Planking (fad)
Encyclopedia
"Planking" is an activity consisting of lying face down in an unusual or incongruous location. Both hands must touch the sides of the body and having a photograph of the participant taken and posted on the Internet is an integral part of the game. Players compete to find the most unusual and original location in which to play. The term planking refers to mimicking a wooden plank
. Rigidity of the body must be maintained to constitute good planking.
Since early 2011, many participants in planking have photographed the activity on unusual locations such as atop poles, roofs and vehicles. Planking can include lying flat on a flat surface, or holding the body flat while it's supported in only some regions, with other parts of the body suspended.
claims to have invented "planking" as early as 1994. Gary Clarkson and Christian Langdon claim to have invented planking in 2000, first becoming popular in North East England
.
The lying down game spread to the rest of the world, where it has also been known as "시체놀이" ("playing dead") (2003, South Korea), "à plat ventre" ("On one’s belly", France 2004), "extreme lying down" (2008, Australasia), "facedowns" (2010, USA and Ireland), and "planking" (2011, Australia & New Zealand and worldwide).
Critics of the lying down game compare the game with the slave trade-era practice and manner of stowing African slaves upon the planks of a slave ship's lower hold, as illustrated in the Brookes
abolitionist poster imagery, although University of Pittsburgh
professor Marcus Rediker
states there is no "deliberate connection" between the contemporary usage and any previous meaning imputed to the term.
.
.
Plank (wood)
A plank is a piece of timber, flat, elongated and rectangular, with parallel faces, higher or longer than wide, used in the construction of ships, houses, bridges, etc......
. Rigidity of the body must be maintained to constitute good planking.
Since early 2011, many participants in planking have photographed the activity on unusual locations such as atop poles, roofs and vehicles. Planking can include lying flat on a flat surface, or holding the body flat while it's supported in only some regions, with other parts of the body suspended.
History and origination
Comedian Tom GreenTom Green
Michael Thomas "Tom" Green is a Canadian actor, rapper, writer, comedian, talk show host and media personality. Best known for his shock humour brand of comedy, Green found mainstream prominence via his MTV television show The Tom Green Show...
claims to have invented "planking" as early as 1994. Gary Clarkson and Christian Langdon claim to have invented planking in 2000, first becoming popular in North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
.
The lying down game spread to the rest of the world, where it has also been known as "시체놀이" ("playing dead") (2003, South Korea), "à plat ventre" ("On one’s belly", France 2004), "extreme lying down" (2008, Australasia), "facedowns" (2010, USA and Ireland), and "planking" (2011, Australia & New Zealand and worldwide).
Critics of the lying down game compare the game with the slave trade-era practice and manner of stowing African slaves upon the planks of a slave ship's lower hold, as illustrated in the Brookes
Brookes (ship)
The Brookes print was an image widely used by campaigners for the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. First designed in Plymouth, UK, in 1788 by the Plymouth Chapter of the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade...
abolitionist poster imagery, although University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
professor Marcus Rediker
Marcus Rediker
Marcus Rediker is an American professor, historian, writer, and activist for a variety of peace and social justice causes. He graduated with a B.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1976 and attended the University of Pennsylvania for graduate study, earning an M.A. and Ph.D. in history...
states there is no "deliberate connection" between the contemporary usage and any previous meaning imputed to the term.
Notable incidents
- The game made news in September 2009, when seven doctors and nurses working at the Great Western HospitalGreat Western HospitalGreat Western Hospital is a large hospital situated in Swindon, Wiltshire, England, next to junction 15 of the M4 motorway.- Building :The architect was Whicheloe Macfarlane, who designed the hospital with a concrete frame design. Flat slab concrete floors 30 cm deep are supported by a...
in Swindon, England were suspended for playing the lying down game while on duty.
- On 13 May 2011, a 20-year-old man from GladstoneGladstone, Queensland- Education :Gladstone has several primary schools, three high schools, and one university campus, Central Queensland University. It is also home to CQIT Gladstone Campus.- Recreation :...
in central QueenslandQueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
was charged for allegedly planking on a police vehicle.
- On 15 May 2011, Acton Beale, a 20-year-old man, plunged to his death after reportedly "planking" on a seventh-floor balcony in BrisbaneBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Australia.
- On 29 May 2011, Max Key, son of New Zealand Prime MinisterPrime Minister of New ZealandThe Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
John KeyJohn KeyJohn Phillip Key is the 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand, in office since 2008. He has led the New Zealand National Party since 2006....
, uploaded to Facebook a photograph of himself planking on a lounge suite, his father standing behind him. After the photograph was reproduced on the front page of the New Zealand HeraldThe New Zealand Herald- External links :* * *...
two days later, the Prime Minister's office initially declined comment. But later that day, confirming that the photograph was indeed genuine, Mr. Key remarked that he doesn't see anything wrong with planking when done safely and that it was he who had actually introduced Max to planking in the first place, having seen a video of the phenomenon on YouTube.
- On 2 September 2011, Dwight HowardDwight HowardDwight David Howard is an American basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . Howard, who usually plays center but can also play power forward, had an outstanding high school career at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy...
and about 100 of his fans planked in BeijingBeijingBeijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China.
Teapotting
Teapotting is one of the many variations of planking that arose shortly after planking went viral. Teapotting consists of bending the arms into the shape of a teapot, in reference to the children's song "I'm a Little Teapot". This variation was created by teachers in Mortlake College in an attempt to create a new 'craze' after noticing the amount of attention planking received.Owling
Owling is a variation on planking in which a person squats "like an owl". It was first documented on 11 July 2011 in a post on the social news website redditReddit
reddit is a social news website where the registered users submit content, in the form of either a link or a text "self" post. Other users then vote the submission "up" or "down," which is used to rank the post and determine its position on the site's pages and front page.Reddit was originally...
.
Horsemaning
Horsemaning involves posing two people so that they appear to be a single body with a detached head and is a revival of a photography fad popular in the 1920s. It is thought that the name comes from the Headless Horseman in Washington Irving's short story The Legend of Sleepy HollowThe Legend of Sleepy Hollow
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is a short story by Washington Irving contained in his collection The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., written while he was living in Birmingham, England, and first published in 1820...
.
External links
- Daily Mail article showing several examples
- Planks, But No Planks: The Fatal Idiocy of “Planking”, by Jim GoadJim GoadJim Goad is an American author and publisher. Goad co-authored and published the cult zine ANSWER Me! and The Redneck Manifesto. Known for his controversial political and socially charged viewpoints, Goad's work has been described as "compelling", "brutally honest" and "original" by author Chuck...
at Taki's Magazine, 2011 - Web Urbanist article with some examples