#Owling: Perching Like a Bird
In the summer of 2011, the internet briefly became obsessed with crouching in an owl-like position on unexpected objects and posting photos.
The Meme
Owling involved:
- Finding an elevated surface (fence, railing, statue, sign)
- Crouching with knees bent, feet together
- Looking stoic and owl-like
- Having someone photograph you
- Posting with #Owling
The more unusual the location, the better. Bonus points for dangerous or public settings.
Following Planking
Owling emerged as a successor to #Planking (lying flat in unusual places), which had dominated earlier in 2011. While planking was horizontal, owling was vertical—requiring more balance and looking more ridiculous.
The Facebook page “Owling” gained over 100,000 followers within weeks. Submissions ranged from harmless (perching on park benches) to dangerous (highway overpasses).
Brief Reign
Owling’s cultural moment lasted roughly six weeks before being replaced by “Batmanning” (hanging upside down by feet) and “Leisure Diving” (diving into pools while fully clothed).
The rapid succession of photo memes demonstrated the internet’s short attention span and hunger for the next absurd trend.
Legacy
Owling represented peak early-2010s internet: simple, physical, pointless, and briefly ubiquitous. It required no special skills, just willingness to look silly for internet points.
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