Shrek is the green ogre at the centre of DreamWorks' Shrek films, which began in 2001 and turned the fairy-tale parody into a long-running pop-culture favourite. His friendly, slightly gruff voice and expressive greetings made him a natural source for reaction clips, and short, exaggerated lines from the films have circulated for years on soundboards, video edits and social platforms. This stretched hello works so well as a meme because it is instantly recognisable even without the picture, letting creators signal a warm, funny entrance in just a few seconds.