Jump to content

Democracy Manifest: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit
Line 16: Line 16:
The video was taped by then-freshman reporter [[Chris Reason]] at ''[[Seven News]]''.<ref name="SMH"/> As it turned out, the police arrested the wrong man in a case of mistaken identity; they thought he was "an international criminal." They actually arrested Cecil George Edwards, a petty criminal with a flair for acting and multiple aliases, who was released later that day to the embarrassment of the police.<ref name="SMH">{{cite news |last1=Drevikovsky |first1=Janek |title='This is democracy manifest': Mystery star of viral video found at last |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/this-is-democracy-manifest-mystery-star-of-viral-video-found-at-last-20200307-p547vr.html |accessdate=19 March 2020 |work=[[Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=8 March 2020}}</ref> The clip remained obscure until it was uploaded to the Internet in January 2009, when it became an immediate viral video.<ref name=guardian/>
The video was taped by then-freshman reporter [[Chris Reason]] at ''[[Seven News]]''.<ref name="SMH"/> As it turned out, the police arrested the wrong man in a case of mistaken identity; they thought he was "an international criminal." They actually arrested Cecil George Edwards, a petty criminal with a flair for acting and multiple aliases, who was released later that day to the embarrassment of the police.<ref name="SMH">{{cite news |last1=Drevikovsky |first1=Janek |title='This is democracy manifest': Mystery star of viral video found at last |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/this-is-democracy-manifest-mystery-star-of-viral-video-found-at-last-20200307-p547vr.html |accessdate=19 March 2020 |work=[[Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=8 March 2020}}</ref> The clip remained obscure until it was uploaded to the Internet in January 2009, when it became an immediate viral video.<ref name=guardian/>


