ST. GEORGE — In just under 48 hours, a local radio station’s attempt at the “chair challenge,” captured in a 5-minute video, garnered over 2 million views.
Planet 105.1 posted the video to Facebook Monday evening after on-air personalities discovered the challenge on the popular social media platform, Tik Tok.
The challenge involves taking two steps from a wall and bending down at a 90-degree angle with the participant’s feet planted firmly on the ground and head against the wall. The participant then grabs a chair and holds it to their chest while attempting to stand up. While women seem to have no trouble completing the task, most men struggle to stand or can’t stand at all.
Colleen Rue, Planet 105.1 morning show host, told St. George News there wasn’t any strategy that went into posting the video.
“We weren’t trying to make a viral video,” she said. “We were just doing something that’s fun and engaging and gets people laughing and having fun. That’s our goal.”
Rue said she believes millions of people resonated with the post because of the nature of the challenge and the fact that it was posted so close to the holidays. It’s a simple, easy and fun activity, and it makes people smile. When the guys can’t do it, she said, it makes viewers smile even more.
“I think it’s a good time of year,” she said. “I think families are together and they’re having Christmas parties, and they see something like this and the way we presented it, they see that and they think that’s easy and fun.”
Rue said the Planet 105.1 team is always trying new things and participating in internet challenges. The morning show, she said, is a time for hosts to talk about the fun and silly things they find in the world that they want to share with their audience.
Planet 105.1 was Planet 94.1 until a little over a year ago when the station made the switch but continued to share music with listeners across Washington County. The hosts, Rue said, try to offer listeners the best music with fun, family-friendly content. Rue has been with Planet 105.1 for almost 5 years.
“We have a lot of fun on the station, and we think that’s why people love Planet so much,” she said. “It does have that great, family vibe. We keep it really light and really fun, and we just want to put a smile on people’s faces every day.”
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