YOU’RE AN ALL STAR

An Ode to Al Pacino’s ‘Shrek’ Phone Case

The “Godfather” star was photographed with an Ogre-adorned phone case, delighting the masses on social media. We should all follow suit: Embrace the chaotic phone case.

First came the scarves, then came the Shrek phone case.

Al Pacino has changed the film industry. Now, he's leaving his mark on the fashion industry too. Over the weekend, a shocking revelation about The Godfather actor came to light, leading to several groundbreaking articles, a search for the truth, and (most likely) a spike in sales for collaged phone cases.

Why, you ask? Simple: Al Pacino was spotted with a Shrek phone case. After Vulture reported that it was, indeed, Al’s mobile device (the wired headphones gave it away), his daughter Olivia Pacino officially confirmed the rumors to be true. Now that the speculation is out of the way, we can all take a deep breath—and start to reevaluate our own phone case selections.

Gone are the days of OtterBox and Speck cases. My own iPhone snugly rests in a clear phone case, particularly because it’s purple and I want to see the shade through it. If I’m being honest, it was a stretch to even get past the black and white color binary we’ve so quickly adopted when it comes to cell phones.

To have a chaotic phone case on top of that seems so risky (after all, I’m going to take this thing everywhere I go: to the office, to fancy dinners, through airport security, to funerals), but Al Pacino is normalizing the game. For that, we should all be forever grateful.

Another groundbreaking development: while he’s not committed to this specific case, Pacino seems committed to the general idea of chaotic phone cases. After the Shrek case went viral, an old interview with Pacino surfaced showing him with a colorfully collaged case. What are those red and white designs—is it Santa? South Park? Whatever the phone case displays, it’s marvelous.

This isn’t just marvelous, in fact, Pacino’s selection is revolutionary. Life-changing. Earth-shattering. Inspiring. Celebs and influencers have been so keen on monogrammed or plain phone cases, so to see an A-Lister go rogue feels like a twist the world needed. This feels like Coco Chanel’s little black dress, but for phone cases: a new fashion statement the world needs.

Pacino, though, is not the first celeb to have a wacky case. Kaia Gerber’s selection—a zoomed-in photo of Adam Driver with his tongue between his fingers, now marketed on RedBubble as her phone case—has lived in the back of my mind ever since she posted it in 2020. Kris Jenner carries around a phone labeled “Queen of Fucking Everything,” which is funny, whether you agree with it or not.

While these do advocate for what I’ll call the “Chaotic Phone Case Movement” (working title), there’s something special with Pacino. Perhaps it’s because he’s been the star of such dark gangster movies (need I list them all out?), or maybe it’s because he’s an older fella. Drop those 2-in-1 wallet phone cases, men over 50: It’s time to gussy up your phone with your favorite Mike Myers film!

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Al Pacino Does What He Wants

Alex Suskind

As noted above with the scarves, Pacino has always embraced a peculiar fashion sense. His whole essence, in fact—I can’t be the only one who believed this tweet that stated he forgot to attend the Oscars—carries a certain je ne sais quois. He’s classy in the same way a Shrek phone case is classy: Pacino is unforgettable.

The actor has inspired me—and, hopefully, you too—to go in on a phone case spunkier than Apple’s overpriced clear one, which belongs in dullsville. Bring back Redbubble. Hell, redownload the Etsy app and support a small business. Pacino’s specific phone case is available on Amazon, if you want to copy the icon.

But if you want to be a little more original, some ideas, free of charge: get a phone case that looks like an Altoids tin, and pretend to offer people a mint as a prank. Perhaps a celebrity’s face; maybe Pitbull, Ina Garten, or Al Pacino himself. Want to stay on the Mike Myers trend? Grab a phone case from Wayne’s World or Austin Powers. Or, go the Kris Jenner route and personalize your phone case—but instead of your name, choose something outrageous.

Our entire personality exists within these magical little rectangles, so why not dress it up with a little pizzazz? Thanks for the tip, Al.

Fletcher PetersEntertainment Reporter

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