"Do the roar."
Three words. That's all it took to create one of the most enduring, weirdly stressful, and eventually memed-to-death moments in animation history. If you were sitting in a theater in 2010, watching Shrek Forever After, you probably felt Shrek’s blood pressure rising. Honestly, we all did. It’s that nasally, demanding monotone from a kid holding a lollipop that just... sticks with you.
The Birthday Party From Hell
Let's set the scene because context is everything here. Shrek isn't the scary ogre from the first movie anymore. He’s a celebrity. He’s a dad. He is, quite literally, tired. He’s at a birthday party for his triplets—Fergus, Farkle, and Felicia—and he is drowning in the mundanity of "happily ever after."
The house is packed. There’s a tour bus outside. Fans are asking him to sign their pitchforks. And then, there’s Butter Pants.
Butter Pants is the kid in the gold outfit. He’s voiced by Mike Mitchell, who actually directed the movie. It’s a classic case of a director doing a "scratch" vocal and it being so perfect they just kept it. The kid isn't scared of Shrek. He doesn't respect the ogre. He just wants the "roar" like it’s a cheap carnival trick.
The kid says it over and over. "Do the roar." Shrek tries to be polite. He tries to ignore it. But the kid just stands there, deadpan, clutching that giant lollipop, and repeats the demand. It is the ultimate personification of how Shrek has lost his identity. He’s no longer a creature to be feared; he’s a mascot.
Why Shrek Forever After Do The Roar Hits Different
When Shrek finally snaps—and boy, does he snap—it’s not just because of the kid. It’s the "death by a thousand cuts" of domestic life. He finally lets out a massive, floor-shaking roar that silences the entire room.
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And what does Butter Pants do?
"I love you, daddy."
That's the line that breaks Shrek. Even his best attempt at being a scary ogre is now just entertainment for a toddler. It’s the catalyst for the entire plot. Shrek is so miserable and felt so belittled by that specific interaction that he goes out and signs a literal contract with the devil (Rumpelstiltskin) just to feel like a "real ogre" for one day.
If Butter Pants hadn't been so annoying, Shrek might never have signed away the day he was born. Think about that. The entire alternate reality—the one where Fiona is a warrior leader and Donkey is a terrified beast of burden—happened because a kid in gold pajamas wouldn't stop asking for a roar.
The Anatomy of the Meme
Why did this specific moment blow up years later? TikTok and YouTube didn't exist in their current form in 2010, but the internet eventually found Butter Pants.
- The Voice: Mitchell’s delivery is so specific. It’s nasally, entitled, and rhythmic. It’s a "sound bite" before we were calling things sound bites.
- The Visual: A kid who looks like a medieval version of a bratty tourist, holding a lollipop that’s almost as big as his head.
- The Relatability: Anyone who has ever worked in retail, food service, or had a younger sibling knows the "Do the roar" energy. It’s the feeling of being forced to perform when you’re at your breaking point.
People have used the audio for everything from complaining about their bosses to showing off their pets. It’s a shorthand for "unreasonable demands from someone who doesn't understand your personal boundaries."
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Behind the Scenes of the Roar
The technical side of this movie is actually pretty interesting, even if it gets overshadowed by the memes. Shrek Forever After was the first in the series to be released in 3D. DreamWorks was leaning hard into the technology at the time.
Mike Mitchell (the director/Butter Pants) wanted the film to feel darker than Shrek the Third. He succeeded. The "roar" scene is brightly lit and chaotic, but the rest of the movie has a gritty, almost post-apocalyptic fairy tale vibe once Rumpelstiltskin takes over.
Interestingly, Walt Dohrn, who voiced Rumpelstiltskin, followed a similar path to Mitchell. He was the head of story and did the voice for the character during development. They looked at big-name actors for the role, but nobody could capture that specific, sleazy energy Dohrn brought to the table. It makes the movie feel more "creator-led" than some of the other sequels.
The Legacy of the Final Chapter
For a long time, this was supposed to be the end. The marketing called it "The Final Chapter." It grossed over $750 million worldwide, which is huge, but it felt like the world was getting "Shrek fatigue" back then.
Looking back in 2026, with Shrek 5 on the horizon, the fourth movie has actually aged surprisingly well. It deals with some pretty heavy themes:
- Mid-life crises.
- Losing your spark in a long-term relationship.
- The danger of nostalgia.
- Appreciating what you have before it's gone.
The "do the roar" scene is the funniest part of the movie, but it's also the saddest. It's the moment Shrek realizes he’s a parody of himself. He’s a guy who used to live in a swamp and scare off mobs, and now he’s being bullied by a kid who probably hasn't even mastered potty training.
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How to Do the Roar Yourself (The Actionable Part)
If you're looking to recreate the magic—either for a meme or just because you’re a Shrek completionist—there are a few things to keep in mind about the scene's legacy.
Embrace the Monotone
The secret to the Butter Pants voice isn't anger. It’s boredom. You have to sound like you’ve asked the question a thousand times and you're prepared to ask it a thousand more. It’s a low-energy demand.
Watch the Pacing
The humor in the scene comes from the silence between the demands. Shrek is trying to have a conversation, and the kid just punctuates the silence with those three words. If you're editing a video, keep those awkward pauses. That's where the "stress" of the scene lives.
Understand the Impact
When you use the "do the roar" meme, you're tapping into a very specific type of frustration. It’s not about being "scary." It’s about the struggle of being "seen" for who you actually are versus what people want you to be.
Next time you're feeling overwhelmed by expectations, just remember Shrek. He had to go through an entire alternate dimension and nearly cease to exist just to realize that maybe, just maybe, doing the roar for his kids wasn't so bad after all.
Actually, no. Butter Pants was definitely annoying. Shrek was right to be mad.
If you're revisiting the franchise before the new movie drops, pay close attention to the sound design during that party scene. The way the audio builds—the crying babies, the clinking glasses, the repetitive "do the roar"—is a masterclass in building tension in an animated comedy. It’s why we still talk about it sixteen years later.
To get the most out of your Shrek rewatch, try to find the "Director's Commentary" on the old Blu-rays. Hearing Mitchell talk about how he accidentally became the most hated/loved kid in the kingdom provides a whole new layer of appreciation for the work that goes into a "throwaway" gag.