Rule 34 is an internet meme holding that some form of pornography exists for every possible topic. It is usually expressed through fan art that depicts normally non-erotic subjects in sexual situations, but it can also cover writing, animation, images, GIFs and any other media that the internet allows to spread and be redistributed. The saying is widely recognized as a tongue-in-cheek observation about online culture.
Origin and spread
The phrase was popularized by a webcomic posted on August 13, 2003, by the artist TangoStari, Peter Morley-Souter. It was drawn to show his shock at finding adult parodies of the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, and its caption quickly circulated online despite the comic itself fading into obscurity. The phrase was later adapted into many variations and was added to a list of humorous internet maxims on the website 4chan, where users posted large numbers of sexual parodies illustrating it in 2008. Traditional media began covering the rule in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
Analysis and variations
Researchers Ogi Ogas and Sai Gaddam suggested that the maxim resonated because it seems true to anyone who has browsed the internet, while later commentary argued that the consolidation of the porn industry into large video platforms has reduced the visibility of niche content. Numerous rephrasings of the rule circulated, and related corollaries such as Rule 63, which concerns gender-swapped versions of characters, are also known.