RIP Mr. 'Democracy Manifest' Himself: Australian Jack Karlson Of The 'Succulent Chinese Meal' Meme Has Died

Jack Karlson, a man known less for his name and more for uttering the words "Democracy Manifest" and "A Succulent Chinese Meal," has passed away at the age of 82.

In 1991, Karlson, then known as Cecil George Edwards, was arrested while dining in a Chinese restaurant in Brisbane, Australia.

"What is the charge?" asked Karlson in the viral video. "Eating a meal, a succulent Chinese meal?"

It actually wasn't clear what the charge was. Though Karlson had a petty criminal record, his infamous 1991 arrest seems to have been a case of mistaken identity. The police believed Karlson was an international criminal on their most wanted list, but Karlson was the wrong man.

Thus Karlson, fueled by the "grape juice," as he'd describe it in later interviews, took the opportunity to grandstand for the cameras, and delivered what would become one of the internet's most iconic monologues:

Mister, you just assured me that I could speak. Look, I'm under what? Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest. Have a look at the headlock here, see that chap over there? he- GET YOUR HAND OFF MY P---S! This is the bloke who got me on the penis people. Why did you do this to me, for what reason, what is the charge? Eating a meal? A succulent chinese meal? Oh, that's a nice headlock sir, oh, ah yes, I see that you know your judo well. Good one. And you sir, are you waiting to receive my limp p---s? How dare – get your hands off me! Ta-ta, and farewell.

As he explained in a 2021 interview with 7News, Karlson lived out his days using his viral fame to try to "make a quid," as he put it, as his arrest became a viral sensation that inspired T-shirts and other merchandise over the last two decades.

Social media took no time to pay tribute to Karlson and his legacy in meme culture. Shortly after news of his passing was published, a Meme Heaven image edit featuring Karlson was posted on the subreddit /r/memes, gaining 4,700 points in a matter of hours as more tributes to the Australian cropped up around the internet today.