20 Years After The Terrorist Attacks, Comedy Show Will Benefit 9/11 Charities
20 Years After The Terrorist Attacks, Comedy Show Will Benefit 9/11 Charities
Comedians Jon Stewart and Pete Davidson are hosting a comedy special at Madison Square Garden. "NYC Still Rising After 20 Years" will be held on Sept. 12.
NOEL KING, HOST:
Two New York City-based comedians, Jon Stewart and Pete Davidson, plan to mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11 by hosting a special to raise money for charities that benefit victims of the attack and their families.
DEBBIE ELLIOTT, HOST:
It's advocacy work Stewart is already familiar with. In 2019, he confronted empty seats in Congress at a hearing to reauthorize the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund.
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JON STEWART: They responded in five seconds. They did their jobs with courage, grace, (crying) tenacity, humility. Eighteen years later, do yours.
KING: And Pete Davidson's Dad was a firefighter who died while responding to the attack on the World Trade Center. Davidson was 7 years old. And the experience of losing his father is a recurring theme in his work.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "KING OF STATEN ISLAND")
BEL POWLEY: (As Kelsey) I like your tattoos. What are those numbers on your arm?
PETE DAVIDSON: (As Scott Carlin) Oh, that's the date my dad died. He was a fireman - died in a fire 17 years ago.
POWLEY: (As Kelsey) Oh, my God. I'm so sorry.
DAVIDSON: (As Scott Carlin) Don't be. It's fine.
RICKY VELEZ: (As Oscar) Knock knock.
DAVIDSON: (Scott Carlin) Who's there?
VELEZ: (As Oscar) Not your dad.
KING: Davidson's movie "King Of Staten Island," which came out in 2020, is a comedy drama based on his life. In an interview on Fresh Air, he said comedy has helped him process the tragedy.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)
DAVIDSON: When you're able to make somebody laugh or make a joke out of the darkest thing, it really - it's healing. And it makes you feel a lot better. So my goal was always to just bring light to the darkness.
ELLIOTT: The Madison Square Garden event's lineup includes Amy Schumer, Bill Burr and Colin Jost.
KING: In a joint statement, Stewart and Davidson said the special is meant to, quote, "honor this city's great resilience."
(SOUNDBITE OF INWARD OCEANS' "SIGHT TO THE BLIND")
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