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It's okay to love Adam Sandler movies without shame

I pride myself on having generally good taste in comedy. I was raised on a steady diet of "Jeopardy," followed by "Seinfeld," during the weeknights of my youth. I have been known to check out numerous anthologies about the history of "Saturday Night Live" from my public library and thanks to many sleepless nights filled with Comedy Central stand-up specials, I have a well-developed understanding of the current comedy scene.

I own Aziz Ansari's book, Modern Love, as well as Amy Poehler's Yes Please, Tina Fey's Bossypants and Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? and Why Not Me?. Not to mention, I've been watching Amy Schumer since before she became a cultural touchstone -- that's right, I knew Amy before "Trainwreck." This is to say, when it comes to funny things and people, I like to think I know what I'm doing.

I realize I may sound like a snob but just wait, I am about to redeem myself. That's right, me, pretentious comedy nerd extraordinaire has got a confession: I love Adam Sandler movies. I love them unconditionally and I love them despite every impulse I have to hate them. It's an on-again/off-again totally shameful, toxic relationship that I can't seem to shake.

These include "Billy Madison," "Mr. Deeds," "The Wedding Singer," "Eight Crazy Nights," "50 First Dates," "Click," "Grown Ups," "Grown Ups 2" and let's not forget my personal favorite, "Just Go With It." I know that most of these movies rely heavily on poop jokes and running gags usually involving Rob Schneider, but I don't care. I love them anyway.

There is something primal and instinctive to having a good belly laugh at Adam Sandler goofing around with his buddies, playing the same guy he's played for 20-plus years. It comes easily and doesn't require too much thinking. The movie is going along and suddenly Adam gets especially mad and does that VOICE WHERE HE YELLS! Or maybe Rob Schneider or David Spade or a different short comedian makes a cameo as a weirdo!

Maybe you laugh because you genuinely find a joke especially hilarious, or maybe you're laughing because Adam Sandler is supposed to be married to Salma Hayek ("Grown Ups," "Grown Ups 2") or wooing Drew Barrymore ("The Wedding Singer," "50 First Dates") or he is torn between Brooklyn Decker and Jennifer Aniston ("Just Go With It".)

I can stomach Adam as a leading man, at least more than his occasional co-star, Kevin James, who also has been paired with Salma Hayek and Rosario Dawson romantically. At least in "Just Go With It," Adam's character is a plastic surgeon as opposed to Kevin James' high school teacher-turned amateur wrestler and zookeeper.

But I digress; here lies my most shameful secret, laid bare for the world to read. I hope this makes at least one person feel a little less alone in their Adam Sandler addiction. If one comedy snob could admit his or her suppressed Sandler affinity, then I'll count this article as a win.