(Credits: Alamy)
Tue 16 December 2025 19:45, UK
David Spade is a comic star whose sense of humour might not be for everyone, because honestly, there’s only so much of his adolescent antics that can be appreciated. Spade has, for better or worse, always chosen to work alongside his best friends, even if his methods strike some as being insincere.
When you think about the crew that shaped Saturday Night Live in the ‘90s, it’s hard not to land on names like Adam Sandler, David Spade, Rob Schneider, and Chris Farley. They didn’t just bring a new brand of offbeat, chaotic humour to the table – one that ended up shaping a whole generation of up-and-coming comics – they also stuck together after the show, turning up in a string of hit films as regular co-stars.
Although Sandler would emerge as the biggest star of them all, few were funnier than Farley when he was at his peak. To everyone looking on, Farley seemed destined to have an exciting career ahead of him, toplining major comedy vehicles, but he unfortunately suffered the fate of other sketch comedy legends like John Belushi and John Candy. Farley’s death in 1997 at the age of 33 sent a shockwave through the comedy community and clearly left many of his friends devastated.
Despite his short lifespan, Farley still starred in a number of comedy films that have been accepted as classics by the generation that grew up with them, including Beverly Hills Ninja, Airheads, Black Sheep, and Almost Heroes. However, none of them compare to Tommy Boy, the beloved buddy comedy that Farley starred in alongside Spade. The film distilled the essence of both stars and gave them an opportunity to show what great friends they could be on screen.
Considering that Tommy Boy was accepted as a favourite by many viewers in the ‘90s, it’s not entirely surprising that it was selected by DirecTV to be part of a promotional series of advertisements that recreated scenes from classic films, including Alien and Back to the Future. However, the Tommy Boy television spot, which aired during the World Series, attracted some controversy because Spade was featured in the ad interacting with clips of Farley.
Reflecting on it, Spade told People that it “was very flattering” that Tommy Boy had been given the tribute, and said that “these commercials are cool” and “well done”. However, not everyone saw it that way; some viewers thought it was tasteless to include Farley’s likeness for the sake of a commercial, and others found it disrespectful for Spade to take advantage of his dead friend’s work.
While it’s inevitable that the Internet cooks up backlash to most things, the DirecTV ads did have the full support of Farley’s family, with his brother Kevin even saying that it “shows him doing what he loved to do most, making people laugh.” Spade appeared to be bewildered by the backlash when considering how he thought that Farely might have reacted.
“I guarantee he’d be stoked that this little movie is included,” Spade said. “The movie is important to me, and I would hate to offend, because that’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever done. So I would apologize to someone who took it that way.”
In an era where comedians are often sparking backlash for complaining about backlash, Spade deserves credit for owning up to what could have been perceived as objectionable and explaining why he felt that he was in the right. Of all the criticisms that Spade has received for his output, his loyalty has never been in question; he’s continued to work with many of his former Saturday Night Live collaborators on many recent Netflix projects, including The Wrong Missy, The Do-Over, and The Ridiculous 6.
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