Cleopatra was known to take milk baths, and now, many generations removed, the cool kids of the YouTube generation are doing it again. They stand at bus stops, outside shops, on the streets, atop statues, in restaurants, anywhere - and pour milk over themselves. Just like that.

In the tradition of pointless, stupid-but-fun student crazes that have appeared earlier, like planking, coning, owling, Batmanning and teapotting, this new fad, which originated in Britain, is called "milking". Videos of it have gone viral on the web, prompting Fleet Street to have a field day with the puns. The Sun, the UK tabloid, ran a story headlined "It's udder madness", while The Guardian called it "an udderly bizarre trend".

According to the newspaper, the new rage began in Newcastle where students filmed themselves pouring milk over their heads in public places. It soon spread to Edinburgh, Nottingham, Cirencester and even the elite Oxford. Not everyone is impressed with the fad, though: The Daily Mail reported on how some Britons thought it was immature and led to a waste of milk.