Jack Karlson, mate, you’re a hero.
He’s the star of “Democracy Manifest” also known as “Succulent Chinese Meal”, a viral video and internet meme of Karlson resisting arrest that has become so iconic, it’s now being preserved in Australia’s National Film and Sound Archive.
It was recorded in 1991 for a news segment by Seven News reporter Chris Reason and uploaded to the internet in 2009.
YouTube has several postings of the video, each with views in excess of a million.
It’s now been 35 years since Karlson was dragged into a police car outside a Chinese restaurant in Queensland. In a booming voice, he struggled with the police, calling:
“Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest! … What is the charge? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meal?”
Jack Karlson resisting arrest. Image: YouTube
‘Get your hands off my penis’
Guardian Australia reports that line is one of nine pieces of audio that have been added to the NFSA’s Sounds of Australia collection this year.
Karlson was at the time a criminal working under various fake names, so he would have some idea as to why he might be detained, but refused to go without a fight. At one point in the 60 clip, he even dramatically yells at a police officer, “Get your hand off my penis!”
The Sounds of Australia is a collection of sound recordings that reflect the historical, cultural and aesthetic significance of the country. The sound bites are nominated by the public and must be more than a decade old. They are then voted into the collection annually by a panel of NFSA sound experts.
The NFSA chief curator, Meagan Loader, told Guardian Australia:
“Our job is to collect content that resonates with all Australians, and everyone has such different reference points.
“We ask the public to nominate sounds every year, and we always get such a wild diversity. There are so many different perspectives and identities that are wrapped up in being an Australian, and we do try to reflect that diversity of experience in our collection.”
Jack Karlson passed away in 2024.
Top image: Jack Karlson making his iconic speech. Image: YouTube