Is Charitable Crotch-Grabbing Stunt #FeelingNuts the Next ALS Ice Bucket Challenge? Attention-grabbing exploit? Check. Viral hashtag? Yup. Celebrity participants? The floodgates seem to be opening.
By Geoff Weiss
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While the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge transfixed an insatiable Internet and ultimately raised more than $100 million, one is likely to wonder how such viral magic could ever be recreated -- or whether the initiative was merely a singular sensation.
But if testicular cancer awareness nonprofit Check One Two has its way, a brand new craze might have everybody #FeelingNuts -- literally.
The organization, founded in 2012, encourages men and women across the globe to photograph themselves groping their crotches in order to spread awareness about testicular cancer.
The pics -- along with nominations for other participants -- are then to be disseminated on social media with the cheeky hashtag.
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And now, thanks to the same celeb cred that spun the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge into a viral phenomenon, #FeelingNuts seems to be gaining momentum.
On Wednesday, Wolverine star Hugh Jackman posted a bizarre slow motion Instagram video in which he clutches his crotch while leaping through the air. Jackman nominated Neil Patrick Harris, Michael Strahan and Ricky Gervais -- who promptly accepted with this shot on Twitter. Gervais then challenged an eagerly willing William Shatner.
The major difference between #FeelingNuts and the Ice Bucket Challenge, however, is that there is no donation component for those who decline to participate; the stunt merely serves to generate awareness.
Keep your eyes peeled to social feeds in coming weeks to see if the initiative proliferates -- and let us know your thoughts in the comments below: will #FeelingNuts be a fizzling fad, or do you think it has the potential to truly take hold?
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