So it seems as though the newest world-wide trend is ‘planking’ and you see everyone laying across something to take and post a pic. This has become the new funny. But is it funny or offensive?
WHAT IS PLANKING TODAY: If you are not aware of exactly what planking is, in today’s world, planking is laying stiff and straight across whatever (tables, counter tops, basketball rims, microwaves, etc). Celebs and everyday people are taking pictures in the most odd places, planking! Some celeb plankers are, Chris Brown, D Howard, Justin Combs, Flavor Flav, and many many more.
ORIGIN: This all derives from back when slaves were transported to the United States on big slave ships back in the day. Slaves were force to lay face down with their arms by their side and their wrist chained to their waist. Some were even stacked on top of each other with no room to move. Keep in mind there were not any restrooms and they were exposed to bodily fluids, etc. Not many of the slaves survived, many died from dehydration and disease.
We as Black people are known for taking something bad and making it seem cool for a period of time but should a line be drawn somewhere? At what point is calling one another nigga, wearing chains, embarrassed about dark skin or coarse hair, and fight because of colors or sides is TOO MUCH self hate??? I take my stand at ‘planking’! There is nothing cool or funny about it. Had you known or been related to any of those slaves, you would not be planking.
Why is it that black people can always find away to disrespect their history??? Do Jews find away to bring light to the holocaust? What about Mexicans….they too were slaves. Do you see them making fun of it?
Lets bring this to more modern times for people who can careless about history dated after so many years. How about we start acting like planes and we run into buildings and call it 9/11??? Not funny??? Lets go to Oklahoma City and set off M80′s in the hospital and call it “Oklahoma City Bombing”??? No LOL??? How about we go to Denver and make paper guns and take pics shooting at students and teachers and call it “Columbine”. Some things really should not be joked about. And some times (BLACK PEOPLE) you should be more cautious of what you do…watch how offended you get when you see ‘Dog the Bounty hunter’ looks when he PLANKS! SMH in embarrassment.
Seriously, if you are my Facebook friend or I follow you on twitter and you plank, I am deleting you! Hope you all take the same stance.
This article is solely based on the views and opinions of The Hub Radio.
I have not seen any planking, I kinda don’t get it. Not to dispute your ideas that some Blacks turn something wrong into cool, that is very evident in popular culture- but the pics above appear to be some type of physical endurance exercise, slave ships don’t come first to mind, I dont know.
based on these pics, I can understand why it may appear to be based on strength, stamina, and endurance. But there are other pics out there of people planking on flat surfaces. It’s just, the more elaborate(or crazy) the place you can position yourself in, the more notoriety you will receive. Overall, I see it as just silly, and not offensive to our history. Furthermore, it isn’t just a Black thing or something Blacks turned from a negative to a positive.
The mere fact that the term “planking” was not used to describe stacking slaves in ships leads me to believe one has nothing to with the other. This is just a dumb fad. Somebody has already died trying to do it on a balcony. I hope to see it die down quickly.
I THINK PLANKING IS VERY OFFENSIVE , AND AS FAR AS OLE GIRL SAY ITS that is very evident in popular culture THATS BULL FOREAL HOW DO YOU THINK WE BLACK PPL GOT OVER HERE TO AMERICA I THINK U NEED TO WATCH ROOTS A FEW TIMES BABY GIRL, WHITE FOLKS DOGS US BACK THEN AND STILL IS IN MODERN TODAY WHY DO YO THINK WHITE PEOPLE WERE RASCIST???? OUR HISTORY IS VERY DEEP BUT IN TODAY SOCIETY ITS COOL TO MOCK THE PAST , YOUR HEAR ALOT OF BLACKS SAYING “OH WEL THATS’ THE PAST IT AINT ME”! DUMMIES ITS YOUR ANCESTORS YOUR PPLS I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD DO ALOT OF STUDYING BEFORE THEY COMMENT ON SOMETHING THEYDONT KNOW!!
what you gotta i saw better planking one http://plankpage.com