorable scene and the cover of which has two lovers rolling around on the beach. In the classic film, it creates an immense sense of innocent young love and purity, which Shrek 2 imitates for four seconds until a wave crashes upon the kissing pair. When revealed, a Fiona has been replaced by a mermaid, which looks suspiciously like Ariel from “The Little Mermaid.” Fiona tosses the mermaid far into the sea, where she is jumped upon and gobbled up in classic Jaws fashion. This all takes course in the span of just over ten seconds.

Immediately after, without any break, the scene transitions into a blatant reference to “The Fellowship of the Ring.” A ring is forged, one that looks like the One Ring from Lord of the Rings. The ring is tossed in the air and falls onto Fiona’s finger, the same way it fell onto Frodo’s. It then spells out in flame engraving “I love you” in the same formation as the prophecy on the One Ring, which says in Elvish “One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.”

Another ten seconds later and the scene references Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man.” In the 2002 film, Spider-Man hangs upside down in front of Mary Jane, who pulls down his mask to kiss him. In Shrek 2, Shrek trips on a rope trap, gets a facefull of mud, and hangs upside down in the same manner. Fiona wipes the mud down off his face with the same motion as Mary Jane and kissing Shrek, a shot for shot match.

Besides these main examples, the two minute piece contains Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Robin Hood, and Tinkerbell. Just a few moments before the honeymoon scene, The Big Bad Wolf is found reading “Pork Illustrated,” a clear knock off of Sports Illustrated. Throughout the entire movie, references like these and nods to past films flood the screen, but they are done so in a way that doesn’t make the viewer feel out of the loop if they don’t catch all of them. Masterpieces come in all forms, and I cannot recommend this movie enough.

Never Rely on Society: Ideology from The Roots

“The Roots” are a hip hop, neo-soul group from Pennsylvania formed in the late 80s. The song Never from their 2014 album, And Then You Shoot Your Cousin, is one of their many socially, politically, and existentially impassioned tracks. Its music video provides a chilling visual aid that elucidates aspects of the song’s intense message.

The video is set in an abandoned mid-sized city, with a gloomy post-apocalyptic atmosphere. Streets are generously littered. Buildings and public structures are in shambles. The video opens on a young man frantically wandering, running, looking behind him as though he’s being hunted. The post-apocalyptic narrative delivers a familiar message within the very first few seconds of the video. It is a popular plot choice in TV shows and movies for its ability to expose humanity’s savage, animalistic nature hiding beneath its civilized society. The concept of ideology within media is intertwined with symbolism. The Never music video is an example of a metaphor (in semiotic terms, a symbol) that critiques larger political and social ideologies.

The first minute of the video includes aerial shots of the destroyed city, and the young man wading through trash and smog. He momentarily pauses, exhausted, and fades offscreen as the camera pans into a dense fog and refocuses on a new scene. This transition subtly suggests a flashback, possibly to a time before the apparent apocalypse (but this is not totally clear). The camera passes the headlights of a parked car in a dim, hazy alley. There is a small group of people with their backs turned. As they face us, we hear the lyrics “I was born faceless in an oasis, folks disappear here and leave no traces.” Their mouths and eyes are fleshed over. It is a disturbingly vivid metaphor of forcibly silenced individuals. Maybe society refused to recognize their identities, maybe they robbed them of any way to speak about or express their identities. Some stand still with arms crossed, some writhe around confusingly, and all react differently to their hellish, post-apocalyptic sentence.

Another useful analytical tool for examining Never is the idea of representation within media. Representation pertains to any generalized depiction of a group, which may or may not be created by members of the group, and may or may not be created per the request of said group. The Roots’ members are predominantly African American, and much of their music has acted as a voice for marginalized groups including black communities, underprivileged classes, and youths. Although Never could be read as a representation of several different groups, or multiple, intersecting groups, the video presents a clear picture of a persecuted minority (in the sense of small numbers rather than race or ethnicity) suffering in a cultural wasteland, devoid of opportunities, riddled with dead-ends. The apocalypse that created it was entirely man-made and social in nature.

The protagonist is a young black man, and the faceless characters appear to be minority group members, details which, together, suggest a commentary on general racial inequality in society. The man repeatedly turns the same street corner only to find the same stop sign. He is trapped in a loop that he can’t escape. He desperately tries to find a way out of this purgatory, to escape his social situation perhaps; but society offers him no other option but to stop trying. This apocalyptic world was created for him to stay in indefinitely. The inclusion of other minorities implies that this song and video address a broader social ideology, in which all economically disadvantaged and socially “inferior” people are dismissed.

At the end of the video the young man drops to his knees in defeat. A golden light suddenly pierces the fog from the sky and shines on him. His help has come. The light lifts him from the street as he smiles. But, the light disappears. He is still on his knees, in the same dirty street, in the same destroyed city. He hangs his head. The video concludes that any hope that society might change its ways, or that the world could ever care about such marginalized people, is an illusion. The protagonist ultimately learns he must rely on himself; a sobering and saddening social ideology.

