I wonder how much pain and embarrassment has been caused by the words “I bet you can’t do that?” I bet you can’t jump over that. I bet you can’t drink all that. I bet you can’t eat all of that.

People has been doing stupid things since long before the advent of the internet. But YouTube has added one new dimension to people doing stupid stuff – the viral dimension. Now, a video of one person attempting some ridiculous feat can catch on and become a trend. Thus is the case with the Cinnamon Challenge.

As you probably already know, the Cinnamon Challenge is simple in premise. The challenger must eat a tablespoon of ground cinnamon at one time, and get it all down. That means not vomiting or inhaling it. Oh, and you can’t wash it down with anything. According to Know Your Meme, it first hit the interwebs around 2001 but really got its start on YouTube in 2006.

But for anyone who has watched the videos, or dare I say, tried it themselves – you know that it’s anything but simple in practice. Side effects include uncontrolled coughing, burning, nausea, breathlessness, and an overwhelming feeling of failure. Very few people succeed. Exhibit A:

Now, the Cinnamon Challenge has led to a New Haven principal being put on leave, just because she reportedly turned a blind eye to the game being performed on school grounds.

According to the New Haven Register, Clinton Avenue School Principal Carmen Rodriguez saw either one student or a group of students attempting the Cinnamon Challenge during lunchtime and allegedly did nothing to stop it. A purported video of the incident was on YouTube, but has since been removed by the user.

Rodriguez has been placed on administrative leave and there is to be a full investigation into the incident.

The Register quotes a Yale researcher as saying ““I think there is a real hazard here. I think for the most part it will cause a lot of coughing and sputtering. Some will end up aspirating cinnamon and some could have acute respiratory distress.” He also said that the possibility of foreign materials in the lungs could be a real problem for kids with asthma.

Who am I to question that, but kids will be kids. And at least this viral trend is better than that god-awful planking crap. What do you think? Let us know in the comments. And before you do, check out some other Cinnamon Challenge videos from around the YouTubes:

A rare success story: