• by Philip Rosenstein , Staff Writer, June 16, 2016

In the wake of the Orlando shootings, comedy show hosts and humorous podcasts veered from traditional comedic paths to address the massacre.

Slate’s Trumpcast, a podcast addressing the “national emergency we call Donald Trump,” refrained from its usual farcical reading of Trump quotes, citing the attack.

Throughout the campaign season, the Trump phenomenon has been fantastic fodder for late-night comedy shows and humor publications that wade into the political sphere. They will continue to play an important role, informing voters and adding lightness to an angry and negative campaign cycle.

Events like the shooting in Orlando, however, highlight the thin line comedians walk when discussing current events. Policies, awkward political stances and blunders are comedy gold. But there are times when satire takes a back seat to somber reflection.

The Onion, responding to the shooting, wrote a piece from the perspective of an AR-15, titled: “It’s An Honor To Continue Being Valued Over Countless Human Lives,” arriving close to that acceptable line.

In a clear show of deference, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon nixed their opening monologues in favor of a heartfelt discussion about the shootings. “Despair is a victory for hate,” Colbert solemnly observed, engaging his audience with a tone and cadence we rarely see from the comedian.

Fallon evoked his recent fatherhood, wondering what he could say about such events to his children.  

TBS’ Samantha Bee took a different approach, reacting angrily in her segment about the shootings: “Is it OK if instead of making jokes, I just scream for seven minutes until we go to commercial?” While she did get some laughs, the overwhelming sense was that she was infuriated by state laws that allow people with Mateen’s history of domestic violence and radical inclinations to buy deadly weapons.

Bee was similarly enraged by the responses from GOP politicians in Florida.

Although humor can inform voters in an engaging way, there are times it is unsavory to joke. In a year of anger and violence, professional humorists can use their forum to encourage self-reflection and action.

If only Washington was equally galvanized.