Tyler Jenke (16 June 2019). "A succulent Australian mystery: Just who is the bloke in this iconic video?". The Brag . Retrieved 19 March 2020. Democracy Manifest" (also known as " Succulent Chinese Meal", among other names) is an October 1991 Australian news segment video by reporter Chris Reason. The Guardian, in 2019, called it "perhaps the pre-eminent Australian meme of the past 10 years". [1] YouTube has several postings of the video with more than a million views each. [2] Surrounded by police, the man is amazed at being arrested, exclaiming: "Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest!"

Both had discovered talents they didn't know they had. McNeil kept writing on his smuggled typewriter, and Karlson kept acting. The plays became a hit among young Sydney intellectuals, many who had been campaigning for prisoners' rights. Tan, Michael (2 December 2019). "Democracy Manifest with Symphony Orchestra" . Retrieved 23 March 2020– via YouTube.a b c d Drevikovsky, Janek (8 March 2020). " 'This is democracy manifest': Mystery star of viral video found at last". Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 19 March 2020. The video of the rant has become so popular that a Google search for the phrase "succulent Chinese meal" now yields 10,000 more results than "delicious Chinese meal". He was as calm as anything," former police detective Adam Firman says of the moment he arrested Karlson in the restaurant. Neither man had set foot in a theatre, but McNeil's plays were already being performed across Australia. He felt that, with the success of his plays, he'd never need to resort to crime again. On radio and in the press, he would give didactic rants about the brutality of the justice system. After encouragement from Karlson, McNeil wrote a play about cellmates who brewed grog. They put it on in prison, and Karlson played a leading role.

Karlson and McNeil's friendship continued outside the prison gates and they moved into a house in Richmond together.Perrie, Stewart (5 March 2020). "Aussie Band The Chats Team Up With The 'Democracy Manifest' Bloke For New Music Video". LAD Bible . Retrieved 20 March 2020. The raw footage was missing Reason's voice-over explaining who the man was, or what the incident was about, and internet speculation attempted to resolve the mystery. Theories about the man's identity centered on Paul Charles Dozsa, a Hungarian chess player and notorious dine and dasher, [7] [8] [9] [10] but there were also serious doubts about this theory. Observers asked why the arrest was filmed from so many angles, why it was filmed at all and why the allegedly-Hungarian man did not sound Hungarian. Friends, family and acquaintances of Dozsa also stated that the man in the video was not Dozsa. [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] Other theories included that the man was politician John Bartlett, the video was a skit from an unidentified television show, or that the man was a real dine and dasher named Gregory John Ziegler. [16] Wenger, Charles (8 November 2019). "The Succulent Enigma of Paul Dozsa". Level Up Chess . Retrieved 20 March 2020. Roots, Chris (27 April 2023). "Succulent Chinese deal: Democracy Manifest owner wants to meet viral star". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 17 May 2023.

Newstead, Al (6 March 2020). "The Chats want you to enjoy a meal, a succulent sonic meal". ABC Australia . Retrieved 19 March 2020. Percival, Tom (12 June 2016). "Story Behind The 'Democracy Manifest' Guy Is Even Funnier Than His Video". UNILAD. Archived from the original on 23 June 2022 . Retrieved 22 March 2020. Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest!" Karlson declares to the cameras as he's wrestled into the police car.

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Sentenced to eight years in Parramatta Gaol, Karlson was put in an unusually large cell with an inmate named Jim McNeil. Paul Chamberlin (3 November 1988). "Ex-Chef eats on the run again". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 23 March 2020. a b Butler, Josh (5 March 2020). "The 'Democracy Manifest' Meme Guy May Not Be Dead, According To The Chats". 10 Daily. Archived from the original on 22 March 2020 . Retrieved 22 March 2020. The Brisbane police who arrested him that day didn't know that Karlson had been a criminal and a serial prison escapee. He was also a part-time actor. a b " "This is democracy manifest!" - 7NEWS meets the man behind the "succulent Chinese meal" meme". YouTube. 23 May 2021 . Retrieved 7 July 2021.