Jack Karlson, the man who famously coined the great Australian phrase “succulent Chinese meal,” has passed away at the age of 82 after a battle with prostate cancer.
Often described as one of the greatest Australian memes of all time, his “succulent Chinese meal” phrase dates back to 1991, when the prison escaper and small-time crook was videoed during his arrest at the China Sea Restaurant in Brisbane.
He famously exclaimed, “Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.”
“Have a look at the headlock here. See that chap over there?”
“Get your hand off my penis! Get your hand off my penis! This is the bloke who got me on the penis before.”
“What is the charge? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meal?” while resisting the arms of officers.
Interestingly, Australians only became privy to Jack Karlson’s existence in 2009 when the famous video ‘Democracy Manifest’ was uploaded to YouTube. However, this man will only be remembered as an Australian legend, and a documentary about his life, “The Man Who Ate A Succulent Chinese Meal,” is set for release in March 2025.
RELATED: We’ve compiled a list of funny Australian memes that are true blue gems.
Back in 2021, 7NEWS posted an extended interview to YouTube in which Jack Karlson revealed himself to be more than a man of succulent taste—he was also a man of great quotes. Of his famous arrest, he said, “I had been somewhat influenced by the juice of the red grape.”
“I thought international criminals don’t use credit cards!” he continued before showcasing a collection of original works. It turns out he had a collection of paintings showcasing his arrest!
While not much is known about his life, the Karlson family confirmed he died on Wednesday surrounded by family. “He walked a full and colourful path, and despite the troubles thrown at him, he lived by his motto – to keep on laughing,” the family said in a statement.
“Jack leaves daughter Heidi, his son Erik, his nieces Kim, Kelly and Kerry, and nephew Karl, grandchildren Terri-Lace and Nec and many grand nieces and nephews behind, along with countless others whose lives he touched. He will be sorely missed.”
Even though he spent the last few weeks of his life in hospital, he was still up to his old tricks and tried to escape a couple of times. “He had a few attempts to escape and pulled his cords out a couple of times and asked us many times to sneak in his pipe,” she said.
“He was battling many ailments, but what got him in the end was SIRS.”
Chris Reason, the Channel 7 reporter who covered Karlson’s arrest 33 years ago, finally met the legendary man in June 2024.
Today, he remembers “Mr Democracy Manifest” as the cultural icon on twitter.com. “Mr Democracy Manifest has died. The cultural icon, whose arrest inspired a thousand t-shirts and millions of downloads, had advanced cancer. His immortal words will echo through generations: “What is the charge..eating a meal, a succulent Chinese meal?!!” Vale Jack Karlson.”
Oath.
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