1. John Michael Safran is an Australian radio personality, satirist, documentary maker and author, known for combining humour with religious, political and ethnic issues.
35 Facts About John Safran
1. 2.
John 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.
3.
John Safran released his latest book, Squat, in October 2024.
4.
John Safran's mother, Gitl, was born in Uzbekistan as they were fleeing their home country for Australia.
5.
John Safran grew up in Balwyn North and attended North Balwyn Primary School, Balwyn High School and Yeshivah College from Year 8 onwards.
6.
John Safran describes himself at Yeshivah, an all-boys Orthodox Jewish school, as being "the least religious kid in the most religious school in Australia".
7.
John Safran eventually dropped out without completing his degree and began work in advertising for Clemenger Harvie.
8.
John Safran 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", referencing the well-known Caucasian rapper Eminem and his success in an industry predominantly African-American.
9.
John Safran started the race off timid and tame, being locked inside an Osaka subway station in his first entry.
10.
John Safran 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.
11.
John Safran was baptised and placed a Voodoo curse on his ex-girlfriend in the Ivory Coast.
12.
John Safran sneaked into Disneyland via a work area and attached information plaques he made about founder Walt Disney to a display and got a Catholic priest to review death metal music.
13.
John Safran's segments scored well with both the judges and the public audience, John Safran topped the viewer poll.
14.
John Safran was disqualified for a segment taped in a confessional booth ; the disqualification of the segment and subsequent loss of points meant that he finished last in the first season of Race Around the World.
15.
The Ray Martin segment was later played on Media Watch, John Safran: The Lost Pilot and on YouTube.
16.
Notably, it featured a cooking segment where John Safran prepared a beef dish.
17.
John Safran presented segments for the Seven Network's now defunct The Late Report, some were screened in the United Kingdom with Channel 4's Disinformation program.
18.
John Safran attained police attention for a stunt to try and coerce cricketer Shane Warne into breaking a "no smoking" clause in an advertising contract with a nicotine gum manufacturer.
19.
John Safran drove a remote controlled seagull with a cigarette onto the MCG pitch during a match.
20.
John Safran was arrested for "pitch invasion", but the charges were dropped.
21.
John Safran was able to gain entry into an exclusive Melbourne night club by dressing up nine men as the band Slipknot.
22.
The series' finale featured John Safran being exorcised of demons which had supposedly possessed him during his dabblings with world religions.
23.
Safran spent portions of 2007 in Los Angeles shooting a pilot entitled John Safran Saves America for American MTV in which he tried to convince emos to fight in Iraq, visited therapists who claim they can cure people of racism, and attempted to become gay to increase his standing in Hollywood.
24.
John Safran stated in an interview that he had not heard back from the production company Reveille Productions whether the program has been purchased for production or not but as time went by, "the answer isn't getting any yesser".
25.
John Safran was crucified in Barangay Kapitangan, Paombong, Bulacan, just outside Manila along with three other men and one woman.
26.
John Safran had nails driven through his hands and feet and hung on the cross for five minutes before being taken down and given medical treatment in a nearby tent set up for the purpose.
27.
John Safran writes for a number of newspapers, including the Sydney Morning Herald and Vice News.
28.
John Safran has written a book about extremism in Australia, titled Depends What You Mean By Extremist.
29.
Furthermore, John Safran has a Scrabble Rug, a Scrabble board costume, Michael Groves Special Edition Scrabble, Hebrew Scrabble, CD-Rom Scrabble, Keyring Scrabble and a Scrabble watch.
30.
John Safran was painted by Yvette Coppersmith and entered in the 2009 Archibald Prize.
31.
John Safran has stated that he believes in a force or unifying spirit, and has some "supernatural beliefs".
32.
John Safran went on to explain that he doesn't think "these things have to be absolutely true to sort of be invigorating".
33.
John Safran thinks that organised religion "gets a pretty good break in Australia", as they don't have to pay as much tax and are allowed to preach against homosexuals.
34.
John Safran publicly stated that religious education should be allowed in schools, and disagrees that it is manipulation.
35.
At university he began a relationship with a Bolivian girl, but it ended because John Safran was "obsessed with [his] creative work", and at 19 John Safran did not want the relationship to turn into something more serious.