Originally, I was going to round up some of Adam Sandler’s greatest Saturday Night Live sketches, but then I decided to half-ass it, in honor of Grown Ups 2, so instead, let’s talk about “Lunchlady Land.” It’s one of the most fondly remembered SNL sketches from the 1990s for anyone who saw it live, and impossible to explain to everyone else. “So, like, the Zohan plays guitar while a dead, fat guy dances in a lunch lady outfit with Norm MacDonald, Kevin Nealon, and Sarah Silverman, who’re all dressed as various cafeteria foods?” YUP.
Until last night, I had forgotten that “Lunchlady Land” also appeared on Sandler’s highly important debut comedy album, They’re All Gonna Laugh at You!, released back when the words “Sandler” and “album” didn’t immediately call to mind terrible Joe Walsh songs. But I also didn’t realize that not only did Sandler and his frequent screenplay partners, Tim Herlihy and Allen Covert, write the sketch, so did Bob Odenkirk, and now I can’t stop thinking about Breaking Bad ending with Saul Goodman serving Walter White some poisoned hoagies and/or grinders.
