Editor’s Note: Dean Obeidallah, a former attorney, is the host of SiriusXM radio’s daily program “The Dean Obeidallah Show” and a columnist for The Daily Beast. Follow him @DeanObeidallah. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion articles on CNN.
Chris Farley passed away nearly 22 years ago, but for those watching Adam Sandler’s funny and heartbreaking musical tribute to his former friend on “Saturday Night Live” this weekend it felt like we lost him just yesterday. And I bet for many fans of Farley, it felt like, in some ways, he never left us.
I worked on the production staff at “SNL” from 1998 to 2006, and over those years I heard countless stories about Farley from people who worked on the show with him. The one thing the stories all had in common was the sheer amount of joy they would bring to the people recounting Farley’s antics. Suddenly, an otherwise low-key person would light up while acting out – to the best of his or her ability – what Farley had done in the very place we were standing in the “SNL” offices. And of course, laughter would follow as we could all picture Farley in our mind’s eye doing exactly what was being described.
Sandler’s song toasting his late friend on “SNL” captured that spirit so well – with a hint of the bittersweet.
Some have pointed out that Sandler had played a version of this song before on his recent Netflix special. But what was so unique and moving about Sandler’s rendition on “SNL” was that it took place on the very stage that the two close friends shared in the mid-1990s.
Given the location, certain lines delivered an added emotional weight, such as when Sandler sang, “We’d tell him, ‘Son, you’ll wind up like Belushi and Candy,’ he said, ‘Those guys are my heroes, that’s all fine and dandy.’” (This was, of course, referring to the late John Belushi and John Candy, both larger than life comedy stars who died way too young.)
Then there was Sanders’ lyric: “If we make enough noise, maybe he’ll hear us,” pausing as emotion came across his face and the audience cheered.
But, clearly, Sandler didn’t come to make us cry. He came to remind us of the joy that Farley bestowed upon us. Sandler shared that when he first met Farley, “he cartwheeled around the room and slow danced with the cleaning lady,” adding, “he was a one-man party.”
And there was something else that was remarkable about Sandler’s song. It was a nearly five-minute, much-needed escape from the dysfunction that has consumed America today. Watching the clips of Farley making us laugh from the 1990s as Sandler sang conjured up a simpler time – one in which the biggest political issues involved Bill Clinton’s affair with an intern as opposed to what we are seeing today with President Donald Trump’s war on the truth, Russian attacks on our elections and the emboldenment of white supremacists. Although Clinton’s affair was indeed a serious matter, it was one that seemed relatively contained, as opposed to the growing issues that threaten lives and the vitality of our democracy today.
As the song wound down, Sandler summed up what Farley means to him and to so many others with the line, “Buddy, life has moved on, but you still bring us so much joy.” He added, “Make my kids laugh with YouTube clips or Tommy Boy,” causing the studio audience to cheer as we saw an image of Farley from the hit 1995 comedy film, “Tommy Boy.”
Over 20 years after his passing, Farley is still bringing joy to those he touched personally and to those who just enjoyed his comedy. That’s why Sandler’s final lyric of his song was just so perfect: “Give it up for the great Chris Farley.”