People have very mixed feelings about planking. There are the haters who say it’s completely pointless and a waste of time. So they think that anyone who does it is a brainless slug who doesn’t have anything to offer society. Then there are the people who like to look at the pictures of the people planking. They’re the support to why I plank and why other people do as well. Lastly there are the plankers themselves. They have their own reasons for planking and thus their own point of view.
The haters have been very vocal about planking. I have been yelled at by people passing by to “stop wasting time” or "get a life." On the other hand, there are those who say planking is offensive because of how the slavers who brought Africans over on their ships. XZIBIT is the one who originally called out planking for being racist. He posted this on his Twitter, “#Planking was a way to transport slaves on ships during the slave trade, its not funny. Educate yourselves… Don’t get it twisted. I care less where your dumb asses lay face down and take pictures of the shit, I'm just telling you where it came from.” [1] I think this is a very large stretch to call planking offensive or racist just because slavers would transport the slaves in a facedown position. This link is to knowyourmeme.com, it has a picture of how they would lay slaves down inside the ship.[2]
The supporters of the plankers and the plankers themselves are two very similar groups. They both enjoy viewing the pictures of plankers and have started several websites for people to enjoy. One of them is planking.me (link down below) [3], which has pictures from all over the world. The planking fad has gotten a bit of attention from the media and journalism websites as well. Athletes, celebrities, and other public figures have been seen planking. [2] knowyourmeme.com has a couple articles on planking and some statistics about where it started, how popular it has been and still is, and what other people have to say about planking.
Being a planker myself I view planking as an enjoyable sport or game that challenges me to be creative with where and how I lay down. I go for the unusual places that will seem funny or ironic to people. When I see other people's photos or videos of planking I think of how I can beat it, or admire how tough the plank must have been. You can see some of my planks along with my friends planks at The Cottonwood Heights Planking Team's Facebook. There should be a link on one of my earlier posts but if there isn't here is one. We haven't done a lot of planking lately because of the weather but after school is done there should be more uploaded. Link
Resources
[1] http://gawker.com/5819185/is-planking-racist
[2] http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/planking
[3] http://www.planking.me/
I never really understood the appeal in planking, but I never had a problem with the people who do plank. I think you brining in the Tweet that XIBIT said was really interesting. Maybe bring in more view points and quotes from celebrities abou planking! I understand now that it is a creative outlet and a sport for people. - Natalie Star
ReplyDeleteIn the third paragraph you state "One of them is planking.me (link down below)." I would recommend incorporating the link right there rather than sending people to the bottom of the page. People are lazy and do not want to have to scroll to the bottom of the page, and have to sift through a list of links to find the one you were referencing.
ReplyDeleteYeah I have to agree with Tyler about the link. Other than that, planking is something I honestly never knew existed, and you've done a fine job introducing me to it. To me it seems equal parts sport and performance art. Is that about correct?
ReplyDeleteThere's this short documentary called "American Juggalo" that did a real great job of showing what being a juggalo meant to those that actually are juggalos. "Juggalos" are the fans of the midwest rap group "Insane Clown Posee." These people, like plankers, are often ridiculed by others, and generally dismissed by the public. This film simply shows avid juggalos talking about their personal experiences that have made them love being a juggalo. It's hard to dismiss and ridicule someone when they're just speaking honestly and openly. A video of plankers talking about why they love planking might just have the same affect and help the public be more informed about the matter.
ReplyDelete