What made John Safran question the right to offend?

John Safran has made a career out of blasphemy and offence. With his gonzo-style journalism he placed a “fatwa” on Rove McManus, streaked naked through Jerusalem streets to “prove God is Jewish”, got baptised and exorcised and squatted in Kanye West’s house. He has interviewed neo-Nazis and white nationalists and insisted on the importance of getting on the record “what goes on in the shadows”. But after the Bondi massacre, Safran is asking himself where offending is simply part of free speech, and where it becomes truly dangerous. His new documentary for SBS explores the notion of offence, and what can and cannot be said in Australia today. ‘Shut Your Big Fat Mouth John Safran’ premieres Sunday 24 May 2026 on SBS and SBS On Demand. 

• Guest: John Safran, satirist, documentary maker, journalist, and author.
• Producer: Catherine Zengerer