By Arjun Ramachandran
For weeks and months we were told we would be offended, but the debut of John Safran's new TV show last night failed to spark the predicted outrage.
Perhaps it was fatigue from years of reacting to Chaser stunts, or astute handling of the show's publicity by ABC management, but fewer than half a dozen Australians have complained about John Safran's Race Relations , which aired at 9.30pm.
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Last night's premiere featured Safran sniffing women's panties that he had stolen, as well as him masturbating at a Palestinian fertility clinic while looking at US President Barack Obama's photo, in a bid to create a new race of Jewish-Arabs called "Jelestinians".
The provocative content was expected to set ABC's switchboard alight, but the ABC said that as of 10.30am today it had received only five complaints about the program from around the country.
An average of 706,000 watched the program in capital cities, with those aged 25 to 39 making up the biggest slice of the viewing audience, at 34 per cent, a spokesman for the program said.
Ironically, publicity for Race Relations appears to have generated more outrage than the actual screening.
Australian Christian Lobby managing director Jim Wallace said this week that the show should never be aired.
"Footage of John Safran masturbating in front of an image of the US President and stealing and sniffing what are supposed to be unwashed underpants should never be hitting our screens," he said.
"According to media reports it sounds like the series gets even worse at it goes on."
Australian Family Association spokesman John Morrissey also reportedly described the show as "filth".
This year, reports said Safran had even offended people in the Philippines, after they learnt he had joined a local crucifixion ritual - with Safran being nailed to the cross - as part of a stunt for his TV show.
In what appears to have been a strategic attempt to head off controversy, ABC director of television Kim Dalton yesterday took the rare step of warning viewers not to watch last night's show if they were easily offended.
"My message is this: think carefully before you settle into the couch tonight for the 9.30pm premiere of John Safran's comedy-documentary Race Relations . If you think you are going to be offended or outraged (or want to be offended or outraged) then don't tune in," he wrote in a letter, published on ABC's website.
Predictably, the reaction on social networking sites such as Twitter - typically used by younger audiences who made up the core of last night's TV audience - was positive.
"John Safran's #RaceRelations was equal parts hilarious and excruciating - just the way it should be :D Can't wait for next week!" wrote lukestevens.
rilstix wrote: "john safran's new show is funny as. it's already crossed about a dozen lines of good taste... in a good way!"
But others noted the show had not lived up to the reputation it garnered before it went to air.
"Race relations was pretty tame after all the hype. Typical John Safran show. He does everything in a comical & interesting way," jennyb53.
"Safran is understandably distasteful, but not offensive like the media was telling us. Has me in stitches though," fangirlfroggie wrote.
ando1980 concluded: "John Safran, you did't go far enough!"
Despite his warning yesterday that Safran's show was likely to offend, Dalton stood by the ABC's decision to air the show.
"As television director, it would be a far easier decision for me to walk away from a program like John Safran's Race Relations , to schedule something less confronting, more mainstream in its appeal.
"But neither I nor the ABC can afford to hide behind a risk-averse approach to commissioning and programming new material.
"The ABC backs John Safran's Race Relations because it believes its audience is intelligent enough to make up its own mind on the material; to make its own assessment of Safran's unique personal journey and the way in which he plunges into sensitive areas like cross-cultural, interracial and inter-faith love."
This morning he said he was "thrilled" with the ratings, and expected the show's popularity to grow.
"We expect the program will reach an even bigger audience over the next 24 hours as people access the show on ABC2 at 9pm tonight, and watch via ABC iView and online downloads," he said.
It is understood that Safran last night had a private screening of the program with friends and the show's production team.
© 2007 The Sydney Morning Herald
