John Safran
John Safran | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 13, 1972 Melbourne, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Radio host, satirist, documentary filmmaker, writer, journalist |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Known for | Race Around the World, John Safran's Music Jamboree, John Safran vs God, Sunday Night Safran |
John Michael Safran (; born 13 August 1972) is an Australian media figure known for his work as a radio host, satirist, documentary filmmaker, and writer. He is distinguished by his unique approach of intertwining comedy with religious, political, and cultural subjects. Safran first rose to prominence in 1997 through his participation in Race Around the World and later expanded his career by producing documentaries, creating television content, and hosting radio shows.
He has become notable for audacious television acts, including issuing a fatwa against Australian presenter Rove McManus, orchestrating a group of nine men disguised as the American nu metal band Slipknot to gain entry into a restricted Melbourne nightclub, sprinting through Jerusalem clad solely in St Kilda Football Club attire, piloting a remote-controlled seagull carrying a cigarette onto the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and confronting A Current Affair anchor Ray Martin.
Currently, Safran pursues journalism and authorship, with his most recent book, Squat, scheduled for release in October 2024.
Early life
Born in Melbourne to Jewish parents, Safran's maternal grandparents were Polish Jewish activists affiliated with the Bundist movement. His mother, Gitl, who passed away in 2003, was born in Uzbekistan during her escape to Australia. On his father's side, his lineage traces back to German Jews who emigrated prior to the ascent of Nazi Germany. He has one elder sister named Margaret.
Safran was raised in Balwyn North and attended North Balwyn Primary School followed by Balwyn High School. From Year 8 onward, he enrolled at Yeshivah College, an Orthodox Jewish boys’ school. Reflecting on this period, he described himself as "the least religious kid in the most religious school in Australia."
Post-secondary education saw him begin journalism studies at RMIT University, though he left before completion to enter advertising at Clemenger Harvie. His advertising career included copywriting roles for companies such as Mazda, Village Roadshow, and Sea World, where he notably composed the company’s jingle.
During his final year of high school, Safran co-founded the hip-hop group Raspberry Cordial alongside Chris Lumsden. The band enjoyed local recognition with frequent airplay on community radio stations, performed numerous shows around Melbourne, and secured second place in the RMIT Battle of the Bands event.
Following success in a government-backed youth music program, they released an album titled Taste Test, producing 500 copies but selling only 93. Safran reflected that "the world just wasn't ready for white rappers then," suggesting Raspberry Cordial "broke down the wall that Eminem's been able to walk through," alluding to Eminem’s breakthrough in a genre dominated by African-American artists.
1997–1998: Race Around the World
Safran first attracted national attention as a contestant on Race Around the World, an ABC competition designed for young documentary filmmakers. His audition submission humorously replaced ten seconds of black screen with ten seconds of music by Black Sabbath.
Although initially reserved in his approach, Safran soon produced striking segments such as streaking naked through Jerusalem while wearing St Kilda Football Club merchandise to highlight an unusual cultural overlap; performing a Voodoo ritual in Ivory Coast; clandestinely entering Disneyland to install alternative informational plaques about Walt Disney; and having a Catholic priest evaluate death metal music.
Despite earning top viewer ratings during the show’s run, Safran was ultimately disqualified after filming inside a confessional booth—an act that breached program regulations—resulting in him finishing last in the inaugural season.
1998–2002: Post-The Race Era
Following the attention garnered by The Race, ABC commissioned two half-hour pilot episodes from Safran.
The initial pilot, titled John Safran: Media Tycoon (1998), examined the media landscape and became infamous for a segment in which Safran confronted Ray Martin of A Current Affair by searching through his garbage. This confrontation escalated, resulting in threats of physical violence from Martin and his spouse. It is widely believed that Martin's position within ABC contributed to the series never being aired. This particular segment was later broadcast on Media Watch, included in John Safran: The Lost Pilot, and uploaded to YouTube. In 2014, Martin referred to Safran as a "serial pest".
The second pilot, named John Safran: Master Chef, focused on the culinary industry and included a cooking segment that concluded with graphic scenes of cattle slaughter at a slaughterhouse. Although neither pilot was televised, they found an audience online, especially among university students.
During this period, Safran also released a parody track titled "Not the Sunscreen Song", which reached number 20 on the charts in 1998 and earned an ARIA nomination. It was placed at #706 in Triple M's 2005 Greatest Songs countdown.
