Late-Night Hosts Set Jokes Aside for Orlando

Almost every one of the late-night TV show hosts — from Jimmy Fallon to John Oliver — took a break from their usual jokey monologues on Sunday and Monday to pay tribute to the Orlando shooting victims and, in most cases, to make anti-gun comments.

“Just because there’s a problem with terrorism doesn’t mean there isn’t also a problem with access to guns.” — “Daily Show” host Trevor Noah

Stephen Colbert, after delivering a serious message, turned to his first guest, Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, for a discussion/debate on the topic of war on terrorism. The two went back and forth until Colbert, suggesting that they try to agree on something, said, “Are guns a problem here?”

O’Reilly’s answer: “Guns are a problem in the hands of criminals and terrorists, but they afford the population a level of self-protection which is why the founders put it into the Constitution.”

Here’s what the liberal late-nighters had to say:

Conan O’Brien
Conan told listeners he’s not usually into making political statements, but in the wake of the shooting felt like sharing his anti-gun opinion.

“I simply do not understand why anybody in this country is allowed to purchase and own a semi-automatic assault rifle,” he said. “It makes no sense to me.”

He then pointed listeners to a Go Fund Me page where they could support the victims.

“I do not know the answer, but 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.”

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Jimmy Fallon
Fallon also took a break from the wacky videos and jokes for a moment to address the shooting. He encouraged a message of love.

“We need to support each other’s differences, and worry less about our opinions,” he said. “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 gave a shout-out to the citizens of Orlando.

“If anyone can do it, you can. Keep loving each other, keep respecting each other, and keep on dancing,” he said.

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Stephen Colbert
Colbert took a slightly different approach mentioning how it is almost easy and natural to become paralyzed by despair in the wake of such a hateful act.

“I don’t know what to do, but I do know that despair is a victory for hate,” he said.

“Hate wants us to be too weak to change anything,” he added.

He closed by urging everyone to chose to love. “Love is a verb, and to love means to do something.”

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John Oliver:
Oliver was angrier than the other hosts, as he is when strongly making his case for whatever the topic. He said,

“For right now, on a day when some dips*** terrorist wants us to focus on one man’s act of brutality and hatred, it might be worth seeing this video,” he said, cutting to a Twitter clip showing hundreds of Floridians in line to donate blood. “It kind of reminds you that that terrorist dips*** is vastly outnumbered,” he said.

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Samantha Bee:
No one was madder than Bee, who dropped f-bombs and railed against everyone, including President Obama on her “Full Frontal” late-night show.

“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. And that is great, that is beautiful. But you know what? F*** it! I am too angry for that. Love does not win, unless we start loving each other enough to fix our f***ing problems.”

She also said, “We can’t constitutionally get rid of all guns. But can’t we get semi-automatic assault rifles out of the hands of civilians?” She imagined the headlines: “Sam Bee wants to take your guns away!” To which she replied, “Yes! The ones that mow down a roomful of people in seconds, yes, I do want to take those guns away!”

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