There’s a bizarre online theory that swingers in a popular Florida retirement community have been using loofahs to signal their interests... a trick that some people believe has a much simpler (and less x-rated) explanation.
Three years ago, a post on Reddit claimed there was a colour-coded system for identifying horny members of The Villages, a retirement community straddling Sumter and Marion counties in central Florida, which bills itself as 'Florida's friendliest hometown'.
The post, accompanied by a handy graphic, explained how different-coloured loofahs could be hung from people’s cars to show where they stood on the swinging scale.
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White, for instance, indicates ‘novices and beginners’, while pink means a ‘soft swap’ for ‘people who like to do it with others in the room’, and teal is for bisexuals who ‘want to increase their dating chances’.
Black, meanwhile, is for a ‘full swap’ among those who ‘say what the hell, let it all go down’.
Naturally, since the image went viral a few years back, many people have questioned its accuracy, with many saying it’s simply an internet ‘myth’.
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But the topic came up again this week when a video was posted by TikToker and drag performer Tora Himan, who shared footage of cars with loofahs hanging from the back window.
“They are everywhere,” Himan wrote.
The post racked up more than 168,000 likes and thousands of comments, with one person writing: “It’s the new upside down pineapple.”
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Someone else said: “Yep. My parents used to own a house there and I visited often and seen these everywhere. Told them to do the same. They said they’re no swingers!”
Over on the original Reddit post, someone who says they have worked in the retirement community also said: “This is very much a thing. Anyone who believes different is clueless. I have worked quite a bit in The Villages and this is very true."
But not everyone is convinced by the online rumour, with some offering up a much more straightforward explanation.
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Another employee claimed: “I have worked in The Villages for over 3 years and this is a myth. The reason for the loofas is simple, it’s so they can find THEIR car. All the retirees drive similar car and old gran can’t go around the whole parking lot looking for her car. So the loofa is an easy way for them to spot it from a distance.
“Trust me all the people I have met are definitely not swingers as most the can barely stand without assistance.”
Another TikToker also added: “Nah I was told so they can find their car easily in parking lots.”
Over on Talk of The Villages, the community's official forum, one resident also dispelled the 'salacious' rumour.
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"Those loofahs are truly and merely to indicate where the car is parked," they explained.
"I don’t have a loofah on my car. But as the owner of a white car with Florida plates, I can tell you that not paying perfect attention to where I had parked has caused me to end up pushing my grocery cart aimlessly through Publix parking lot, while trying to look confident — like I know whereinthehell I parked that Honda.
"BUT somehow, somewhere, a long time ago, a rumor was started that said those loofah’d cars belonged to swingers, swappers, a key-party group. Not true. I have NEVER once seen anything unseemly in the backseats of those cars."
Having never been officially confirmed by The Villages (we’ve reached out for comment, don’t worry), the theory remains internet hearsay... So maybe if you see a loofah on someone’s car, consider the fact they genuinely may be using it to find their vehicle easily.
Topics: US News, Viral, Sex and Relationships
Jess Hardiman