2021 Teen Survey Says Gen Z Loves Adam Sandler

Thanks to a rich partnership with Netflix, and a massive catalogue of beloved comedies, Adam Sandler is a hit with younger American audiences. Sandler has been one of the most influential screen comedians for multiple generations, making an everlasting mark with his work on Saturday Night Live and early films like Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore. It's no surprise that the millennial generation is incredibly fond of Sandler as many of us grew up on his work. What folks may not realize, however, is just how much influence the comedian has over Generation Z.

The company Piper Sandler (no connection to the actor) recently published the results of its Fall 2021 Gen Z survey. The 42nd edition of this survey saw the company poll 10,000 teenagers with an average age of 15.8 years. Some of the results could've been guessed, such as Chick-Fil-A, Starbucks, and Chipotle ranked as their three favorite restaurants. But when the survey got to asking about their favorite celebrity, Adam Sandler was actually the top answer amongst the entire group.

Piper Sandler didn't mention exactly how many teenagers in the survey named the Hubie Halloween star as their favorite celebrity, but it was enough to beat out every other actor, musician, or athlete around. 

Perhaps the biggest reason for Sandler's rise in fame with Gen Z is his enormous pact with Netflix, the most prominent streaming service on the planet. For many, streaming services like Netflix have replaced traditional television and movie viewing experiences, so the biggest stars on Netflix become the biggest in any avenue, at least with younger audiences. Sandler has released all of the new films from his production company, Happy Madison, on Netflix, since signing the overall deal with the service. Films like Murder Mystery, The Do-Over, and Hubie Halloween were all released directly on Netflix.

The biggest Sandler film not to debut on Netflix in recent years, Uncut Gems, puts the actor in the body of a much different character. The ultra-violent film from the Safdie Brothers is considered by many to feature Sandler's best performance to-date, and while it was released by A24 and not Netflix, it's currently available to stream on the service.

Did you think Adam Sandler would be named the most popular celebrity amongst teenagers? Let us know your thoughts on the poll results in the comments!