Speculation about the man's identity centred on Paul Charles Dozsa, a Hungarian chess player and notorious dine and dasher,<ref name="Leedham">{{cite web |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/14741210 |title=Thief served up his just deserts |work=[[The Canberra Times]] |first1=Nicole|last1=Leedham |date=4 May 1995 |page=1 |accessdate=23 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29530440/the-sydney-morning-herald/ |title=Ex-Chef eats on the run again |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |author=Paul Chamberlin |date=3 November 1988 |accessdate=23 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://apnews.com/b53ec4af31a70881f9e5db8ea3b71164 |title=Former Chef Fined For 54th Eating Offense |work=[[Associated Press]] |author= |date=2 November 1988 |accessdate=23 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="Phillips">{{cite news |url=https://www.sickchirpse.com/backstory-democracy-manifest-guy/ |title=VIDEOS The Backstory Behind ‘Democracy Manifest’ Guy Is As Funny As His Video |first1=Daisy |last1=Phillips |date=11 June 2016 |work=[[Sick Chirpse]] |accessdate=23 March 2020}}</ref> but there were also serious doubts about this theory. It was questioned as to why the arrest was filmed from so many angles, why is was filmed at all and why the allegedly-Hungarian man doesn't sound Hungarian. Friends, family and acquaintances of Dozsa also stated that the man in the video was not Dozsa.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/music-aussie-band-the-chats-team-up-with-the-democracy-manifest-bloke-20200305 |work=[[LAD Bible]] |title=Aussie Band The Chats Team Up With The 'Democracy Manifest' Bloke For New Music Video |date=5 March 2020 |first1=Stewart |last1=Perrie|accessdate=20 March 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://thebrag.com/succulent-australian-mystery-who-bloke-iconic-video/ |title=A succulent Australian mystery: Just who is the bloke in this iconic video? |work=The Brag |author=Tyler Jenke |date=16 June 2019 |accessdate=19 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="Blair2013">{{cite news|first1=Tim|last1=Blair|date=7 September 2013|title=This Week On The Web|work=[[Daily Telegraph (Australia)|Daily Telegraph]]|publisher=News Limited|via=[[Gale (publisher)|Gale]]}}</ref><ref name="Percival">{{cite news |url=https://www.unilad.co.uk/viral/story-behind-the-democracy-manifest-guy-is-even-funnier-than-his-video/ |title=Story Behind The ‘Democracy Manifest’ Guy Is Even Funnier Than His Video |first1=Tom |last1=Percival |date=12 June 2016 |work=[[UNILAD]]|accessdate=22 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="Pan">{{cite news |url=https://goat.com.au/pop-culture/the-story-behind-the-succulent-chinese-meal-guy-is-weirder-than-that-cops-judo/ |title=The Story Behind The 'Succulent Chinese Meal' Guy Is Weirder Than That Cop's Judo |date=6 March 2020 |first1=Alexander |last1=Pan |publisher=GOAT goat.com.au |accessdate=20 March 2020}}</ref> Other theories included that the man was politician [[John Bartlett (Australian politician)|John Bartlett]], the video was a skit from a television show, or that the man was a real dine and dasher named Gregory John Ziegler.<ref name="Wenger">{{cite web |url=https://levelupchess.com/paul-dozsa/ |title=The Succulent Enigma of Paul Dozsa |date=8 November 2019 |first1=Charles |last1=Wenger ||publisher=Level Up Chess |accessdate=20 March 2020}}</ref>
Speculation about the man's identity centred on Paul Charles Dozsa, a Hungarian chess player and notorious dine and dasher,<ref name="Leedham">{{cite web |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/14741210 |title=Thief served up his just deserts |work=[[The Canberra Times]] |first1=Nicole|last1=Leedham |date=4 May 1995 |page=1 |accessdate=23 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29530440/the-sydney-morning-herald/ |title=Ex-Chef eats on the run again |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |author=Paul Chamberlin |date=3 November 1988 |accessdate=23 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://apnews.com/b53ec4af31a70881f9e5db8ea3b71164 |title=Former Chef Fined For 54th Eating Offense |work=[[Associated Press]] |author= |date=2 November 1988 |accessdate=23 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="Phillips">{{cite news |url=https://www.sickchirpse.com/backstory-democracy-manifest-guy/ |title=VIDEOS The Backstory Behind ‘Democracy Manifest’ Guy Is As Funny As His Video |first1=Daisy |last1=Phillips |date=11 June 2016 |work=[[Sick Chirpse]] |accessdate=23 March 2020}}</ref> but there were also serious doubts about this theory. It was questioned as to why the arrest was filmed from so many angles, why it was filmed at all and why the allegedly-Hungarian man doesn't sound Hungarian. Friends, family and acquaintances of Dozsa also stated that the man in the video was not Dozsa.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/music-aussie-band-the-chats-team-up-with-the-democracy-manifest-bloke-20200305 |work=[[LAD Bible]] |title=Aussie Band The Chats Team Up With The 'Democracy Manifest' Bloke For New Music Video |date=5 March 2020 |first1=Stewart |last1=Perrie|accessdate=20 March 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://thebrag.com/succulent-australian-mystery-who-bloke-iconic-video/ |title=A succulent Australian mystery: Just who is the bloke in this iconic video? |work=The Brag |author=Tyler Jenke |date=16 June 2019 |accessdate=19 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="Blair2013">{{cite news|first1=Tim|last1=Blair|date=7 September 2013|title=This Week On The Web|work=[[Daily Telegraph (Australia)|Daily Telegraph]]|publisher=News Limited|via=[[Gale (publisher)|Gale]]}}</ref><ref name="Percival">{{cite news |url=https://www.unilad.co.uk/viral/story-behind-the-democracy-manifest-guy-is-even-funnier-than-his-video/ |title=Story Behind The ‘Democracy Manifest’ Guy Is Even Funnier Than His Video |first1=Tom |last1=Percival |date=12 June 2016 |work=[[UNILAD]]|accessdate=22 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="Pan">{{cite news |url=https://goat.com.au/pop-culture/the-story-behind-the-succulent-chinese-meal-guy-is-weirder-than-that-cops-judo/ |title=The Story Behind The 'Succulent Chinese Meal' Guy Is Weirder Than That Cop's Judo |date=6 March 2020 |first1=Alexander |last1=Pan |publisher=GOAT goat.com.au |accessdate=20 March 2020}}</ref> Other theories included that the man was politician [[John Bartlett (Australian politician)|John Bartlett]], the video was a skit from a television show, or that the man was a real dine and dasher named Gregory John Ziegler.<ref name="Wenger">{{cite web |url=https://levelupchess.com/paul-dozsa/ |title=The Succulent Enigma of Paul Dozsa |date=8 November 2019 |first1=Charles |last1=Wenger ||publisher=Level Up Chess |accessdate=20 March 2020}}</ref>


