The "Like" system is just so people can say if they liked the status update or not, that way they can either revisit it at any point, show it on their wall or just simply like the update. It should not be interpreted as anything else; there is no real point of trying to get likes just to get likes, and you can't really brag about it.
What I'd like to know is why so many people liked those status updates. I wouldn't want them on my feed, lol.
