173) I Like it on the Floor

"I like it on the floor."
"I like it on the stairs."
"I like it hanging from the edge of a table."



Suggestive Facebook statuses such as these have been populating News Feeds this month, in the latest Breast Cancer Awareness Month effort. The "it" in this case refers to a woman's purse. Reminiscent of last year's push, in which women posted the color of their bras in a cryptic way, the key of the campaign is to keep the boys guessing, and thus, raise awareness.

Read that last paragraph over again. If it didn't make a shred of sense to you, you're not alone. Let's break it down.

It's apparent that whoever (no article I've seen can pinpoint the source) came up with this year's idea was riding high off last year's successfully viral bra color status update concept. To their credit, the coy intrigue did pay off - the connection between bra color (naughty!) and breast cancer was easy for everyone to grasp. That's why the choice to use purses this year is puzzling. It's almost as if they came up with the innuendo-laden statuses first and then worked backwards. (Who the hell goes around saying, "I like my purse on the floor"??)

The sad part is, they were close to an innuendo campaign that makes perfect sense. Statuses like, "I like doing it in the shower" work perfectly if the "it" refers to a self-breast exam, which has everything to do with breast cancer awareness.

I'll admit, an innuendo-driven campaign is a great way to boost participation. What female doesn't want to seem a little naughty (aka get a little social media attention) in the name of a good cause? And what better way to get the attention of males? According to the Daily Mail, "the ‘don’t tell the boys’ element of the game has been a roaring success, with ‘I like it on the floor’ becoming one of the top searched internet phrases of the moment." But if the point is to keep men in the dark, what does the final reveal (...purses...and breast cancer) really mean to them, the sex with no breasts?

I applaud the powers that be who are thinking of ways to use social media to raise awareness for an important cause. This one just missed the mark a nip.