Feminism in Gilmore Girls

Gilmore Girls is one of those feel-good shows that exceeds the standards of TV drama with its clever writing and realistic characters. As a result, the show has received critical praise and has gained a large fan base. Through its exploration of the trials of single motherhood, its exceptionally intellectual humor, and its characters whose personalities defy gender norms, Gilmore Girls has made significant, positive contributions to feminism. Their portrayal of successful, independent, single women is inspiring and continues to impact females of all ages.

Gilmore Girls is a fairly complex show, with many subtle subplots, interwoven backstories, and complex character motivations. However, the show never strays far from its main focus of the lives of Rory (the daughter) and Lorelai (the mother). The concept of having two female leads, especially ones as successful as Alexis Bledel and Lauren Graham, was fairly new when the show was airing. Despite being narratively complex at times, the main overlying theme of the show is the life of a single mother: her personal trials, successes, and the struggles of raising a gifted daughter. For some context, Lorelei’s parents were among the rich and elite. They lived a lavish life and tried to raise Lorelai to be a perfectly well-behaved girl to represent their family. However, instead of complying to their demands, Lorelai rebelled and left the house. Despite becoming pregnant as a teenager and raising her child in a veritable shack, she overcame her trials, built a successful career, and raised a brilliant daughter all on her own. Lorelai's extraordinary feats and her overall independence depicts a powerful feminist message.

Throughout the show, Rory and Lorelai’s banter gives the scenes an academic atmosphere. Rory was a very good student, showing brilliance from a young age while developing a kind yet complex personality. The combination of these traits is rare in visual media, where women are often portrayed as gossipy, drama-obsessed, and vapid. Her intelligence and drive lead her to join a highly competitive private high school, and later gain admission into Yale where she would prove her leadership skills as editor of the university newspaper. Overall, Rory's motivation, empathy, and intellect inspires young girls, and sends a message that intelligence is something to be valued in a woman instead of something that is seen as “intimidating”.

Despite these aspects, Gilmore Girls does not always portray women in a purely feminist light. One stereotypically “female” activity that the mother and daughter do is shopping. The two love shopping and dislike physical activity greatly. This is something that I believe takes away from the feminist message in Gilmore Girls by reinforcing societal views of women as less physically involved. However, I believe that their assertive and intellectual personalities develop both characters as atypical female role models, making up for their relative disinterest in physical exertion.



Gilmore Girls features the journey of two women through the highs and lows of their lives. While they are relatively close in age for a mother-daughter pair, they are still separated by 16 years. This portrayal of a woman in her early 30s and a girl in her teens shows how age and experience affects the struggles one faces. Through this, the show manages to connect and relate to a large age-range of women. This is essential to the show's goal of female empowerment, as seeing and experiencing things alongside the characters captures the viewer's attention. This also allows the viewer to empathize more with the Lorelai and Rory, further emphasizing their impact.

Intertextuality in Shrek

Following its release in 2001, Shrek became an instant hit for fans of all ages. It’s storyline, witty humor, and character dynamics made it enjoyable for a variety of audience members.

Shrek’s plot revolves around an ogre named Shrek, who lives in peaceful solitude until it is invaded by a group of various (and annoying) fairytale characters. The characters have been banished there by evil Lord Farquaad, who after meeting with Shrek, decides to make a deal with him. To get his swamp back, Shrek must retrieve Princess Fiona from her dragon-guarded tower and deliver her to Lord Farquaad to be his wife. A classic adventure story ensues for Shrek, Fiona, and Shrek’s sidekick Donkey, and ends with a typical happily-ever-after finish for the protagonists.

When analyzed, the film’s intertextual references are plentiful and clear, and it is obvious that the creators of Shrek utilized storytelling intertextuality to open the film to a larger audience. According to Helle Kannik Haastrup, storytelling intertextuality “occurs when a film includes other films or texts through references and quotes” (85). Throughout the movie Shrek, there is a number of references to other works such as TV shows and fairytales.

The film premise has an overarching ‘classic’ fairytale theme, revolving the hero of the story (Shrek) rescuing the damsel in distress (Fiona), who is locked far far away in a tower guarded by a dragon. But along the way, the storyline mimics much of other fairytales, directly referring to their plots and characters as well.

At the start of the movie when Shrek realizes all the extra animals are at his swamp, three blind mice are at his dinner table, referring to the old story. Shrek then travels to his room after hearing a noise to the scene of a wolf wearing a pink dress and glasses, pretending to read and pose as an old woman, in reference to the old tale “Little Red Riding Hood”. There are numerous other fairytale characters that arrive to his swamp, who all refer to their own respective stories or fables.

