NEURODIVERSITY REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA THURSDAY: Donkey (from Shrek)


"Can I stay with you please?" one of the many GREAT lines from Donkey from Shrek, who is voiced by Eddie Murphy.  It is Thursday and you know that means it's a day where I discuss a character from pop culture who I deem as neurodivergent coded. Today I am going to be sharing my love for the beloved Shrek character Donkey and discuss why he comes off as neurodivergent coded.

Growing up, my mom would sometimes say that I was just like Donkey.  He is very hyperactive, can be moody, extremely friendly, stims by singing, chaotic, energetic, is all over the place, is hyper-verbal, and struggles with social cues sometimes.  One example of Donkey stimulating himself is in Shrek 2 (2004) by making popping noises with his mouth. 

Here are some more examples of Donkey portraying some neurodivergent traits:

Trait Movie Example
Hyperactivity Constantly talking, singing, dancing—even while riding on Dragon during the rescue in Shrek (2001). (Dreamworks Animation)
Talkative/ Interrupts Never lets Shrek finish a sentence—always jumping in with chatter (e.g., “parfaits... waffles... friendship!”).
Impulsivity/ Spontaneity Jumps onto Dragon mid‑flight and impulsively drinks the potion in Shrek 2 without thinking.
Distractibility Quickly shifts topics from food to friendship mid‑conversation, derailing Shrek's plans.
Emotional Reactivity Panics, faints, and cries when Shrek is hurt or during tense events across the series.
Social Clinginess Begs Shrek "we can stay up late swapping manly stories, and in the morning,  I’m making waffles!”—refuses (in a way) to leave him alone after they first meet.
Impatience/Short Attention Span Gets impatient, easily bored, and reacts badly to waiting (e.g., during Shrek’s swamp solitude).
Colorful Expressiveness Displays fearless enthusiasm about food and friendship, his mood read through his voice and body language.







Regardless of whether or not Donkey comes off as neurodiverse, Donkey truly is and can be Shrek's most loyal best friend.

What is your favorite Donkey moment? in what ways do you see yourself as Donkey?  Let me know down in the comments :)


DISCLAIMER NOTE: DONKEY ISN'T DIAGNOSED WITH ANY DISABILITY.  THE TRAITS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED IN THIS POST ARE TRAITS THAT MATCH WHAT IT'S LIKE BEING NEURODIVERGENT!  I CANNOT DIAGNOSE PETER, BUT I CAN SAY HOW MANY SIMILAR TRAITS HE HAS TO ME AS WELL AS MANY OTHER INDIVIDUALS IN THE NEUROSPICY COMMUNITY!!


 If you liked this blog post, PLEASE comment down below on what your favorite part was, and feel free to share it with your friends and family, etc.  Have any comments, questions, etc. about what you were reading? Reach out to me by messaging me on Instagram or TikTok @neurospicyblondie or email me  alyssa.onthespectrum@gmail.com.  

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