ALLANA KAIPO thinks planking is for plonkers. Do you agree?
Planking has hit the world by storm and the act has caused young people to lose their jobs, and has even put some behind bars. Older people would say its proof young ones have gone nuts. Kids would argue that it’s the best fun they could have being still. So who’s right, and just what is planking?
The term planking is another name for the ‘lying down game’. It is the act of lying flat facedown for a photograph, much like a plank of wood, then sharing it with fellow plankers online. To some it’s an athletic sport for the fearless, and to others it’s innocent fun. You get creativity points for planking in odd places like tree branches, working escalators or on animals. The wilder you get the ‘better’ the picture will be.
Unfortunately it’s not all fun and games. It’s when people get stupid and start planking in dangerous places that they get themselves into serious trouble. The internet craze only truly took off when one young Australian man tried to out-do his friend and planked on the balcony of his apartment, losing his footing and falling seven stories to his death. With alcohol in the mix, the accident was the inevitable.
But this hasn’t kept New Zealanders from joining the international fad with over 12,500 of us joining the Planking New Zealand facebook fan page. One of whom is Prime Minister John Keys’ 15-year-old son who has been deemed NZ’s top planker. He called his living room stunt the ‘PM Plank’ and has been praised for his efforts. Many have sarcastically called it the ‘National Plank.’
Its innocent fun until creativity extends far beyond the creative zone. There are safe ways to plank and there are dangerous ways to plank…or plonk!
My brother considered planking whilst fishing in the harbour. His initial idea of planking on a floating chilly bin on the water made me laugh. But his imagination extended to planking on a channel guide post which is far more dangerous. This is how planking starts as an innocent game then eventually gets out of hand and puts others in harms way.
The first planking image I saw had me curious. The planker looked ridiculous. I thought to myself, ‘Gosh, anyone would think he was mad’. But that’s the essence of it - to be part of something only the fearless would do.
To me it’s a pointless internet craze and makes me sick to see young ones risk their lives on train lines, or to see engineers planking on narrow poles of sky high construction sites.
Like any other fad planking will lose its interest. But for now I say plank in sensible places. Be creative. Planking on high ground is not creative. Better yet, don’t plank at all.
Have you tried planking? Do you think planking is dangerous? Tell us your views