Planking is an internet "meme" in which pictures are posted of people lying face down in bizarre, creative locations. The person (or people) in the photo is lying down with their hands against their sides, in a rigid plank-like fashion, and the aim is to have "planked" in the most absurd, peculiar, and/or amusing place.
The exact origin of Planking is uncertain and disputed, however most sources site a pair of Englishmen (Gary Clarkson and Christian Langdon) as the inventors, who in their teens would perform what they called the “Lying Down Game” in the late 1990’s simply to amuse each other and confuse onlookers.
In 2007, the two men created a Facebook group for planking, and from then on the fad grew steadily in the UK. They had thousands of followers, and photo submissions began to come in from around the world. The fad name changed from the “Lying Down Game” to “Planking”reportedly in 2008 when Paul Carren, a New Zealander living in Australia, coined the term.
In 2009 planking gained international attention when the press covered a story about a group of hospital workers in the UK who were suspended for planking while on the night shift and posting the photos to Facebook.
In 2011, planking reached its peak of popularity, and a huge movement began in Australia where the Facebook page gained over 130,000 members within a week in April 2011. Interest spiked in May 2011, especially after the death of a 20 year old Australian man attempting to plank on a 7th story balcony.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csS_oySjfjU&feature=player_embedded
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| Global Planking |
2. For most Planking doers, they post their photos on instant social media and social networking website such as Facebook and Twitter to gain a lot of comments and recognition. This can also be another form of sense of accomplishment or identity
3. Instant gratification and attention via the web
4. Another kind of freedom of expression, just like street dance or graffiti
5. Many celebrities posted pictures of themselves
planking on their Twitter/Facebook accounts.
MEMEs that emerged from Planking:
1. Virtual Planking
-the blog Slactory posted an article titled "Virtual Planking"
-a hipster e-honda planking image is posted
-other examples of planking include video game character from Call of Duty, The SIMs, etc
2) “Pu Kai girls” (仆街少女)
These two Taiwanese girls named themselves “Pu Kai girls”. They opened a group and attracted over 115K people to join on Facebook(https://www.facebook.com/pkgirls?ref=nf). They plank around significant places in Taiwan, Macau, and Hong Kong. They uses this way to promote the places; and they also arouses social attentions in the public.
This photo is taken in front of the Hong Kong Central Government office.
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| Taken in front of the Giant Buddha in Hong Kong |
-Vertical Planking meets Sturgeon Face :o
"If you are a fish and want to be a fish stick, you have to have very good posture" - Mitch Hedberg
4)Teapotting
Teapotting consisted of bending the arms in a 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 as an attempt to create a new 'craze' after viewing the amount of attention planking received. (Wikipedia)
5.) Owling
- imitating the perched position of an owl, photos are posted of people looking off into the distance.
Google Insight:According to Google insight:
A. Ranking of regional interest at planking:1. Paraguay 2. Philippines 3. Austrailia
B. Interest over time
-A surge from mid-2010 to mid-2011
-Interest topped during July 2011, when many youths were on summer break.
C. Top seaches about planking:
1. What is planking 2. Planking pictures 3. Planking facebook
D. Rising searches:
1. best planking 2. owling 3. owling planking
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