>Silverman's humor comes not from how shocking the things she
>says are, but because it's a satire of the way that racism
>becomes almost banal in contemporary society.

What she says *is* shocking, that's why she gets laughs from it.

And I think what you're saying works for the female-oriented stuff, because for the most part people don't pay much attention to the rampant misogyny and sexism around us all the time (I mean, look at the debate in the Lesson about Bubba Sparxxx and the "n" word, not a single person seemed to object that he was making the billionth song about women's butts, just that he used a single, racially charged word). Misogyny and sexism is truly banal, and it helps that she is a woman herself, but the race related humor is a different thing altogether.