Celebs planking away . . . What?

Planking is a new craze that is taking over the Internet, and celebrities are taking part in the unusual activity big time. What is planking and where did it originate?

Wikipedia defines planking as the art of lying stiffly in odd spots for photos that are posted online.

There is a Facebook page dedicated to the game once known as “the lying-down game” and it has more than 400,000 likes. Players upload pictures of themselves “planking” in  outrageous places -- sidewalks, camels, escalators.

Interest worldwide grew after a group of doctors in England were suspended in 2009 for playing the lying-down game while on the job and posting the pictures on Facebook.

Since then, it has gotten national and international attention with even celebrities posting pictures on Twitter of themselves planking. Some of the celebrities who've joined in  the fun  include Orlando Magic guard Gilbert Arenas and center Dwight Howard, and entertainers Chris Brown, Rosario Dawson, Justin Bieber, Ellen Page and Kristen Bell.

Most plankers say it is a harmless stunt, although finding a creative place to plank led to  the death of Acton Beale, 20, who fell from balcony railings on May 16 in Australia.

There is a bit of an uproar about the game since it allegedly has ties to slavery. According to the Black Urban Times, slaves were brought to America from Africa during the Middle Passage on plank beds with their wrists and ankles chained. The position is identical to that used in planking.

So is planking just a harmless game or a historical insult?

Check out a video of actress Rosario Dawson talking about her love for planking on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”

Photo: Entertainer Chris Brown shows his planking style. (June 30, 2011)