Following this, the scene cuts to Lord Farquaad in his room, watching his magic mirror display 3 different princesses in a game show-like fashion, as they are all contestants to be his bride. Not only do the contestants refer to other fairytales (Rapunzel and Snow White), but this scene is also a reference to the popular TV show The Bachelorette. 

When Shrek finally gets to Princess Fiona, she is pretending to be asleep, so she can be awoken by a kiss from her ‘knight in shining armor’. This scene is an implicit reference to the tale Sleeping Beauty. Throughout the rest of their adventure, there are various easter eggs and references to other works that add to the film’s storyline.

The impact of the creators’ use of intertextuality within Shrek is that it makes the film more enjoyable to a wider audience. Many of these referenced tales are universal and have their own versions—with the same basic plot—throughout many different cultures. This makes Shrek more relatable to a larger number of people, as many groups have grown up listening to these tales.

Referring to tall tales and fairytales within the fairytale that is Shrek adds a layer of irony to the film as a whole. This is turn adds comedic value and opens the film up to a wider audience.

Semiotics in A Quiet Place

A Quiet Place, released in 2018 and directed by John Krasinski centers around a family of four with another child on the way, who cannot make a sound, or they will be hunted by monsters that use their sense of hearing to go after their prey.

At face value, A Quiet Place is a movie about a made up world with monsters who hunt their victims by sound. However, the messages and symbols in this movie are representative of something much greater than monsters on the hunt. Through the lens of semiotics, I will analyze A Quiet Place as a movie about family and sacrifice, more so than monsters in a fantasy world.

In Messages, signs, and meanings: A basic textbook in semiotics and communication, we learn about the difference between connotation and denotation. A connotation refers to the meanings behind words that are associated with them, while denotation is more representative of the word’s literal meaning.

These two concepts are very important in A Quiet Place because the symbols in this movie, through the family and the monsters have a much wider array of connotations than their denotative identifications.

The overarching theme throughout the movie is the family’s fear. They are obviously scared of the monsters, and all the scenes have a very dark setting, accompanied by the fact that there is little to no sound, making them all the more thrilling and even scary. While the denotation is their fear for the monsters, which is instilled into the audience as the movie progresses, the connotation behind this fear is “the possibility of failing to protect your kin” (Livingston).

What is truly being represented through the fear of the monsters is the fear of not being able to protect your family. In the movie, it is represented very literally, as if the parents fail to protect their kids from making sounds, they will literally get eaten alive. However, the true meaning behind it boils down to the fear that all parents have, that their kids will be in danger and they won’t be able to protect them at all costs.

Obviously, this fear is hyperbolized in the movie through the ever-present fear of being hunted, but even in the real world, parents are constantly fearful for their children whether the danger their in be as small as a scrape on the knee.

The familial aspect of the movie is also representative of much more than just survival for a family of four in this dystopian universe; it’s connotation is about the sacrifice members of a family make for one another, especially the parents. Both parents are so protective of their children, even going as far as putting their own lives in danger in order to protect the two children.

Not to mention the fact that the mother is having another child, meaning that she is putting herself through the pain of birthing a child in complete silence, in order to have a family. The two parents, played by real life spouses John Krasinski and Emily Blunt also do everything in their power to create a normal environment for their children. They run the risk of making noise in some of the things they do, but they want to make the children’s lives as pleasant as they possibly can, through any means necessary. Similar to the representation of a parent’s fear for their child, the symbols of silence are about a parents sacrifice for their child, which is also something that all parents experience, even if not at the literal level of the movie.

The movie also has a social-political meaning in its symbols. Krasinski was deliberate in casting a hearing-impaired actress to play the deaf child in the movie. In the movie, her lack of hearing puts the family at an advantage, because they are able to communicate through sign language already, but it also puts them at a disadvantage, because if she accidentally makes a sound she would have no way of knowing until it was too late.

The fact that he hired a deaf actress, however, makes it much more real for the audience. Since deafness is something the girl experiences in real life, that characteristic of her movie character is much more real and therefore intriguing, because its something she doesn’t have to pretend to be. The meaning behind this is that although she faces much different struggles in the movie than she does in real life, those struggles are exacerbated by the fact that she is hard of hearing, and this is true of real life too, as she must do and learn things very differently than a hearing person.

The movie A Quiet Place has meaning much deeper than that of monsters in an alternate universe. Through the use of the symbols in the silence, and the hunting of the monsters, we see that the movie is much more about family, a parents sacrifice for their children, and all that they would do for their protection. Although we do not have to stay silent, in fear of being hunted in real life, the emotions we feel toward our family, especially those that parents feel toward their children are very meaningful, and therefore relatable from the audience perspective.

