Having just sat through another episode of John Safran's Race Relations I will admit to being a little unsure of how to measure his worth.

I recognise the genius plus the comic wit along with the shock methods he employs to kick us off kilter.

I can't even say he is hit and miss because those segments that I have found flat have been ones that friends of mine have raved about and visa versa.

I found the sperm bank scenes of episode one brilliant as was the singing of Fiddler on the Roof to a Hamas leader in tonight's episode.

One can not help but compare him to the Aussie Battler Norman Gunston. We possibly warmed to Norman more because he was less threatening while John is an unabashed smart arse. Each was capable of provoking large measures of cringe in the audience but in my opinion John's 'blacking up' tonight didn't measure as favourably as Norman's visiting Harlem in a KKK outfit and asking some very scary brothers the way to the local chapter.

Admittedly this may expose a shallowness in myself as John's message was clear enough but the humour lacked a little while it was the reverse with Norman's effort.

I have watched a NG tape recently and naturally his stuff has dated so to be fair I'm trying to remember my reactions to his material back then and it is quite vivid how raw it felt.

If Safran isn't Gunston's equal then why not?

Csteele

I will state at the outset I have been a fan of John Safran's since his Race Around the World travelogue.

Have never considered a comparison. At first glance, they are polar opposites: Gunston the innocent, the fool, whereas Safran is calculating. Both fit the genre of shock-comedy such as Chaser, Baron Cohen who set traps to reveal the/a truth about their targets.

All I know is I will continue to watch "Race Relations", listen into his banter with Father Bob on Triple J and await, with tremulous anticipation, every challenge he presents to us.