Is Adam Sandler our greatest Jewish mind?
By Daniel Treiman, The Forward
Is Adam Sandler the most important living Jewish commentator? Believe it or not, this actually isn't the first time those words have appeared in print. In fact, the question was posed way back in 1999, on the cover of the national Jewish student magazine New Voices.
At the time, I must confess, I thought it was an absurd question. After all, Sandler's brand of humor isn't particularly Jewish, owing more to the bathroom than it does to the Borscht Belt. What can a guy who made his name singing faux-operatic ditties on "Saturday Night Live" and punching out "Price Is Right" host Bob Barker in "Happy Gilmore" teach us about the Jewish condition? Not much, I thought.
Then I watched "50 First Dates."
Yes, that "50 First Dates" - the 2004 slapstick comedy in which Sandler woos an amnesiac Drew Barrymore. True, in contrast to other films that tackle the perennially funny subject of Jewish men pursuing the affections of non-Jewish women (think Woody Allen in "Annie Hall," or Billy Crystal in "When Harry Met Sally"), there's nothing recognizably Jewish about the protagonist of "50 First Dates." Sandler's character lives in Hawaii, of all places, and works as a marine veterinarian, of all things. Aside from his name, Henry Roth, there's not so much as a hint that the character is Jewish - until, that is, the movie's ending, when (spoiler alert!), completely out of the blue, Sandler is standing under a chupah, sporting a yarmulke and a tallis.
The sudden appearance of a traditional Jewish wedding canopy and ritual garb is treated with utter nonchalance. Now, some might find this jarring, but I would counter that it brilliantly reflects the zeitgeist.
To be an American Jew today is to be, like Sandler, a part of the mainstream, not apart from it. In our daily lives, most of us are not so different from our non-Jewish neighbors. (Unlike in "Annie Hall," none of Sandler's 50 dates involved taking...
Sandler, Adam - America's Funniest Comedians
Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American comedian, actor, musician, screenwriter, and film producer. After becoming a popular Saturday Night Live cast member, he went on to star in several $100 million Hollywood feature films. Though he is best known for his comedic roles, such as in the films Billy Madison (1995), Happy Gilmore (1996), and Big Daddy (1999), he has also had success in romantic and dramatic roles, such as in the films Punch-Drunk Love (2002), Spanglish (2004), and Reign Over Me (2007). Sandler is also known by his nickname "The Sand Man".
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