There is a small controversy over the new Victoria’s Secret’s mannequins – not the way they are dressed, but the way they are posed. In our country’s active conservative movement, it’s no surprise.

Last weekend my wife and I went into Victoria’s Secret at a nearby outdoor mall and I made a few observations.

Almost all the mannequins were dressed provocatively, as one would expect, and the poses are certainly erotic. One mannequin was on all four’s, another was lounging in a bed with another mannequin in a way that I can only describe as lesbian-suggestive or inviting a 3-way, depending on your sexual flavor.

But I didn’t think this was a bad thing, and not because I’m a (horny) guy. From a marketing perspective, it’s brilliant.

I’m going to make an assumption that half of the lingerie in Victoria’s Secret is an impulse purchase. Meaning, the average American woman does not go in there thinking they will buy the see-through top with t-back panties. Note, I said average American woman.

It’s like going to the grocery store. They give away free samples. They want to fill the store with food smells to get you hungry. You take a bit of food, which is only enough to excite your taste buds. What do you do? You buy more food. You’ve heard the adage about not going to the grocery store hungry, but they try to make you hungry once you are there. It’s getting you horny for food.

Hence the mannequins. They are erotic to get you in the mood. Half the people I saw there where with their significant other. You start thinking about sex, and suddenly that tight lace top with “lick me now” see-through panties doesn’t seem that far out of the question. Just like a grocery store, it’s all about making you hungry.

So did it work on my wife and I? I’ll never tell. Unless the pictures get out.