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- Adam Sandler Felt Encumbered at SNL
- Sandler Pulled Together a Team of Writers and Comedy Performers
- Plenty of Content on the Adam Sandler Album Wouldn’t Fly Today, Save for the Songs
As a longtime fan of Adam Sandler and his zany brand of humor, I must say that “They’re All Gonna Laugh at You” was a game-changer for me. Growing up in the ’90s, I remember listening to this album on repeat with my friends, laughing ourselves silly at the outrageous sketches and catchy tunes.
1993 saw Adam Sandler on the brink of stardom, though he may not have been aware of it. He had certainly gained popularity as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, but history had shown that many previous SNL stars faded into obscurity instead of achieving stardom. At that point, Sandler had only acted in minor comedies and the characters he played, such as Opera Man and Canteen Boy, were not suitable for adaptation into movies. Just a year earlier, Mike Myers had found movie stardom with Wayne’s World hitting the big screen, but the idea of Adam Sandler’s films eventually grossing over $2 billion was considered absurd.
In a move typical of a carefree, unmarried comedian with no responsibilities holding him back, he created an extremely crude comedy album with his friends titled “They’re All Gonna Laugh at You“. This decision sparked a wave of excitement among young American boys, who gathered around their cassette players to enjoy the racy humor found in skits such as “The Longest Pee” and “The Beating of a High School Janitor”. Three decades on, even though Adam Sandler has since shifted towards more family-friendly comedy, those born in the ’90s still fondly remember the uproarious laughter and decidedly politically incorrect skits and songs that would have been unthinkable on SNL.
Adam Sandler Felt Encumbered at SNL
Fundamentally, the main inspiration for “They’re All Gonna Laugh at You” stemmed from the sketches and songs that Sandler created for SNL, but they were deemed unsuitable for broadcast due to their explicit content. At the age of 27, Sandler was eager to explore more mature humor, and finding a way past the gatekeeper (the head writer of SNL) wasn’t always straightforward. Instead, he decided to create a comedy album, which provided him with the freedom to be as irreverent as he desired, given the less restrictive nature of a record label.
Lorne Michaels connected Sandler with Mo Ostin, head of Warner Bros. Records at that time. Sandler expressed his ambition to create something more than just a stand-up album like Richard Pryor’s records. Instead, he aspired for it to resemble Cheech & Chong’s albums, featuring skits and songs. Sandler then sought the assistance of renowned comedy album producer Brooks Arthur, who had previously collaborated with comedians such as Robin Williams on their albums.
Sandler Pulled Together a Team of Writers and Comedy Performers
For the writing team, Sandler pulled together a murderer’s row of writing talent, including Judd Apatow, Bob Odenkirk, SNL writer Tim Herlihy, and Conan O’Brien. To perform in the sketches with him, Sandler brought on his fellow SNL cast members like Rob Schneider, David Spade and Tim Meadows. Sandler recalled the recording dynamic for SPIN, “Schneider and Spade and all my friends from SNL were there, and we felt like no one was watching us. It was great. [We were] recording one thing in one room and in the other room Odenkirk and Herlihy were writing something else. It was so much fun.”
In addition to the script, there was an abundance of sound design and foley effects added to make the sketches seem more authentic and, quite significantly, amplify their comedic impact. Sandler collaborated closely with sound designer Elmo Weber to ensure that every ounce of humor was extracted from each sketch. As he put it, “If we were going to include a sound effect of someone urinating, I wanted it to sound exceptional.” This approach resulted in a sketch where the foley effects arguably made the comedy even more hilarious than the dialogue itself.
Plenty of Content on the Adam Sandler Album Wouldn’t Fly Today, Save for the Songs
It’s surprising how Sandler, with characters like the wheezy Fatty McGee, the crude Toll Booth Willie, and the lewd Buffoon, eventually transitioned into producing romantic comedies and family-friendly content. Yet, his earlier works, such as Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore, are quintessential Sandler movies with their New England accented oafs, constant bathroom humor, and songs that make you laugh so hard your ribs might ache from the effort.
Regarding the tunes from the album, two of them, “The Thanksgiving Song” and “Lunchlady Land,” were previously showcased on Saturday Night Live. Interestingly, the Thanksgiving-themed piece might be the album’s most enduring contribution, as it continues to receive airplay on radio and streaming platforms during Thanksgiving. This song served as a precursor to Sandler’s subsequent “The Chanukah Song,” and the fact that “They’re All Gonna Laugh at You” was nominated for a Grammy for Best Comedy Album the following year, having sold over 2 million copies, demonstrated that it wasn’t just a one-time success.
Over the following three decades, Sandler rose to become one of the most financially successful actors in history and has recently rekindled his passion for stand-up comedy, releasing a series of specials on Netflix. Might another raunchy comedy album be forthcoming? Given his current family situation and the nature of his recent work… we’re not expecting it anytime soon. You can buy “They’re All Gonna Laugh at You” from Amazon.
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2024-09-16 05:31