The Ice Bucket Challenge has raised over fifty million dollars for research in ALS Motor Neurone Disease, and spread around the world in a phenomenal way, more than could ever have been envisaged. Because everybody knows at least seven people who've poured a bucket of ice cold water over their heads to raise awareness and money for the charity, there is no need to explain what it is.
Many people are abandoning Facebook as their Walls are becoming W(aterf)alls, due to video after video of drenched, freezing cold friends of friends chattering the name of yet more people to do it through icy teeth. Meanwhile on a remote Scottish island, they ran out of fresh water when all one hundred and twenty seven residents poured iced water over themselves. Several companies have reported what they thought were leaks only to discover it was employees in bathrooms getting soaked.
However, not every country has ready access to iced water, so in true Internet innovation, the meme has mutated.
Reports are leaking through the Great Firewall of China that they are doing a rice bucket challenge in the paddy fields of northern China, whilst in the hot wastes of Nevada, people in Las Vegas are doing the Dice Bucket challenge. India and Pakistan have lots of water, but nothing cool enough to be called even so much as tepid, so insstead, they are doing the Spice Bucket Challenge. Although there's only so many times Mel B will allow herself to be poured over a Pakistani.
Even other species are getting in on the act. Cats have been reported doing the Mice Bucket Challenge, whilst Chimpanzees are aping their primate cousins (us) to do the Lice Bucket Challenge. Lions are using their claws to rip open tubs in the Slice Bucket Challenge.
Some people haven't found the Ice Bucket Challenge challenging enough, and are pouring three buckets of icy water over themselves in the Thrice Bucket challenge, some are paying a fortune out in donations in the Pay The Price Bucket Challenge, while people in the South of France are sitting on a beach for several hours in the Nice Buckét Challengé.
"Where will it all end?" asked a drenched and freezing cold spoof writer.
About here.
