The first time I encountered extreme ironing, I nearly did a spit-take all over my keyboard. It wasn’t one of those moments where I was laughing so hard I couldn’t breathe—it was more of a confused and bewildered reaction.
Let me explain why. I absolutely despise ironing. I can’t stand anything related to it. Even the thought of holding an iron is off-putting. So, imagining ironing as some kind of dangerous sport just blew my mind.
If you’re not familiar, extreme ironing is basically ironing for thrill-seekers. People take their ironing boards and irons to crazy places, like the side of a mountain or while skydiving. It’s like a weird mix of having too much free time and a desire for attention.
Now, I get that some people might find transforming a dull household chore into an adventurous activity somewhat admirable. But I’m not really sold on the idea. If you’re on a mountain or skydiving, why not just enjoy those amazing experiences for what they are? Doing something extra just to brag about it on social media seems pointless.
In my opinion, there are definitely more suitable activities to turn into extreme sports. Take, for example, extreme picnicking. Here’s why I think it’s a way better idea:
1) **Eating Is Essential for Survival**
You need food to live, simple as that. No matter where you are, you’ll need to eat at some point. This is where extreme picnicking has a leg up on extreme ironing. While ironing in bizarre places is just for show, picnicking could be a practical activity in an extraordinary setting. If you’re at the bottom of the ocean, you might need to fend off sharks while eating; if you’re on the summit of Everest, you’ll need the energy to get back down.
2) **It Involves Food**
Let’s face it, any situation involving food is usually a good time—unless we’re talking about a post-night-out kebab, perhaps. Food is something we naturally look forward to, and enjoying a meal means we’re alive and well. Extreme picnicking is great because it centers around food, plain and simple. Plus, people aren’t typically posting endless food photos to flaunt their eating habits, so it hasn’t been ruined by social media vanity.
3) **Hilarious Situations Can Occur**
Imagine trying to eat in a gale-force wind; it’s bound to get funny. Picture eating a cake on a mountaintop—the potential for hilarious mishaps is huge. You’d probably end up with more food on your face than in a Beastie Boys video.
So, there you have it. Why I think extreme picnicking is miles better than extreme ironing. But honestly, for the sake of humanity, we should probably cut out all of these ridiculous stunts before someone decides to create something like extreme defecating—which, let’s face it, they probably will.
What do you think? Is extreme picnicking the new extreme ironing?