John Safran

John Michael Safran (born 13 August 1972) is an Australian radio personality, satirist, documentary maker and author, known for combining humour with religious, political and ethnic issues.

First gaining fame appearing in Race Around the World in 1997, Safran went on to produce a series of documentaries, television shows and host radio programs.

Safran is known for his television stunts, which include placing a fatwa on Australian television host Rove McManus, sneaking nine young men into an exclusive Melbourne nightclub by disguising them as members of American nu metal band Slipknot, running through Jerusalem wearing nothing but the beanie and scarf of St Kilda Football Club, driving a remote-controlled seagull with a cigarette onto the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and his confrontation with A Current Affair host Ray Martin.

Currently, he works as a journalist; he released his latest book, Puff Piece, in August 2021.

Safran was born in Melbourne to Jewish parents.

His maternal grandparents were Polish Jewish Bundists.

Safran's mother, Gitl, was born in Uzbekistan as they were fleeing their home country for Australia.

One pilot called John Safran: Media Tycoon focused on the media industry, airing in 1998.

It became famous for a segment involving Ray Martin, then host of tabloid current affairs TV show A Current Affair, where Safran harassed him in the style characteristic of A Current Affair by sorting through his bin, which was later satirised by comedian Shaun Micallef.

Martin had set up members of the Paxton family.

Safran and one of the victims, Shane Paxton, turned up to Martin's home.

Martin and his wife Dianne physically threatened Safran.

Martin's wife ripped apart Safran's papier mâché hat and Ray grabbed Safran by the collar, prompting Shane Paxton to intervene.

Martin was in contact with the ABC and specifically warned Safran in the segment that he had spoken to Roger Grant, who was then Head of Corporate Affairs at the ABC.

Martin's connection with this executive at the ABC is suspected to be a reason the series never made it to air.

The Ray Martin segment was later played on Media Watch, John Safran: The Lost Pilot and on YouTube.

She died in 2003.

His paternal ancestors were German Jews and left shortly before the rise of Nazi Germany.

He has one older sister, Margaret.

He grew up in Balwyn North and attended North Balwyn Primary School, Balwyn High School and Yeshivah College from Year 8 onwards.

He describes himself at Yeshivah, an all-boys Orthodox Jewish school, as being "the least religious kid in the most religious school in Australia".

After school he studied journalism at RMIT University.

He eventually dropped out without completing his degree and began work in advertising for Clemenger Harvie.

During this time he also worked as a copywriter for Mazda, Village Roadshow and Sea World, where he wrote the company's jingle.

During his final year in high school, Safran formed the hip-hop group Raspberry Cordial with his friend Chris Lumsden.

They played to some success, receiving high rotation airplay on the city's community radio, playing many gigs in Melbourne and coming second in the RMIT Battle of the Bands competition.

Their debut album was Melbourne Tram, of which Safran apparently has hundreds of unsold cassettes in his bedroom to this day.

After winning a government youth music initiative, they followed up with Taste Test, of which 500 copies were pressed.

Of those only 93 sold, so the remaining 407 had to be crushed.

He said that the world just "wasn't ready for white rappers then" and Raspberry Cordial "broke down the wall that Eminem's been able to walk through."

Safran's first experience of national fame came via Race Around the World, a television competition for young documentarians run by the ABC.

In his audition tape, Safran was required to submit ten seconds of black, but instead he submitted ten seconds of Black Sabbath.

Safran started the race off timid and tame, being locked inside an Osaka subway station in his first entry.

However, he quickly broke what he called the "fear barrier" to film his now famous segments.

He ran streaking naked through the streets of Jerusalem wearing only the scarf and beanie of his favourite football club, St Kilda, to prove that God is Jewish (St Kilda's only Grand Final win fell on the same day as Yom Kippur).

He was baptised and placed a Voodoo curse on his ex-girlfriend in the Ivory Coast.

He sneaked into Disneyland via a work area and attached information plaques he made about founder Walt Disney to a display (highlighting little-known Disney "facts" such as Walt Disney's alleged early support for Adolf Hitler) and got a Catholic priest to review death metal music.

Safran's segments scored well with both the judges and the public audience, Safran topped the viewer poll.

He was, however, disqualified for a segment taped in a confessional booth (the program forbade hidden camera footage); the disqualification of the segment and subsequent loss of points meant that he finished last in the first season of Race Around the World.

After this brush with fame, the ABC commissioned two 30-minute TV pilots from Safran.