Jack Tame: 'Neknominate' has nothing on yardies

If you were dumb enough to drink a whole bottle of spirits in one gulp, the resulting damage is a perfect illustration of Darwinism in the modern age. Photo / Thinkstock

My Facebook feed is peppered by munters being munters.

It's perhaps a timely reminder of the need to trim my list of Facebook "friends". Everywhere, from Australia to the UK and Asia, people are participating in 'neknominate', the social media fad where people post a video of themselves chugging an alcoholic drink, then call out a few friends to do the same.

There are satirical efforts, with participants who feign manly-man personas, speaking in comically deep voices ("Good on ya, Trev") only to then suck on their beer bottles like baby calves on a teat.

Generally though, 'neknominate' is not a game that appeals to society's cerebral giants.

It's obviously potentially dangerous, though I'd venture if you were dumb enough to drink a whole bottle of spirits in one gulp (as some participants have) the resulting damage is a perfect illustration of Darwinism in the modern age.

Steven Luatua (left).

There's a video of one young man doing a 'neknominate' while driving a car. There's another showing a six-year-old boy sculling the contents of a Heineken bottle.

And All Black Steven Luatua, who apologised after appearing as a beer-pouring assistant in a video.

Alcohol awareness groups are concerned but I'd tender 'neknominate' is only a scratch on a far more prevalent Kiwi tradition.

Having spent a past life working as a DJ playing weddings and 21st birthdays (and the odd primary school disco - livin' the dream ...), I've seen more than my share of yard glasses consumed. Yardies are far and away our stupidest tradition. I've never understood the desire to surround yourself with friends and family, only to end up on hands and knees and power-chucking at your mum's feet.

Unlike some flash-in-the-pan social media trend, the yard glass is a tradition.

'Neknominate' is a dumb fad. Like planking, it'll be out of fashion by tomorrow's paper.

But I bet next weekend, New Zealand's newest adults will be on hands and knees with a part or fully consumed yard glass.