Leave it up to Comedy Central's late night hosts, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, to find a way to make Americans laugh as the country copes with the devastation caused by the Boston Marathon bombing that injured 183 people and killed 3 others.
On Tuesday, both The Daily Show and The Colbert Report began by acknowledging the crisis in Boston, focusing on the city's strength and resilience, and offering a dose of levity.
"I'm just going to say this to Boston: Thank you. Thank you for once again, in the face of gross inhumanity, inspiring and solidifying my belief in humanity and the people of this country. So thank you for everything you've done," said Stewart.
He then went on to inject humor into his intro by poking fun at the longtime rivalry between New York and Boston.
"It's a quite a little city you've got going on up there. And New Yorkers and Boston obviously have kind of a little bit of a competition. Often, the two cities accusing each other of various levels of suckitude. "
The comedian ended stating, "You've got a hell of a city going on, and you've done an incredible job in the face of all this. Thank you."
Likewise, Colbert opened his show with a tribute to the capital of Massachusetts.
"Before we begin, I just want to take a moment to talk about the attack in Boston yesterday. Obviously, our thoughts and our prayers are with everybody there. And as the president said, we don't know who did this, but they will be found, and they will be brought to justice," he said.
"Whoever did this obviously did not know s--- about the people of Boston. Because nothing these terrorists do is going to shake them. For Pete's sake, Boston was founded by the pilgrims - a people so tough they had to buckle their g--damn hats on," quipped the TV host.
"It is the cradle of the American revolution. A city that withstood an 86-year losing streak. A city that made it through the Big Dig, a construction project that backed up traffic for 16 years - I mean, there are commuters just getting home now. Even their bands are tough. It's the hometown of Aerosmith, who are, in their fifth decade, still going strong. Even Steven Tyler looks fantastic, for a 73-year-old woman. "
He also commended the runners for displaying acts of compassion during the tragedy. "And when those bombs went off, there were runners who, after finishing a marathon, kept running for another two miles to the hospital to donate blood."
Watch both videos below.
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