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Late Night Hosts Rally Together to Address Tragic Orlando Shooting
In the wake of the Orlando shooting, late night hosts took a break from telling jokes and addressed the senseless tragedy that killed 49 and injured 53.
The hosts gave their honest opinions about what needs to change and did not hold back about the all-too-familiar topic of gun violence in America.
On The Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon took a break from his upbeat titles and addressed the shooting during his monologue. As a new father, Fallon questioned how he could explain this to his children and what we can possibly take away from this horrible act of violence.
“Maybe there’s a lesson from all this,” he shared. “A lesson in tolerance. We need to support each other’s differences and worry less about our own opinions. Get back to debate and away from believing or supporting the idea that if someone doesn’t live the way you want them to live, you just buy a gun and kill them.”
He also explained that we need to embrace each other’s differences.
“We need to get back to being brave enough to accept that we have different opinions and that’s OK,” he said. “Because that’s what America is built on.”
Fallon concluded his monologue with a bit of advice sharing, “When I think of Orlando, I think of nothing but fun and joy and families. If anyone can do it, you can. Keep loving each other, keep respecting each other, and keep on dancing.”
Shortly after Fallon spoke, Seth Meyers took to the airways on Late Night with Seth Meyers replacing his monologue with his segment, “A Closer Look,” in which he went the more political route addressing Congress and Donald Trump. He also spoke about the commonality in the weapons used in Sunday’s shooting and previous mass shootings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=183&v=bTi40ekUcV8
“[W]e’re likely about to enter yet another contentious national debate about gun control,” he explained. “When given a chance, Congress consistently chooses nothing as a course of action.”
During the segment, Meyers evaluated Trump’s tweets and how he tackled the tragedy where he basically congratulated himself for predicting such an event.
“Appreciate the congrats?” Meyers said. “I don’t know who’s been congratulating Donald Trump, but you may want to redirect your congratulations to first responders or those waiting in line to give blood. They’re the ones who deserve congrats and they’re not asking for it.”
Full Frontal host Samantha Bee was furious about the shooting and told everyone just how angry she was.
“Well, here we are. Now, after a massacre, the standard operating procedure is that you stand on stage and deliver some well-meaning words about how we will get through this together, how love wins, how love conquers hate,” she said. “And that is great. That is beautiful. But you know what? F**k it. I am too angry for that! Love does not win, unless we start loving each other enough to fix our f**king problems.”
Bee went after the politicians who have refused time after time to acknowledge the importance of gun control, specifically calling out Rick Scott and Marco Rubio.
“If only shooting victims could dodge bullets as deftly as you dodged that question,” Bee shared. “Seriously, that guy bolted so fast I’m surprised every room in the Florida state house doesn’t have a Rick Scott-shaped hole in it.”
On Conan, host Conan O’Brien kept his message short trying to wrap his head around this awful act while calling out for change. He also urged people to donate to the Go Fund Me account for the victims and their families. The account has already raised over $3 million (at time of press).
“I simply do not understand why anybody in this country is allowed to purchase and own a semi-automatic assault rifle,” he said. “I have tried to understand this issue from every side, and it all comes down to this: nobody I know, or have ever met in my entire life, should have access to a weapon that can kill so many people so quickly … I wanted to take just a moment here tonight to agree with the rapidly growing sentiment in America that it’s time to grow up and figure this out.”
After addressing the shooting during his hosting gig during the Tony Awards on Sunday night, James Corden took a moment to speak about the awful acts that took place on Sunday. Corden shared how nice it was to be among such a welcoming community during a tragedy.
“To be amongst that Broadway community that have always been welcoming to the LGBT community was incredible,” he shared.
He told his audience that about 3,000 ribbons had been given out for the attendees to wear to support the victims.
“This is a community that’s never ever had any prejudice towards anyone.”
On The Late Show, Stephen Colbert was angry and disappointed about the number of times he’s had to speak about a mass shooting and the repetitiveness of the situation.
“We each ask ourselves what can you possibly say in the face of this horror? But then sadly you realize, you know what to say, because it has been said too many times before,” he said. “It’s as if there’s a national script that we’ve learned, and I think by accepting the script, we tacitly accept that the script will end the same way every time, with nothing changing except for the loved ones and the families of the victims, for whom nothing will ever be the same.”
Colbert ended his segment with a little advice and asked viewers to pay attention to the love that has come out of the tragedy.
“There have been outpourings of love throughout the country and around the world … love allows us to change the script. So love your country, love your family, love the families and the victims and the people of Orlando.”