Jack Karlson’s 1991 arrest outside a Brisbane, Australia Chinese restaurant – the video of which went viral when it was uploaded to YouTube nearly two decades later – has been added to Australia’s National Film and Sound Archive. Karlson’s iconic monologue is one of nine selections that form the organisation’s 2026 ‘Sounds of Australia’ capsule.
“Each year, the National Film and Sound Archive recognises recordings that travel far beyond their original moment,” the NFSA explains on its website. “The Sounds of Australia collection now takes in earworm jingles, animal calls, landmark speeches and automated messages: audio that echoes through everyday life to shape our sonic landscape.”
Karlson’s memorable and theatrical reaction came while being compelled into a police car, in which he swings between indignantly railing against the circumstances of his arrest (“What is the charge? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meal?”), sarcastically complimenting the officers on their technique (“Ah, yes, I see that you know your judo well”), and shouting at police to, “Get your hand off my penis!”
The video launched years of remixes, collaborations, and… a mountain of T-shirts.
The video of Karlson’s arrest was uploaded to the internet in 2009 by Russell Furman, who reportedly stumbled across the footage in his role as a presentation coordinator and tape operator. The video eventually became a pop culture sensation, with the NFSA noting the “recording demonstrates how voice and performance can transform an everyday news event into a lasting piece of cultural folklore.”
Karlson passed away in August, 2024 at the age of 82.
The ever-expanding NFSA of Australia recently made the news following its acquisition of a pinball machine collection featuring the first-ever licensed Star Wars pinball machine, where the cost of obtaining the license to build them was simply a free personal machine for George Lucas himself.
Luke is a Senior Editor on the IGN reviews team. You can track him down on Bluesky @mrlukereilly to ask him things about stuff.