The mystery of the man's identity continued until 2020, when Australian punk band [[The Chats]] published a music video titled "Dine 'N Dash" that re-created the viral video with an older man acting the part of the arrestee.<ref name="ABC">{{cite news |last1=Newstead |first1=Al |title=The Chats want you to enjoy a meal, a succulent sonic meal. |url=https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/news/musicnews/the-chats-album-tour-dine-n-dash-video-succulent-chinese-meal/12027578 |accessdate=19 March 2020 |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC Australia]] |date=6 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="GQ"/> The actor then identified himself in an interview with ''Sydney Morning Herald'' as Cecil George Edwards, now going by the name of "Jack K". Asked why he made such a show during the arrest, he said he wanted to appear crazy so he might be placed into an asylum where it would be easier to escape. It was also revealed he had an artistic career making paintings, including some of the arrest.<ref name="SMH"/>
The mystery of the man's identity continued until 2020, when Australian punk band [[The Chats]] published a music video titled "Dine 'N Dash" that re-created the viral video with an older man acting the part of the arrestee.<ref name="ABC">{{cite news |last1=Newstead |first1=Al |title=The Chats want you to enjoy a meal, a succulent sonic meal. |url=https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/news/musicnews/the-chats-album-tour-dine-n-dash-video-succulent-chinese-meal/12027578 |accessdate=19 March 2020 |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC Australia]] |date=6 March 2020}}</ref><ref name="GQ"/> The actor then identified himself in an interview with ''Sydney Morning Herald'' as Cecil George Edwards, now going by the name of "Jack K". Asked why he made such a show during the arrest, he said he wanted to appear crazy so he might be placed into an asylum where it would be easier to escape. It was also revealed he had an artistic career making paintings, including some of the arrest.<ref name="SMH"/>

Revision as of 09:31, 30 May 2020

Surrounded by police, the man is amazed at being arrested, exclaiming: "Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest!"

"Democracy Manifest" (also known as "Succulent Chinese Meal") is a 1990 Australian news segment video by reporter Chris Reason. It is "one of Australia's most viral videos", according to Sportsbet.[1] The Guardian called it "perhaps the pre-eminent Australian meme of the past 10 years".[2] YouTube has several postings of the video, and they "have more than one million views each".[3]

It features a man who is being arrested[A] at a Fortitude Valley Chinese restaurant for the purported crime of "dine and dash". Wrestled into a police car, he speaks with the commanding voice of a trained stage actor. As the police fumble, he exclaims "This is democracy manifest", "Get your hand off my penis!" and "I see you know your judo well".[4]

The video was made in 1990, but it was not uploaded to the Internet until 2009. A mystery developed about who the man was, with theories centring on Hungarian chess player Paul Charles Dozsa known for his dine and dash exploits. In 2020, an aging Australian man, later identified as Cecil George Edwards, appeared in a punk rock video that revealed his true identity as the man in the 1990 now-viral video. The revelation led to an interview with Sportsbet and a feature in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Description

The video shows an unnamed man being escorted by police out of a Chinese restaurant into a waiting police car. He is clearly agitated by this situation, and when told he is being placed under arrest he boisterously exclaims in a stentorian voice, "I am under what?" As police wrestle him into a headlock and try to force him into the car, the man booms in the controlled voice of a classic stage actor, "Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest". As the scuffle escalates, he shouts, "Get your hand off my penis!" and then incredulously asks, "What is the charge? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meal?" As the police struggle to contain the man, he compliments them on the headlock, "Ah, yes. I see that you know your Judo well." He is then man-handled into the car, feet-first, while asking someone inside the vehicle, "And you, sir, are you waiting to receive my limp penis?" By this point, members of the police can be heard to chuckle in the background.

History

The video was taped by then-freshman reporter Chris Reason at Seven News.[5] As it turned out, the police arrested the wrong man in a case of mistaken identity; they thought he was "an international criminal." They actually arrested Cecil George Edwards, a petty criminal with a flair for acting and multiple aliases, who was released later that day to the embarrassment of the police.[5] The clip remained obscure until it was uploaded to the Internet in January 2009, when it became an immediate viral video.[2]

Speculation about the man's identity centred on Paul Charles Dozsa, a Hungarian chess player and notorious dine and dasher,[6][7][8][9] but there were also serious doubts about this theory. It was questioned as to why the arrest was filmed from so many angles, why it was filmed at all and why the allegedly-Hungarian man doesn't sound Hungarian. Friends, family and acquaintances of Dozsa also stated that the man in the video was not Dozsa.[10][11][12][13][14] Other theories included that the man was politician John Bartlett, the video was a skit from a television show, or that the man was a real dine and dasher named Gregory John Ziegler.[15]

The mystery of the man's identity continued until 2020, when Australian punk band The Chats published a music video titled "Dine 'N Dash" that re-created the viral video with an older man acting the part of the arrestee.[16][4] The actor then identified himself in an interview with Sydney Morning Herald as Cecil George Edwards, now going by the name of "Jack K". Asked why he made such a show during the arrest, he said he wanted to appear crazy so he might be placed into an asylum where it would be easier to escape. It was also revealed he had an artistic career making paintings, including some of the arrest.[5]

In 2020, "Jack K" was interviewed by Sportsbet in a video titled "Democracy Manifest Guy Speaks".[1] The interview includes Seven News archival footage of the event that was broadcast to the public in 1990. In this footage Reason reports, "When Cecil George Edwards was arrested in a town mall last Friday, the Valley police thought they'd caught Queensland's most wanted," as Edwards is led out of the restaurant. The man's identity as Cecil George Edwards, and Reason's reportage, is not included in the more commonly seen viral video uploaded to the Internet in 2009, because the viral version is raw video footage without Reason's voice-over.

