Can comedians basically get away with verbal murder?

Johnny Carson said it's all about the way in which it's said, not the thing being said. I agree with that. If somebody says something that could be considered rude or offensive, but in a playful or jokey way that's supposed to be funny, there's nothing wrong with it. You asked "can a comedian be a racist or ist, or religious bigot and get away with it?" Well, the answer is usually no, but then again how many comedians are those things? I think you are simply identifying comedians who use racial, ual, and religious humor as bigots of those kinds, when in fact you are wrong. Sensitive issues are prime targets for ridicule and humor, and if you think people who choose to tackle them are bigoted, that's your problem. They're not bigoted.