Man Behind Viral Internet Meme Video Dies at 82

Australia is mourning the loss of a cultural icon. An ex-con with the alias Jack Karlson died at age 82 recently, and he was behind one of the most widely seen “viral” videos in the country. 

Karlson, whose real name is Cecil George Edwards, became famous in the internet era in 2009 when 18-year-old footage reemerged showing his 1991 arrest at a Chinese eatery in Brisbane. While he has been described as a petty criminal and a prison escapee, media reports do not confirm specifically why he was being arrested in the early 90s. 

In the viral clip, Edwards is seen resisting arrest and shouting humorous comebacks at the cops. He asks them what he’s being charged with and suggests that it might be because he was eating “a succulent Chinese meal.” He also orders officers to take their hands “off my penis” (it’s unclear whether their hands were, in fact, in that location), and then uttered the line he is most famous for: “Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.”

The video went around the world and turned Edwards into a cultural folk hero down under. People have repeated his snappy phrases countless times, and they’ve ended up inked on some people’s bodies in tattoos. There is even an Aussie racehorse named Democracy Manifest. 

Edwards’ family says he died on August 7 after a long struggle with prostate cancer. He died in the hospital with his family and friends at his side. As a group, the family released a statement saying Edwards had “walked a full and colorful path.” Despite his legal troubles, they wrote, he kept his sense of humor. 

The man had one last moment in the spotlight last month when he met up again with the cop who put him in handcuffs. He teamed up with officer Stoll Watt to announce that a documentary about his life was soon to be released. Edwards has always claimed that his arrest was based on mistaken identity. 

Edwards and his fans think cops may have mistaken him for a chess player from Hungary who was infamous in Australia for doing the “dine and dash.” This is when a patron eats a meal at a restaurant but leaves without paying.