Thursday, 14 September 2006

Safran Sins


12 Sept 2006

Following my discovery of podcasts I downloaded the SBS television program ‘Speaking in Tongues’ with the infamous John Safran and Father Bob Maguire. We never managed to watch them when they aired in Australia. Watching them on the laptop proved both entertaining and educational. Now that we’ve watched the TV series I’m delighted to have found they are continuing their partnership on SBS radio. As I sit writing, I am listening to a ‘Sunday Night Safran’ podcast. This first podcast is from 30th July, so I am six weeks behind. It’s a bit like having a treasure chest waiting for my attention.

The joy of watching John and Father Bob, as opposed to just listening to them, is in the details. John Safran uses his hands and leans forward intently, making a point or seeking an answer. Father Bob’s face is priceless. His face swings between expressions of exasperation and deadpan disengagement.

One of the most interesting elements of both forms of media presentations is John Safran’s need to confess his sins and seek guidance from Father Bob on what action would be appropriate following the event. It is often something that most of us would consider negligible, but it always raises a moral issue of some description. Unreturned library books, being accidentally undercharged for a purchase and dating issues usually result in Father Bob insisting that he should instead seek out a rabbi.

It’s a fascinating relationship. Both knowledgeable in different ways and seeking answers they embrace all manner of issues and delve into all sorts of controversy, religious, political and social. It’s refreshing, and I’m looking forward to working my way through the treasury chest.

http://triplej.net.au/safran/podcast.xml

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I LURVE that show too!

Lynda Brown said...

Hey, Jenny, thanks for the tip about Safran's radio show pod casts...I have downloaded some shows and plan to listen to them on my mp3 on the train to boring old work...so wonderful to hear a really left wing person question absolutely everything! Like you, I missed the series on SBS tv last year. Isn't pod casting great?