Planking (fad)
Planking or the lying down game is an activity consisting of lying face down in an unusual or incongruous location. The 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.[1] Players compete to find the most unusual and original location in which to play.[1] The term planking is described as the practice of lying down flat with arms to the side, to mimic a wooden plank.
Many participants of planking since 2011 have photographed the activity on unusual locations such as atop poles, roofs and vehicles, while some "plankers" engage in the activity by planking only their upper body and feet while leaving the back suspended.
History and origination
The lying down game is claimed to have been invented by Gary Clarkson and Christian Langdon in 1997,[2] first becoming popular in North East England,.[3] However, comedian Tom Green claims to have invented "planking" as early as 1994.[4]
The lying down game spread to the rest of the world, where it has also been known as "시체놀이" ("playing dead") (2003, South Korea),[5][6] "à plat ventre" ("On one’s belly", France 2004),[7] "extreme lying down", (2008, Australasia)"facedowns" (2010, USA and Ireland),[8][9] and "planking" (2011, Australia & New Zealand and worldwide).[10]
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.[11][12]
Notable incidents
- The game made news in September 2009, when seven doctors and nurses working at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon, England were suspended for playing the lying down game while on duty.[13][13][14][15]
- On 13 May 2011, a 20-year-old man from Gladstone in central Queensland was charged for allegedly planking on a police vehicle.[16]
- On 15 May 2011, Acton Beale, a 20-year-old man, plunged to his death after reportedly "planking" on a seventh-floor balcony in Brisbane, Australia. Beale became the first known casualty of the planking fad.[17]
- On 29 May 2011, Max Key, son of New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, uploaded a photograph to Facebook 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 Herald two days later, the Prime Minister's office initially declined comment,[18] 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.[19]
- On 21 July 2011, two Gamestop employees were fired, one for planking and another for taking a picture of him.[1]
Gallery
-
Three people plank the Taj Mahal -
Planking the street lights
References
- ^ a b [Staff] (September 9, 2009). "The lying down game: how to play". The Telegraph. Retrieved November 13, 2010.
- ^ Cathal Kelly (September 19, 2009). "Lying Down Game latest Web rage". The Star. Retrieved November 13, 2010.
- ^ [Staff] ([undated]). "The lying down game on Facebook". The Telegraph. Retrieved November 13, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Jon Bershad (July 13, 2011). "You Know That Internet Phenomenon 'Planking'? Seems That Tom Green Invented It In 1994". Mediate.com. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
- ^ *Brad [pseud.], Chris Menning [?pseud.], Jamie Dubs [?pseud.], yatta [pseud.] (2010) "Playing Dead," Emily Huh (ed.), Brad Kim (ed.) Know your Meme Seattle and New York: Cheezburger Inc.. available online
- ^ [Procedurally Generated Content] "Playing Dead (Related Submemes)" [2011] Emily Huh (ed.), Brad Kim (ed.) Know your Meme Seattle and New York: Cheezburger Inc.. last accessed 2011. available online
- ^ Brad [pseud.], amanda b. [pseud.], yatta [pseud.], Tomberry [pseud.], James [pseud.] (2011) "Lying Down Game" Emily Huh (ed.), Brad Kim (ed.) Know your Meme Seattle and New York: Cheezburger Inc.. available online
- ^ Guzman, Monica (March 26, 2010). "'And here I am facedown by the Coliseum'". Seattle PI. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
- ^ Byrne, Niall (May 14, 2010). "Facedown on the up". Irish Independent. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
- ^ Russel, Mathew. "Planking Gladstone". Queensland Police. Retrieved 2011-05-26.
- ^ Anne, Sarah. "Is 'planking' connected to the slave trade? - BlogPost". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2011-07-25.
- ^ "Is 'planking' harmless fun or fundamentally offensive?". Thegrio.com. Retrieved 2011-07-25.
- ^ a b Simon de Bruxelles (September 10, 2009). "Seven NHS staff suspended over Facebook 'Lying Down Game' pictures". The Times. Retrieved November 13, 2010.
- ^ Richard Savill (September 9, 2009). "Hospital staff suspended over Facebook 'lying down game' pictures". The Telegraph. Retrieved November 13, 2010.
- ^ The Times [Staff] (September 10, 2009). "Internet Craze 'Lying Down Game' Gets 7 Doctors, Nurses Suspended in Emergency Ward". Fox News. Retrieved November 13, 2010. Using content from The Times.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) - ^ "Planking the latest net craze" The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW) p. 9.
- ^ "Australia man plunges to 'planking' death - World news - Asia-Pacific - msnbc.com". MSNBC. 2011-05-15. Retrieved 2011-07-25.
- ^ "PM's son named 'New Zealand's top planker'" Yahoo News/AFP (31 May 2011)
- ^ "PM says a safe plank fine by him" TVNZ/ONE News (31 May 2011)