Influences

The video has become a trendy Australian meme. For example, when Julian Assange was manhandled out of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, "just about every [Australian] man, woman, non-binary folk and all their respective dogs made the same dang joke".[17]

It has been the subject of an orchestral work composed by Michael Tan (and conducted by Sam Weller) that was performed at the Sydney Opera House by Ensemble Apex.[B][22]

Slipstream Brewing Company, a microbrewer in Yeerongpilly, Queensland, makes a beer named 'Succulent Chinese Meal'.[23]

References

Notes

  1. ^ One journalist states the arrest has never proven to be real, but also provides no evidence it was not real.[3]
  2. ^ Weller is a young and talented classical saxophonist and conductor.[18][19] He helped form the Ensemble Apex, which is a burgeoning group, that has become almost symphonic in size.[20] [21]

Citations

  1. ^ a b "Meet Mr Democracy Manifest". Sportsbet. 5 March 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  2. ^ a b Naaman Zhou (30 December 2019). "From iSnack2.0 to Tony Abbott's onions: the best Australian memes of the decade". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  3. ^ a b Butler, Josh (5 March 2020). "The 'Democracy Manifest' Meme Guy May Not Be Dead, According To The Chats". 10 Daily. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  4. ^ a b Smiedt, David (9 March 2020). "Why It's Important To Keep Eating At Asian Restaurants". GQ Magazine. Newslifemedia Pty Ltd. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  5. ^ a b c Drevikovsky, Janek (8 March 2020). "'This is democracy manifest': Mystery star of viral video found at last". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  6. ^ Leedham, Nicole (4 May 1995). "Thief served up his just deserts". The Canberra Times. p. 1. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  7. ^ Paul Chamberlin (3 November 1988). "Ex-Chef eats on the run again". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  8. ^ "Former Chef Fined For 54th Eating Offense". Associated Press. 2 November 1988. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  9. ^ Phillips, Daisy (11 June 2016). "VIDEOS The Backstory Behind 'Democracy Manifest' Guy Is As Funny As His Video". Sick Chirpse. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ Tyler Jenke (16 June 2019). "A succulent Australian mystery: Just who is the bloke in this iconic video?". The Brag. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  12. ^ Blair, Tim (7 September 2013). "This Week On The Web". Daily Telegraph. News Limited – via Gale.
  13. ^ Percival, Tom (12 June 2016). "Story Behind The 'Democracy Manifest' Guy Is Even Funnier Than His Video". UNILAD. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  14. ^ Pan, Alexander (6 March 2020). "The Story Behind The 'Succulent Chinese Meal' Guy Is Weirder Than That Cop's Judo". GOAT goat.com.au. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  15. ^ Wenger, Charles (8 November 2019). "The Succulent Enigma of Paul Dozsa". Level Up Chess. Retrieved 20 March 2020. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  16. ^ Newstead, Al (6 March 2020). "The Chats want you to enjoy a meal, a succulent sonic meal". ABC Australia. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  17. ^ Cam Tyeson (12 April 2019). "Every Aussie Made The Same "Chinese Meal" Joke After Julian Assange's Arrest". pedestrian.tv. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  18. ^ "Sam Weller" (PDF). Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  19. ^ "Talented conductor shows great potential". University of Sydney. 8 March 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  20. ^ "In Conversation: Sam Weller and Ensemble Apex". Re:hearsal Magazine. Melbourne, Australia. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  21. ^ Eslake, Stephanie (22 March 2017). "Backstage with Sam Weller, Ensemble Apex: THE NEWEST YOUNG CHAMBER ORCHESTRA IN SYDNEY". Cut₵ommon Magazine. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  22. ^ Tan, Michael (2 December 2019). "Democracy Manifest with Symphony Orchestra". Retrieved 23 March 2020 – via YouTube.
  23. ^ "Succulent Chinese Meal". untappd.com. Retrieved 23 March 2020. An easy drinking Gos [sic] with additions of Lychee, szechuan pepper and lemongrass with no added MSG.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Democracy_Manifest&oldid=959732095"