'Democracy manifest' diner from viral 'succulent Chinese meal' video has died

Jack Karlson, the Australian man who became a viral meme due to protesting his arrest after a "succulent Chinese meal," has died. He was 82.

Karlson rose to fame by virtue of his vocal objection to being arrested outside the China Sea Restaurant in Brisbane, Queensland in the early '90s. In the viral video shot by 7NEWS, Karlson dramatically resisted several police officers' efforts to escort him into a car. Rather than go quietly, Karlson theatrically declared that what is happening to him is a demonstration of democracy in action, and demanded to know the reason for his arrest.

"Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest," Karlson announced. "What is the charge? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meal?"

He also shouted at the police to "get your hand off my penis," and complimented them on their headlock, saying, "I see that you know your judo well." Karlson is not seen in a headlock during the video, and later admitted that nobody had touched his genitals.

While Karlson's arrest was filmed on Oct. 11, 1991, it didn't make its way online until almost two decades later. Uploaded to YouTube in 2009, the short clip eventually permeated the public consciousness, becoming a viral meme enjoyed across the globe. The clip is now so well-known that it was even referenced in Netflix's Australian series Heartbreak High.

"What is the charge? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meal?"

Despite the video going viral, Karlson's identity remained a mystery until 2020, when he publicly stepped forward as the man in the clip. His later years were spent on art, with Karlson attempting to earn money by painting scenes from his famous arrest.

Karlson had been battling prostate cancer at the time of his passing. He died in hospital, surrounded by loved ones.

Tributes have poured in on social media, with many stating their intention to enjoy a succulent Chinese meal in his honour. 

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Among those paying their respects is 7NEWS senior reporter Chris Reason, whose work as a junior reporter brought us the meme. Karlson and Reason recently met for the first time in June, when 7NEWS reunited them and Stoll Watt, one of the arresting officers. The men shared a succulent Chinese meal at the China Sea, which had relocated to Milton in the intervening years and still has the same owner.

The reunion was sparked by a documentary about Karlson's life that is currently in production, with The Man Who Ate A Succulent Chinese Meal currently scheduled for release in March next year.

The history of the 'succulent Chinese meal' man

Born as Cecil George Edwards, Karlson already had an interesting history prior to his famous arrest, Australia's ABC News reports. A criminal, actor, and serial prison escapee, Karlson survived childhood abuse and spent much of his life in various homes, institutions, and prisons.

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Karlson's first prison break reportedly took place in 1966 when, charged with stealing, he slipped his handcuffs and jumped from a train, taking him from jail to court. Subsequently incarcerated at an island prison farm for another theft, Karlson's second escape reportedly occurred in 1968 when he persuaded a local fisherman to take him to Australia's mainland.

He was arrested yet again just three months after that escape, caught with safe-cracking tools in a stolen car. This time Karlson impersonated a police detective and simply walked out of his cell in the court shortly before his trial, an escape he later said he was "pretty proud of."

After he was finally caught for good, Karlson was sentenced to eight years in prison. However he was eventually released after only four, thanks to his work with his cellmate Jim McNeal. McNeal discovered a talent for writing, eventually becoming a celebrated playwright whose works were staged across Australia. Meanwhile, Karlson discovered an affinity for acting, performing in his cellmate's plays while the two were behind bars. 

They remained good friends after their release, with Karlson even naming his son after McNeal. Though legal issues prevented him from attending McNeal's funeral in 1982, Karlson claimed he used a fake identity to buy "hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of flowers and wreaths."

Karlson also continued to act, appearing on crime shows such as Homicide and Matlock Police. However, his theatrical ambitions were brought to a halt when he reportedly went underground after his 1991 arrest.

Was the 'democracy manifest' man wrongly accused?

Though speculation has long persisted that the "democracy manifest" man was a prolific dine-and-dasher, Karlson always maintained he was having a perfectly legal lunch when he was arrested.

On that fateful day in October 1991, Karlson and a friend had been enjoying said "succulent Chinese meal" at one of his favourite restaurants when the police showed up to arrest him. Due to a call from a private fraud investigator, the authorities believed Karlson had been paying for his meals with stolen credit cards — and was one of Queensland's most wanted criminals.

"He was happy to go with us. Well, as happy as you can be, to be arrested," Adam Firman, another police officer involved, told the ABC. "Until he saw all the media. And that's when he just went berserk."

Karlson successfully made bail after his arrest, despite being wanted for questioning for fraud in another state. He then disappeared, keeping a low profile for decades. To this day, it's still unclear whether he was the dine-and-dasher the police had been searching for, or if he had been wrongly accused.

He also gave varying accounts as to why he behaved as he did on the day of his arrest. When he was first identified as the viral video's star in 2020, Karlson stated that he had wanted the police to think he was mentally unwell.

"I wanted them to think I was… a lunatic so they’d send me to a lunatic asylum so I could escape from there," said Karlson, per The Sydney Morning Herald.

Then in a 7NEWS Brisbane interview in 2022, the viral star claimed it was an effort to demonstrate his innocence — as well as a result of the wine he'd drunk.

"I thought, 'Here’s an opportunity to prove my innocence, because they’ve dragged me out, thinking I was some sort of international gangster, when I knew that I wasn’t," Karlson explained to the broadcaster. "Here’s a chance, the camera, for the people of Australia and to let democracy manifest itself gloriously. That’s why I carried on like that. Of course, I was somewhat influenced by the juice of the red grape."

However, he told ABC News earlier this year that he couldn't remember why he made such declarations. Whatever the reason, his words will now live forever as one of the most prolific memes in Australian culture.

"It was a great line, I think he should have gotten the Academy Award," Watt said of Karlson's false claim that the former had touched his penis. "I think he would have been a great actor."

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