Forget planking - here come Owling, Batmanning and Teapotting

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Emma McCarthy10 April 2012

It all started with a plank of wood. Or rather a human being imitating a plank of wood. So great is the phenomenon - where people post photos of themselves lying flat as, well, a plank - that it now boasts almost 700,000 Facebook followers, and celebrities such as Gordon Ramsay, Hugh Hefner and The Only Way is Essex's Chloe Sims have planked for publicity. All of which has made the craze a bit last month.

Now, inspired by the plankers, enthusiasts are inventing their own versions: YouTubers and Tweeters have begun imitating owls, teapots and even Batman.

Here is our guide to this very juvenile and sometimes dangerous internet meme.

Owling
Believed to have started in Australia in June, owling was hailed by trendspotting site Buzzfeed as a "worthy successor" to planking. Owlers squat and stare in a wise and beady-eyed manner. Roofs and treetops have proved popular (and authentic) perches.

Batmanning
It may look like a vertical plank, but is, in fact, a Batman. Not for the faint-hearted, Batmanning requires participants to hang supported only by their feet. Big plates are a bonus, in this instance, as is a thick skull in the event of you becoming dislodged. A YouTube search indicates there are more failures than successes, so make sure you plan for the dismount, otherwise the next trend will be "face planting".

Teapotting
Widely acclaimed as the "safe" alternative to planking, one could argue that the origins of Teapotting lie in the nursery rhyme. The Facebook page creators consider the "delicate and understated" art of Teapotting is "at its most amusing when achieved during a conversation, especially when nobody else notices".

Photobombing
Whether accidental or intentional, Photobombing in its simplest form is the sport of ruining other people's pictures by the last-minute insertion of your ugly mug (or occasionally other body parts). Classic Photobombing opportunities include weddings, parties and tourist crowds.

Horsemanning
Honouring the headless horseman, Horsemanning requires two individuals to recreate a fake beheading. Keep an eye out for your ideal Horsemanning partner - as you can see from the picture above, similar characteristics are a definite advantage.

Twitter: @Miss_McCarthy

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