In addition, Safran contributed segments to Seven Network’s now-defunct The Late Report, some of which were broadcast on Channel 4’s UK program Disinformation. He drew police attention after orchestrating a stunt involving a remote-controlled seagull carrying a cigarette onto the MCG field during a cricket match, challenging Shane Warne’s no-smoking clause in his contract. Although arrested for invading the pitch, the charges were eventually dismissed.
2002–2003: Music Jamboree
In 2002, Safran premiered his documentary series John Safran's Music Jamboree on SBS, designed for viewers aged 12 to 20 who had not previously encountered his work. Memorable moments included breaking into his former school’s courtyard while dancing to "Footloose" and gaining access to an exclusive Melbourne nightclub by disguising nine men as members of the band Slipknot. The series received the 2003 AFI Award for "Best Comedy Series".
2004–2005: John Safran vs God
August 2004 marked the debut of John Safran vs God on SBS. Early episodes showcased his signature blend of informative satire, culminating in a finale where he underwent an exorcism conducted by Christian fundamentalist Bob Larson. Safran described experiencing something profound during the ritual but later explained that only selected portions from hours of footage were broadcast. The show won the 2005 AFI Award for "Best Comedy Series".
Prior to the exorcism, Safran journeyed to Mozambique to remove a curse reportedly placed on the Australian national football team by a deceased witch doctor. Accompanied by former captain Johnny Warren, he participated in a ritual involving being covered in chicken blood. Notably, on 16 November 2005, Australia secured qualification for the World Cup for the first time since 1974.
2005: Speaking in Tongues
Between 2005 and 2006, Safran co-hosted the 12-episode talk show Speaking in Tongues alongside Catholic priest Father Bob Maguire. The program premiered on SBS Television on 7 November 2005.
2007–2010: Race Relations
In 2007, Safran created a pilot titled John Safran Saves America for MTV in the United States, which involved daring social experiments aimed at engaging various subcultures and confronting issues of racism. However, this pilot was ultimately not commissioned by Reveille Productions.
Two years later, in 2009, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) produced an eight-episode comedy documentary series called John Safran's Race Relations. A significant moment in the series occurred on 10 April 2009, when Safran took part in a devotional crucifixion ritual in Barangay Kapitangan, Paombong, Bulacan, Philippines, where he was nailed to a cross for five minutes as part of an investigation into cultural traditions. The series earned a nomination for the 2010 Logie Award in the Light Entertainment category.
Radio presenter and Sunday Night Safran
Starting from 2002, Safran appeared regularly as a host on Melbourne’s community radio station 3RRR (Triple R), contributing to its morning program "Breakfasters". He also co-hosted the weekly radio show Sunday Night Safran on the national youth broadcaster Triple J, alongside Father Bob Maguire. Following a break in late 2008 due to filming projects, the show resumed on 12 July 2009 and continued until its conclusion in 2015.
The program was recognized for its relaxed tone, featuring lengthy dialogues and addressing listeners as "Dear Listeners". Safran himself acknowledged that their conversations often revolved around topics such as Scrabble and white supremacists.
Throughout its tenure, Safran and Maguire conducted interviews with a diverse range of notable individuals including religious scholar Reza Aslan, Julian Assange’s mother Christine, actress Linda Blair from The Exorcist, philosopher Alain de Botton, writer and psychiatrist Theodore Dalrymple, West Memphis Three member Damien Echols, antitheist commentator Christopher Hitchens, conspiracy theorist David Icke, former white supremacist Frank Meeink, pro-euthanasia advocate Philip Nitschke, filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer, journalist Jon Ronson, true crime author Ann Rule, performer Erik Sprague, political activist Chloé Valdary, campaigner Manny Waks, psychic medium Lisa Williams, as well as Safran’s father, Alex.
Non-fiction writing and journalism
After learning that one of his subjects from Race Relations, known as "Mississippi's most notorious white supremacist" Richard Barrett, had been killed, Safran returned to Mississippi to report on the ensuing trial. His memoir recounting this journey was published by Penguin Books in 2013 under the title Murder in Mississippi (released as God'll Cut You Down in the United States). The book earned him a 2014 Ned Kelly Award for Best True Crime. Beyond this work, Safran contributes articles to publications such as the Sydney Morning Herald and Vice News.
In 2017, he published Depends What You Mean By Extremist, a book analyzing extremism within Australia.
His investigative work on the tobacco industry, titled Puff Piece, released in August 2021, was shortlisted for the 2022 Prime Minister's Literary Award in the Nonfiction category.
