EXTREME WITH TOUCH OF PYTHON
Gonzo journalist and satirist John Safran is never afraid to delve where angels fear to tread as he explores the conspiracy filled world of extremists including neo-nazis and other “Deplorables”
name of Safran’s high school hip-hop group, which he revealed in Race Relations.
Cerantonio says he converted when he was 17 and by his mid-20s had become something of a big deal in the Muslim world as a TV presenter in Egypt.
“His show covered Islamic history,’’ Safran writes.
“He chose kooky topics like the Islamic roots of the Dracula story.’’
But it was when Cerantonio’s brother Nick strolled in on his own pilgrimage to the fridge that the convert/preacher also revealed a deep love for Monty Python and how he would confuse his Muslim online followers when he referenced the British comedy show.
“You don’t become king just because some watery tart threw a bloody scimitar at you!’’ Cerantonio suddenly says, borrowing from a line in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
His brother responds: “Strange women giving us swords from ponds is no basis for a system of government.’’
Safran hung around to join the family for dinner, where Cerantonio’s mum said her son was a talented prank caller. “Remember the time … I’m laughing already. He rang up about – was it army tanks or something?’’ she says.
Cerantonio had phoned Melbourne’s CityLink private motorway to ask how much it would cost for him to drive an army tank down the tollway.
Another moment, vaguely reminiscent of The Life of Brian, emerges later in the book when in reflecting on the characters from a spectrum of beliefs that he’s been spending so much time with, Safran muses: “It’s hard to cut a deal with people who think that what they’re doing will bring on the Messiah.’’
Safran’s doco-style monologues translate well into the written form.
The book is entertaining, enlightening in all sorts of quirky ways, at times threatening and will give cause to stop and think.
But readers’ conclusions are sure to be as wide-ranging as the fevered imaginations and distorted beliefs Safran has shone a light on.