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Craig Ferguson, Jimmy Kimmel and Conan O’Brien all took time out of their Monday night monologues to address Monday’s bombing at the Boston Marathon, which killed three people and injured at least 144 others.
On CBS’ Late Late Show, Ferguson noted that his monologue would be taking a different tone than usual.
“Tonight’s show is a little bit different,” he began. “Obviously the news of today is so horrendous that it would seem insensitive at best to say, ‘It’s a great day for America,’ so I won’t be starting the show with that tonight. Is anyone else sick of this s—? I seem to have to say that too often.”
VIDEO: Boston Marathon Bombing: Networks Report Three Dead, 144-Plus Injured
He added: “People say to me, ‘Craig, your job is to make people laugh at the end of the day.’ And I think, yes, that’s true, but I’ve never professed to be any damn good at that. And, the thing is, people want their mind taken off it. And I think, well OK, if you want your mind taken off it, you know, watch a cartoon or a video or something. I understand it, it’s perfectly acceptable. I don’t think it’s a terrible thing to not want to think about it, but I can’t not think about it.”
Ferguson noted that he shot his first stand-up special in America in the city of Boston and noted that he spoke at Faneuil Hall after becoming a U.S. citizen in 2008 at the invitation of Boston Mayor Tommy Menino.
“I like that town,” he said. “I’m appalled by this thing, and when I watch it on these streets that I know, it’s horrifying.
“If I have all this inside of me, if I have all this rage and anger and distress and upset inside of me, I’m not a good enough comedian to hide all that from you.”
ABC’s Kimmel also started his monologue by addressing the tragedy, noting that it had been a “terrible day.”
“Very bad things happened today for no good reason,” he said. “And our thoughts are with the people of Boston and everyone who is suffering as a result of the bombings at the marathon. It’s a disgusting thing. I don’t understand it. But my job is to make you laugh, so I will try to do that — and I will probably fail. I’m failing already.”
STORY: Obama Says ‘We Will Find Out Who Did This and Hold Them Responsible’
O’Brien, who grew up in Boston and has family there, began his TBS show by noting what an “upsetting and sad day it has been.”
“I wanted to take a moment to say that — like everybody here — my thoughts and prayers are with the people of Boston and everybody who has been affected by this absolutely senseless act,” he said. “That said — it is our job to do a show. We’re going to try and entertain you the very best we can — which, given our track record, gives you people a 20 percent chance of having a good time tonight.”
(It should be noted that the late-night shows hosted by Jay Leno, David Letterman and Jimmy Fallon are dark this week.)
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, daytime talk show host Ellen DeGeneres addressed the tragedy at the end of taping on Tuesday’s episode.
“Before we end the show today, I wanna tell everyone in Boston that we’re thinking about you,” she said. “We’re watching the news and it is incredibly sad. As we’re taping, we’re still learning new details. And, please know that you’re in our hearts. Be kind to one another.”
Watch Ellen’s statement here:
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