Scheduled for release in October 2024, Safran’s book Squat chronicles his experience living as a squatter in a Los Angeles mansion owned by Kanye West.
Personal life
Safran enjoys playing the board game Scrabble, particularly in one-on-one matches, considering it more a "skill-based" contest than one of chance. His collection includes every edition of the official Scrabble dictionaries, alongside a variety of themed memorabilia such as a rug, a costume resembling the game board, special editions, and assorted merchandise.
In 2009, he was the subject of a portrait by Yvette Coppersmith that became a finalist in the Archibald Prize. Another painting depicting him, titled John Safran as David and Goliath by Avraham Vofsi, was shortlisted for the 2022 Archibald Prize.
Safran has voiced belief in a unifying spirit or force and acknowledges holding certain "supernatural beliefs," highlighting that mysticism and religious practices can be uplifting and enjoyable rituals. He has been critical of organised religion’s tax-exempt status and its platform to denounce homosexuality within Australia.
He advocates for religious education within schools, dismissing claims that it equates to indoctrination. Safran argues that interaction with diverse influences, including school chaplains, can provide students with meaningful and memorable experiences.
His first romantic encounter occurred during work experience at the Australian Jewish News while in Year 10. During university, he dated a woman from Bolivia but ended the relationship to concentrate on his creative endeavors. He has also been romantically involved with playwright Lally Katz.
Bibliography
| Date first published | Title | Publisher information | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 September 2013 | Murder in Mississippi (Released as God'll Cut You Down in the United States) |
Hamish Hamilton, paperback, ISBN 1-92642-846-3 | Recipient of the 2014 Ned Kelly Award for True Crime |
| 1 May 2017 | Depends What You Mean By Extremist | Hamish Hamilton, paperback, ISBN 978-1-92-642877-2 | |
| 31 August 2021 | Puff Piece | Hamish Hamilton, paperback, ISBN 978-1-76-089015-5 | |
| 22 October 2024 | Squat | Penguin, paperback, ISBN 978-1-76-089017-9 |
Filmography
| Year | Title | Writer | Producer | Host | Actor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Race Around the World | No | No | No | Yes | Participant |
| 1998 | John Safran: Master Chef | Yes | No | Yes | No | |
| 1998 | John Safran: Media Tycoon | Yes | No | Yes | No | |
| 1999 | The Late Report | Yes | No | Yes | No | |
| 2000 | The Big Schmooze | No | No | Yes | No | |
| 2002 | Music Jamboree | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Winner of the 2003 AACTA Award for Best Television Comedy Series |
| 2004 | John Safran vs God | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Awarded the 2005 AACTA Award for Best Television Comedy Series |
| 2004 | Medusa: First Date (Short) | No | No | No | Yes | Portrayed Parrot |
| 2004 | Dentally Disturbed (Short) | No | No | No | Yes | Played Radio DJ |
| 2005 | Webster Say (Short) | No | No | No | Yes | Role of Slacks man |
| 2005–2006 | Speaking in Tongues | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2008 | Professor Pebbles | No | No | No | Yes | Voice role |
| 2009 | John Safran's Race Relations | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2011 | Jedis & Juggalos: Your Census Guide | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2011 | The Bazura Project | No | No | No | Yes | Played Lee's father |
| 2012 | Cedric & Hope (Short) | No | No | No | Yes | Portrayed Lemming |
| 2013 | In Bob We Trust | No | No | No | Yes | Appeared as Himself |
| 2016 | The Goddam Election! | No | No | Yes | No | |
| 2022 | King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Black Hot Soup (DJ Shadow's "My Own Reality" Re-Write Music Video) | No | No | No | Yes | Featured as Dancer |
Discography
| Title | Year | Highest chart position | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | |||||
| Melbourne Tram | 1991 | — | Melbourne Tram | ||
| "There's No Kangaroos in My Backyard" | — | ||||
| "Let's Play Matchbox Cars" | — | ||||
| "University Elevator Music" | 1993 | — | Taste Test | ||
| "Not the Sunscreen Song" | 1997 | 20 | |||
| "Jew Town" | 2002 | — | non-album single | ||
| "Some Bobby That I Used to Know" (feat. Bob Maguire) |
2012 | — | non-album single | ||
| "—" indicates releases that did not enter the charts or were not issued commercially. | |||||
External links
- Official website of John Safran
- View the pilot episode of John Safran: Media Tycoon on ABC
- Sunday Night Safran Homepage for Safran's program on Triple J