"I always say that there’s a lot more good in the world than there is bad, and I continue to believe that. And that is what we have to focus on," DeGeneres told her audience during Monday's taping of Tuesday's episode.
In the wake of the recent mass shooting in Las Vegas that left 59 people dead and more than 500 injured, Ellen DeGeneres opened her show Tuesday by shedding light on those who continue to make a positive impact in the world.
“I am hoping we can fill this room with love, and prayers, and hope. That’s what I want right now,” DeGeneres told her audience in her opening monologue.
DeGeneres took a moment to address the somber mood after Sunday night’s massacre, “This show is airing on Tuesday, but we are taping on Monday, and we all woke up this morning to the news of the horrific shooting in Las Vegas. My heart is broken for everyone affected by what happened there. I mean, we were just in Las Vegas a few weeks ago, and when you think of Las Vegas, it’s a place to escape and have fun and you never imagine anything like this could ever happen.”
Despite the ongoing rush of bad news from recent hurricanes and the Vegas shooting, DeGeneres urged her audience and viewers to maintain a sense of hope and positivity.
“There’s so much going on in the world right now — people are recovering from hurricanes, the devastation in Puerto Rico and on top of all that, something like this happens,” DeGeneres said. “I don’t know about you, but I feel sad, I feel anxious, I feel helpless. And it’s very easy to lose hope, but we cannot do that. We cannot do that.”
Pressing everyone to see a light within the dark climate, DeGeneres emphasized the positivity and courage many have showcased during the difficult moments. “I always say that there’s a lot more good in the world than there is bad, and I continue to believe that. And that is what we have to focus on. I see it everywhere. You look in Las Vegas and people were helping each other. People lined up at 4:30 in the morning just to donate blood,” DeGeneres explained.
Despite many people still reeling from the shooting, DeGeneres explained her intent for her show, highlighting individuals who have inspired her and viewers. “It is hard to do a show on a day like this. When I woke up today, I think, 'How am I going to do a show?'” DeGeneres said. "But it’s also days like this that I appreciate my job more than ever because I get to focus and shine a light on the people that do good in the world. If you need a reminder of all the people out there that we have shown you that do good, here are a few of the people who inspired me.”
DeGeneres then proceeded to play a montage of former guests whom she had helped rectify difficult situations. Former guests include Renita Smith, a bus driver who rescued her 20 children passengers from a fire outbreak on the vehicle, and Max Akin, who gave his homecoming king crown to his friend who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
“The world is full of amazing people. Good will always win. Love will always win. We will continue to shine a light on those people on our show,” DeGeneres promised to her viewers and audience. “I am going to try to give you a show — every single day, what we want to do is give you an escape from whatever is going on in your life, whatever is going on in the world and that is what we’re going to do today. Today is going to be a fun day.”