When I first saw the trending topic #planking coming across my Twitter timeline, not knowing what it was I decided to click anyway. After a few minutes of browsing, I knew this craze was about to begin.
As I browsed through the topic, as I do regularly now, I came across tons of hilarious photographs of people planking. From planking in a Wal-Mart check out line to hovering over urinals while someone is urinating, planking is the newest social media trend.
PHOTOS: What The Plank? Our Favorite Planking Moments
If you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing planking in action, planking consists of lying face down as stiff as a board in an unusual or absurd location mimicking a wooden plank. One of the funniest parts about planking is how the hands touch the side of the body appearing to be dead. Apparently, it has been a fad overseas for a few years, but has since spread and has become the hottest thing here in the United States over the past few days. Social medias never ceases to amaze me on how fast connections and trends can be built.
PHOTOS: Our Favorite Hip-Pop Celebs Get Their Plank On!
With the advent of technology, dance flash mobs and even planking receive much vigor from social media web sites. Social networking sites like Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook have become important with content sharing. Because of the easy accessibility, immediacy and reach, trends can penetrate the interest earning its way into popular culture. For those who are not still believers in the power of social media, hopefully something as small as this trend triggers optimism.
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Why this has become a trend, I have no idea but I do enjoy seeing the photos. Celebrities like Joe Budden, Kristen Bell, Rosario Dawson and “Basketball Wife” Evelyn Lozada have uploaded planking photos too. I am certain there is not a reward for the best planking but I hope ‘plankers’ keep the photos coming.
Unfortunately, all news about planking isn’t positive. Recently the Brisbane Times reported Sunday, a 20-year-old man plunged to his death after planking on a seventh-story balcony in Brisbane, Australia. I’ve seen some extreme photos myself and started to wonder how dangerous this can be.
And for those who participate, please plank with caution.
Drew-Shane Daniels is a Philadelphia based writer maneuvering through life and graduate school. He’s the creative genius behind the project http://www.heardhimsay.com, his daily blog where he offers his two cents on lifestyle, sexuality and pop culture issues. His work has been featured on Soul Train, Clutch Magazine, Krave Magazine, theFreshXpress and BET.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @drewshane.
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Airplane planking
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Planking at work
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Police car planking could get you arrested
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Office planking will not get you a raise
