Planking (or the Lying Down Game) is an activity consisting of lying in a face down position, sometimes in an unusual or incongruous location. The palms of the hands are typically touching the sides of the body and the toes are typically touching the ground. [1] Some players compete to find the most unusual and original location in which to play. [1] The term planking refers to mimicking a wooden plank. Planking can include lying flat on a flat surface, or holding the body flat while it is supported in only some regions, with other parts of the body suspended. Many participants in planking have photographed the activity in unusual locations and have shared such pictures through social media.
Planking gained popularity rapidly and eventually notoriety from early-mid 2011 before slowly phasing out in early 2012.
A planking-like activity, called face dancing by its participants, was initiated in 1984 in Edmonds, Washington in the US by Scott Amy and Joel Marshall. [2] [3] The two high school age boys were walking in a park when they came upon a baseball game. They decided to lie face down in right field to see if anyone would react.
The first video-recorded occurrence of planking was in 1994 when Tom Green performed a stunt he called "Dead Guy" for a cable TV show, which consisted of Green lying down on an Ottawa sidewalk without moving. Green, who was in an MTV show in the 1990s, is a comedian known for his pranks. He informed CNN about this video evidence and how it did not air on the show, stating that it was "a very obscure piece of video." [4] Green tweeted "Just found video of me #planking in 1994. I will post it soon. Let people know. :)" on July 12, 2011. [5]
However, the video sketch was never aired. So when, in 1997, two bored school boys in Taunton, England, started lying face-down in public places to amuse themselves and baffle onlookers, they could not have known of Green's stunt. Gary Clarkson (then aged 15) and Christian Langdon (then aged 12) called it the "lying down game". As Clarkson puts it, "It was just a really stupid, random thing to do." [6] [7] The Lying Down Game remained within Clarkson and Langdon's circle of friends until 2007, when their friend Daniel Hoppin created a Facebook page for their craze. As Hoppin says, "We began a Facebook group to see who could get the craziest photo." [7]
The term "Planking" was coined by Sam Weckert, Darcy McCann and Kym Berry of Adelaide, South Australia: "Planking was a term myself and two other mates came up with in the summer of 2008". [7] Weckert created a Facebook fan page to share "planking" photos. After reports of the practice started appearing in the Australian media, it grew rapidly and the meme became a global phenomenon. [8] After reports of the craze in the British media in 2009, [9] [10] Planking spread to the rest of the world. Worldwide it has also been known as "extreme lying down" (2008, Australasia), "facedowns" (2010, USA and Ireland), [11] and "planking" (2011, Australia, New Zealand and worldwide). [12] In the years following its explosion in popularity, several variations on planking have proliferated, some inspired by the fad, and others that have arisen independently.
The popularity of planking has generated a backlash. [13] Some people object to the more ridiculous photos that have circulated, such as a girl planking with her head in a toilet or a woman planking on a stripper pole. [14] Also, planking in dangerous places has resulted in many injuries and at least one death. [15]
Despite its origin as a form of humorous human position, planking has notable practical uses in certain athletic endeavors. As an example, the act of lowering one's perspective can reveal important information. One application is reading greens on a golf course. PGA Tour professional golfer Martin Trainer is known to utilize his pioneering seal-style plank to read putting greens.
The factual accuracy of part of this article is disputed. The dispute is about the propriety of including various posing fads that are not related in posture or motivation, to the subject of this article.(June 2020) |
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The rules of the lying down game are simple: lie face down, with palms touching your sides and toes touching the ground
Now it's called planking, but it was originally called face dancing.
The seven staff members [...] face disciplinary proceedings. They were suspended on full pay after managers at the Great Western Hospital were alerted to the prank.
A spokesman for GWH confirmed the staff suspensions, saying health and safety and infection control regulations had been broken, as well as the NHS and Trust code of conduct.
Acton Beale, aged 20, fell from the balcony of a unit block on Main Street in Kangaroo Point shortly before 4.30am.
This Australian craze had infected poor Mr. Acton B., a (former) planking enthusiast who was not aware that Balconies Are The #1 One Cause of Gravity-Fed Darwin Awards.
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key might have taken planking mega, or might have killed it, depending on who you believe.
First man to plank inside the Octagon? Pat Barry @HypeOrDie has been upping all sorts of skills this camp #groundgame #subdefense #UFCFX
Instead of planking like this normal guy, Hov planks on his millions of dollars
[...] "Faith Hilling" is the third episode of Season 16 of South Park. According to show creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, they originally wanted to make an episode about planking [...]
The third South Park Episode of Season 16, [...] took the trend of internet memes [...] to new levels of absurdity. The trend itself began with planking [...]
I give her planking, Inception reenactment, and Jenga skills a five, out of four.
Mr. Peabody the talking, genius dog invented planking, the fist bump, the backside Ollie, and zumba.
[...] in the first two minutes, distinguished Peabody makes cracks about Zumba, planking, yoga poses [...]
The n**ga planked. He brought planking back." Adesanya said.
UFC fighter Jorge Masvidal [...] created the record for the fastest knockout in UFC history. [...] "He's bringing planking back," crowed UFC interim middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
In 2003 the 'playing dead' craze swept through [...] South Korea -since then it's spread all over the web.
It is what it sounds like. Someone smashes gallons of milk in a grocery store aisle. They "fall." They have a hard time getting up.