Adam Sandler has probably dropped three of the 10 worst movies of the last decade. Aside from Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, 50 First Dates and a few other films, Sandler has not put out any film that has been met with generally positive reviews by critics and viewers alike. The mixture of misogyny and racism Sandler has been able to throw into his more recent films have garnered him even more critics.
Yet would Sandler consider these films a disappointment? For a man worth almost $300 million, he knows simply by putting out a movie he will get a big paycheck.
In the past decade, Sandler has “blessed” people who write anti-Sandler pieces like me with dumpster fires of films at a yearly pace. Jack and Jill, That’s My Boy, Grown-Ups 2, amongst a plethora of awful movies. One thing remains constant: the style of humor. There is never intelligent, well thought out humor, Monty Python-esque humor that makes you think and requires a set level of intelligence and understanding of basic current events.
Nothing in any Sandler movie requires much thought or prior knowledge. Every joke he uses either pokes fun at a marginalized group of people or involves talking in a weird voice while simultaneously punching someone in the genitals. Sandler is slowly becoming to the comedy genre, what Kyle Korver has been to the NBA. Sandler gives viewers one thing (humor generally enjoyed by a 10-year-old), just like Kyle Korver gives NBA viewers one thing (3 point shooting).
Even if Adam Sandler read this article and saw the things I, amongst other journalists, said about him, would he even care? Off of the film Jack and Jill alone, Sandler pocketed $20 million. If the goal is to just make money for yourself, then you must recognize that Sandler’s name makes money just by being in a film. Off of one single film, that has a rating of under 10 percent from Rotten Tomatoes, Sandler made more than Corey Kluber made the last two years, and Kluber is actually good at his job.
We can’t even be mad at Sandler for making this much money. We enabled him to earn these paychecks. By continually going to see his movies, regardless of how bad they are, we are giving studios incentives to keep him around because his movies somehow still turn a profit.
Do I think Adam Sandler is the most awful human being ever? No, there is a man named Mike Pence that has him beat. However, I do find it quite amusing how much that man can still make on movies that are offensive and often in poor taste. As the consumer we have the power, and if we finally stop watching his films, maybe new ones will stop coming out.
Tyler Corbit is a freshman studying journalism with a focus in strategic communications at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. How do you feel about Adam Sandler? Let Tyler know by tweeting him @tylercorbit.
