cone-ing, the new planking.

Fads come and fads go; the only thing you can be sure of is that once in a while, one will stick around for a bit and even give you a bit of a smile, and not in one of those ‘feeling-sorry-for-the-people-who-pride-themselves-on-following-the-crowd’ kinda ways. I’m not usually a fan of following the trends just because everyone’s doing it; I find myself deciding whether I truly like things or not before I endeavour to undertake participation or even an interest in anything. However, this is surprisingly different.

By now, most people have heard of the social fad planking, whereby people ‘plank’ in awkward situations, face down with their arms and legs as straight as a plank. But there seems to be a new trend sweeping the streets of Australia, and even the world.

Move over planking. There’s a new fad in town.

Melbourne based comedian, Alki Stevens has started a new trend, cone-ing.

Cone-ing, quite simply, is the act of purchasing a McDonald’s ice-cream and grabbing the ice-cream part of the treat, preferably upside down, in the most awkward manner possible. Don’t ask for a new one, don’t make a scene, just take your palm full of ice-cream and half crushed cone and eat it the wrong way up while continuing on your day.

How did I come across this, you might ask? Well, being the totally hip, tea drinking, crocheting, overall wearing 22-year-old that I am, it doesn’t seem like something I would have sought out for myself, and it wasn’t. I heard about it on the bus from a bunch of very cool teenage boys (in between their gawking at the young girls and tales of bashing each other up) and quickly scribbled it down in my notepad to enable my further investigation when I got home.

My first instincts were that this is a load of bull-pucky. Why would so many people be so keen to follow a social fad;  especially one as silly as this. However (yes, I may have had a change of heart), when I came home and did a quick youtube search, I found myself giggling uncontrollably at how fantastically awkward cone-ing is.

Unsure if I myself would pursue a physical participation cone-ing, I have enjoyed accidentally stumbling upon this new social  fad. But it was most certainly one of those things you overhear that I’m pleased that I investigated further.

So now I am eagerly awaiting the next social fad that might tickle my “sensible yet open to new and funny ideas” sense of humour!

Click here to watch ‘Cone-ing, the new planking’!