Late-night hosts get serious, plead for gun control laws
Entertainment, for themost part, takes back seat to news.
All the late-nightTVshows started out on a serious note Monday, as the hosts addressed the horrifific tragedy in Las Vegas, the deadliest mass shooting inmodern U.S. history.
Trevor Noah and James Cordenwere indisbeliefover Americangunculture. Conan O’Brien was devastated to realize how many times he’s had to talk about mass shootings. Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers urged Congress to take action on gun control. Jimmy Fallon stayed true to his entertainment-first roots and had Miley Cyrus and AdamSandler open the show with Dido’s “No Freedom.”
Here are some excerpts from each host’s take:
- “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” on Comedy Central
What’s been particularly heartbreaking is other than the lives lost is howI feel like people are becoming more accustomed to this type of news, every single time. I almost know how it’s going to play out. We’re shocked. We’re sad. Thoughts and prayers. And then, almost on cue, people are going to come out saying, “Whenever you do, when speaking about the shootings, don’t talk about guns.” ...
This is not the time to be talking about guns? ... And also, if you say after a mass shooting is never the time, then you’ll never have the conversation in America, because there’s amass shooting in America almost every single day. So when is the time? - “Conan” on TBS I’ve been doing this job for more than 24 years, and when I began in 1993, occasions likethiswereextremely rare. Formeor any TV comedy host back then to come out and need to address a mass shooting spree was practically unheard of. But over the last decade, things have changed.
Now, today when I came in to work, my head writer was standing in my office witha sheaf ofpapers andhe said, “Here are the remarks you made after the Sandy HookshootingsandthePulse nightclubattacks inOrlando. You might want to look at themto seewhat youmight want to say tonight.”
And that, that struckme. How could there be a fifile of mass shooting remarks for a late-night host? When did that become normal? When did this become a ritual? And what does it say about us that it has?
- “LateShowWith Stephen Colbert” on CBS
This afternoon, the president called this an “act of pure evil.” And I think he’s right. So, what, then, are we willing todoto combat “pure evil?” The answer can’t be nothing. It can’t.
- “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on ABC
President Trump is visiting LasVegasonWednesday, he spoke this morning, said he’s praying for those who lost their lives. You know, in February, he also signed a bill that made it easier for people with severe mental illness to buy guns legally.
- “The Tonight ShowStarring Jimmy Fallon” on NBC
This morning, we woke up to the news of another senseless shooting, this time in Las Vegas. In the face of tragedies and acts of terror, we need to remember that good still exists in this world. We’re here to entertain you tonight, and that’s what we’re going to do.
- “Late Night With Seth Meyers” on NBC
We’ve talked about gun violenceonthis showbefore, and I’m not sure what else I can say. I also know nothing I saywillmake any difffffffffffference at all. But to Congress, I would just like to say, are there no stepswecantake as a nation to prevent gun violence? Or, is this just how it is and howit’s going to continue to be?
Because when you say - which you always say - “Now is not the time to talk about it,” what you really mean is, there is never a time to talk about it. And it would be so much more honest if you would just admit that your plan is to never talk about it and never take any action.
Congressman Steve Scalise who, in a wonderful, a truly wonderful moment, returned to the House flfloor fourmonths after being shot himself said that his being alive is proof that miracles really do happen. But is that the best plan D.C. has for dealing with gun violence?
- “Late Late Show With James Corden” on CBS
I come fromaplacewhere we don’t have shootings at this frequency so it’s hard for me to fathom. But it should be hard for everyone to fathom. Gun violence should not be a staple of American life. Some say it’s too early to talk about gun control. For those victims last night, it’s far too late.
I heard today a commentator on the news explaining that there is no real way to prevent lone wolf mass shootings like this. And forgive me, because I’m just a foreigner here and some of you feel I have no place to say this: But howdoes every other developed country do a better job of preventing these attacks?