Planking (fad)

Many participants in planking have photographed the activity in unusual locations and have shared such pictures through social media.

Planking gained popularity rapidly and eventually notoriety from early-mid 2011 before slowly phasing out in early 2012.

A planking-like activity called face dancing by its participants was initiated in 1984 in Edmonds, Washington in the US by Scott Amy and Joel Marshall.

So when, in 1997, two bored school boys in Taunton, England, started lying face-down in public places to amuse themselves and baffle onlookers, they could not have known of Green's stunt.

After reports of the practice started appearing in the Australian media, it grew rapidly and the meme became a global phenomenon.

[12] In the years following its explosion in popularity, several variations on planking have proliferated, some inspired by the fad, and others that have arisen independently.