Roseanne Barr Declined Adam Sandler's Offer to Unveil the 'Chanukah Song' on 'Saturday Night Live'
Roseanne Barr passed up the opportunity to premiere Adam Sandler’s iconic ‘Chanukah Song’ during her hosting gig on ‘Saturday Night Live’ in 1994
Roseanne Barr, Adam Sandler Steven Ferdman;Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
Roseanne Barr declined the opportunity to sing Adam Sandler's "Chanukah Song" when she hosted Saturday Night Live in 1994. Sandler, 57, later shared that she thought he should perform the song himself, stating, "That's his, he wrote it, that's his song."
Sandler first performed the song on the "Weekend Update" segment of SNL in December 1994, explaining that he wrote it because he noticed the lack of Chanukah music in the world. He joked about feeling left out as a Jewish kid with only the song "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel" while surrounded by Christmas songs in school.
Sandler highlights various Jewish celebrities in his "Chanukah Song," such as David Lee Roth and William Shatner. In an interview with Access Hollywood, the comedian expressed his pride in the song's enduring legacy, stating, "I'm happy to be a part of Chanukah. That was a good time of life to be associated with the song and the holiday. Very proud of that."
When asked if he still performs the festive song, Sandler responded, "I sing it by myself, without the kids, I go into our basement, I belt it out, I do a little dance to it. If it comes on the radio and I hear it, I get excited. It's still great."
Although the cultural impact of "Chanukah Song" cannot be denied, Sandler declined being labeled as the "Mariah Carey of Chanukah" (referring to Carey's 1994 hit "All I Want for Christmas Is You," one of the highest-selling digital singles of all time).
Sandler emphasized that Mariah Carey is beloved by everyone. He also discussed his holiday song and spoke about collaborating with his daughters, Sadie and Sunny, on the animated film Leo, now streaming on Netflix.
Sandler, who plays the film's titular lizard, expressed how much he enjoyed being around the kids and seeing them happy. He also mentioned that his dynamic with the children on set is similar to the one they have at home. He joked that not much changes, as they still stare at him as if he's mad at them.
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Sandler and his wife Jackie Titone, whom he married in 2003, share two daughters, Sadie and Sunny. In the coming-of-age film "You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah", released by Netflix in August, Sandler and his daughters also starred together. Regarding their feelings towards "The Chanukah Song," Sandler mentioned that his daughters are also proud of it.
