Since the birth of my sons, I've been rather distant from all forms of media (mainstream, social, right-wing, etc.) so I wasn't aware of the newest global phenomenon -- planking. It's a rather simple and harmless activity (I'm not sure it's a sport even though people seem to be trying to out plank each other). All one has to do is to lie face down with your fingers and toes pointed. Though I think planking is rather silly, it does seem to be a form of entertainment which virtually everyone can participate. One doesn't have to go to planking school or train hard to be a planker. There are thousands of planking photos out there and very few people seem to be getting hurt from planking.
According to several internet sites, planking began in England by two guys who thought it would be a cool way to jazz up their travel photos. Those crazy Aussies popularized this fad and dubbed it planking. Recently, American celebrities have taken to planking, but the angry black people are warning against it. According to The Black Urban Times, planking is rooted in slavery as slaves were "planked" in the hulls of slave ships. I don't know whether to laugh at this assertion or to cry because I see assertions made like it frequently. Not everything that white people do is connected to some past sin against black people and not every fad black people participate in is a scheme hatched by white people to keep us down. Just because two things are similar does not mean that one is the cause or the root of the other. Arguments like these are just silly. Happy planking...
