I love Adam Sandler. Yes, I said it, and I’ll even say it again: I love Adam Sandler. In modern society, saying you love Adam Sandler movies can be as taboo as saying you love Nickelback. But if you were to ask someone in the early 2000s what they thought of Adam Sandler, they would be much more likely to agree with you as well as praise the actor’s comedic and dramatic acting prowess.

You can draw some interesting parallels between Sandler and Nickelback. First, both used to be loved in the United States in the early 2000s. Adam Sandler was arguably the most popular comedic actor in the country, and Nickelback was the most successful foreign act in the U.S. behind only the Beatles. Sandler starred in the critically acclaimed “Punch Drunk Love” while also starring in box office successes like “Anger Management” and “50 First Dates.” Nickelback produced critically acclaimed songs such as Grammy Award nominees “How You Remind Me” and “Someday,” as well as achieving multi-platinum success in several album sales.

Then came the formulas. Sandler discovered that by doing the same stupid jokes and outrageous plots, he could make a ton of money while simultaneously having paid vacations wherever he decided to shoot the film. Nickelback realized by using the same chords and song structures, as well as singer Chad Kroeger singing the same exact way in every song, they could sell millions of albums worldwide.

Both Sandler and Nickelback went from loved to loathed because they stuck to what worked and made them money. Many call this greedy and an insult to the art they are creating. I would argue that they are simply operating under the old adage "if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it." They have basically discovered money trees that just drop cash whenever they want it. Who wouldn’t want that?

In Sandler’s case, the films in which he was most critically acclaimed were box office failures compared to his more recent terrible movies. His most acclaimed performance in “Punch Drunk Love” garnered only around $25 million at the box office. To compare, “Jack & Jill,” which is considered not only one of Adam Sandler’s worst movies but one of the worst films in history, made $150 million.

Basically, it’s our fault Adam Sandler continues to make these terrible films as opposed to critically positive ones. He has proven his acting ability repeatedly, but people simply don’t pay to see Adam Sandler act. People pay to see Adam Sandler act like a oversized baby and eventually learn some really dumb lesson in the end. As long as people continue to pay for the latter, I believe it will be hard to see Sandler act in quality films.

Now, is it possible for Adam Sandler to redeem himself as a good actor? I say yes, it is certainly possible. But why would he? Box office earnings reflect who people want to see, and almost nobody wants to see Sandler actually act. That may sting more than bad critics reviews and hundreds of millions in the bank. I’m sure Sandler doesn’t like being one of the least critically praised actors today, but he does so because that is what society expects of him. In a way, that behavior is somewhat admirable. He sacrifices being acclaimed at his craft in order to make stupid jokes and appease children. I do believe Adam Sandler will again achieve acting praise, whether in a lead or perhaps even supporting role, but I don’t think it will be anytime soon. Despite this, I continue to like Adam Sandler because of his films that I grew up with. I, personally, will always accept him, and I hope society eventually allows him to demonstrate what a great actor he can be.