Hostage: The Story of an Abusive Relationship

“Hostage” is a song by Billie Eilish, released in August 2017 with the music video arriving a year later, in October of 2018. The music video depicts Billie Eilish with presumably a boyfriend, clearly in some sort of abusive relationship with herself as the villain. She challenges the idea that women are never abusers by clearly portraying herself as one with this music video, and attempts to tell the story of an abusive relationship without making light of it, which I will be analyzing with semiotics.

Semiotics is the science of understand the meaning of X, with X being anything from a gesture to an entire novel (Danesi, 3). In the music video, Billie Eilish sings to her boyfriend in a soothing tone, and they appear as though they are dancing together at first. The relationship is clearly consensual and happy, as the dancing is a sort of push-and-pull, neither controlling the other, along with the lighting, which changes from a soft white to a comfortable, warm yellow (yellow having connotations of happiness and contentment). However, something begins to chance. She seems to languish in the power and control she has over him, telling him she’ll give him a ball and chain, and wants to hold him like a hostage.  As Billie says this, the lighting quickly changes to a harsh crimson, signifying danger, caution, and anger.

The relationship quickly deteriorates. Billie becomes more forceful, yanking the man around and pushing him from one side of the room to the other, going from affectionate and loving one moment to scornful and apathetic the next, clearly symbolizing the mood swings of real-life abusers and the uncertainty their victims face constantly in regards to how their spouse will react at any given moment. All items in the room the music video takes place in melt away, trapping the victim and leaving him with no way out. Any time the man attempts to retaliate against the abuse, the featureless white room he is in physically punishes him for it, showing that Eilish is in charge of what happens in it, like an abuser controls a relationship. Billie later traps him in a room with a one-way mirror with Billie on the other side, symbolizing the common isolation tactic used by abusers to get their victims to distance themselves from friends and family so they rely solely on the abuser.

Finally, the music video closes out on Billie Eilish trapping her partner in the room and leaving him in the dark. Even as she leaves him alone, the man reaches for her, showing that even after all the abuse, the victim still loves her. Billie Eilish does a wonderful job of showcasing an abusive relationship without making light of it, while also doing the difficult job of portraying an abuser without trying to justify abuse.

Freudian Psychoanalysis in Black Swan

Black Swan is a psychological horror and thriller directed by Darren Aronofsky. The movie showed the internal struggle of the main character, Nina, who is an obsessed perfectionist in the physical realm of her dancing career. The sick obsession earns her much external success, which is the starring role in Swan Lake. However, Nina begins to exhibit psychotic physical tendencies and appears to encounter various dreams involving an evil depiction of herself following and haunting her. Nina is bothered by her nightmares and arrives late to a show, she finds Lily prepared to dance as her replacement and stabs Lily, when she actually stabbed herself.

The film can be analyzed by applying psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis is a procedure for the investigation of mental process, mainly through exploring the unconscious. Based on the Freudian Psychoanalytic Theory, the movie presents various aspects such as ID, ego, and superego. There are three characters that stand opposed to Nina, and each of them represents an element in Freudian psychoanalysis.

Nina’s ballet teacher, Thomas, represents the id. Nina is having trouble showcasing the black swan, which is the opposite side of the innocent white swan that Nina portrays perfectly. Thomas is the aspect of Nina’s subconscious that tells her to let go and release herself, and uses her sexuality to improve her performance. Since Nina is a virgin, she is viewed as the pure and good ballerina. After Thomas sexually “enlightens” her, Nina is evoked by the forbidden fruit that her mother prevents her from tasting.

Nina’s mother, Erica, represents the superego. Throughout the film, Erica is very rigid to Nina and controls every aspect of Nina’s life. She sets up Nina’s mindset to ballet solely, and tries to make Nina the perfect dancer. The mother makes Nina do all the right moves in the right time and tries to restrain her from living independently. She controls Nina as if she was still a child and imposes her morals on Nina. There are number of scenes in the movie showing Nina’s room before she completely went crazy, and they show her room stuffed with pink objects and toys that only children would have. This depicts the overly-protected image of Erica that influenced Nina’s self-actualization and self-evaluation.

Nina’s friend at the ballet studio, Lily, represents the ego. Lily is exactly who Nina wants to be, because Lily is free-spirit and fits right into the role of black swan. There are clips from the film show that Nina can see herself in Lily. The question of who she is and who she wants to be has finally made Nina blends herself with Lily and becomes the perfect ballerina, someone who can show both the white swan and the black swan. It ultimately leads to her killing Lily, someone that she fears of stealing her role, when in reality Nina stabbed herself.

In conclusion, Nina’s fragile mental condition is the result of a disconnection between her external and internal beings. Externally, she is talented and accomplished, but she feels empty and unloved internally. Nina wants to let out the black swan side of herself, which is conveyed in her dreams as a wish fulfillment. Her dreaming of her evil self is the evidence of the unconscious coming to play. The nightmares experienced by Nina are visual manifestations of her subconscious and ego.