POSTED BY STUART LEVINE

While there were several great laughs to be had by Sarah Silverman and her "Sarah Silverman Program" entourage Friday night at the Paley Center for Media, I found her most intriguing when playing it straight.

Near the end of the discussion, moderated by On the Air's own Cynthia Littleton, Silverman started talking about Greg Aoki, the president of Media Action Network for Asian Americans, and how he started a firestorm after Silverman used a racially offensive term in telling a joke in 2001 on "Late Night With Conan O'Brien."

In describing the aftershocks of the incident, Silverman told how Aoki brought a few dozen of folks to the studio audience of "Politically Incorrect" to hound and castigate her, while she came to the Bill Maher's chatfest hoping to engage in a worthwhile conversation about the incident. She eventually determined that Aoki wasn't worth apologizing to, and decided that all of her humor — while some may find offensive and derogatory and others will laugh til it hurts — is never worth apologizing for.

Comedy is subjective, and the first time you have to make excuses to those who don't get the joke, your credibility is forever lost. You may or may not like her humor or punchlines, but she's a pro who delivers the funny right on target every time.

And then there was the insight into when the series filmed a scene at a church in South Central L.A., Silverman told of a racist cop's remarks that were so despicable that it left many in the Paley crowd in jaw-dropping awe.

As for the insight into the Comedy Central show, or should we say the "Program," it's in the third season of production right now, while it doesn't draw an audience the size of "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," it cuts to the core of who Silverman is. So, basically, you like Sarah, you like the show.

Other topics of discussion Friday included her upbringing in New Hampshire (at 3 years old she would stand by the side of the road with a boy, putting feces on sticks and waving it as the cars drove by), making lifelong friendships while living in the dorms at NYU and living — with boyfriend Jimmy Kimmel — next to several gay neighbors who are the inspiration for the gay couple on the series.

Just before the evening ended, Silverman, pictured here with her sister Laura, confessed that if she could be any character on "Lost," she would be Jack, and thought his season-ending episode last year was a mind-bender. Here's wondering if she's interested in throwing Matt Damon under the bus for a YouTube rendezvous with Dr. Shepard?

(Photos by Kevin Parry/The Paley Center for Media)

Here's something we didn't expect to see at the "Jimmy Kimmel Live" 1000th episode party on Thursday night: Dominic Monaghan. The dearly departed "Lost" star was making the rounds poolside at the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel and hanging with "it" couple Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman.

Monaghan must've had a good time making the Jimmy Kimmel-Ben Affleck music vid a few months back (he's in the sing-along celeb gospel choir). He's also guested on "Kimmel" five times since the dawn of "Lost" in the fall of 2004.

Monaghan, looking very neat and clean (we still can't get used to that) in a crisp open-collar dress shirt and gray suit, didn't stay in one spot for too long, but we stopped him long enough to share a heartfelt "awwww" over Charlie's heroic sacrifice. Thesp said he's "trying to do something with Sarah for her show" (presumably the Comedy Central skein that resumes production in the next few weeks) and he does read the scripts that "Touchstone" (guess he didn't get the memo on the name change to ABC Studios) is sending him but is more focused on film than TV these days.

Monaghan reported that he's just wrapped production on the "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" pic and is soon off "to go find the world's biggest spider." Not entirely sure what that means. We do know that there's a shot of a spider in the "Happy Accidents" exhibition of photos that Monaghan recently had on display at West Hollywood art gallery Hamilton-Selway Fine Art.

By the dim light of the heat lamps at the party, Monaghan looked cheery and chipper, like he was enjoying himself. Heck, that's all we ever wanted for Charlie...isn't it?

Jimmy Kimmel's ABC late night skein may be temporarily idled by the writers strike, but picket lines can't stop the march of time. Kimmel toasted the onset of his forties with a birthday bash at Tao in Las Vegas on Nov. 9.

According to IMDB, the big 4-0 for Kimmel officially arrives on Tuesday (Nov. 13). Too bad he won't have a show to mark the occasion and show off pics like the one at left with his mom and dad, Joan and Jim Kimmel, and galpal Sarah Silverman apparently mistaking his cheek for a slice of cake (or maybe not?). According to an ABC rep, "Jimmy Kimmel Live" is taking it day by day but will fer sure be a repeat on Tuesday.

(Pic by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)