noun
Rule 34 is an internet saying claiming that if something exists, someone has probably created pornography or sexually suggestive material inspired by it; as in, “If it exists, there is porn of it.” Although it is called a rule, it is not an actual law, official regulation, or universal truth. Rule 34 is more a humorous observation about the internet’s enormous appetite for transforming practically any recognizable person, character, object, hobby, trend, or idea into adult-themed content, aka porn.
Rule 34 grew out of early internet culture, where users collected humorous “rules of the internet” describing common online behavior. These rules were not created by a governing organization, and there has never been one definitive list and different websites have published different versions over the years. Rule 34 became the most famous because its outrageous simplicity seemed to capture something recognizable about the creativity, curiosity, and occasional absurdity found online. Internet users also employ the term informally as a verb, as in “To Rule 34” meaning to turn a person, character, object, story, trend, or concept into sexually explicit or suggestive material. The phrase describes the act of giving an existing subject an adult “reinterpretation”, if you will.
Rule 34 can describe several activities, and does not describe one specific sexual act or technique. It describes a creative transformation. The original subject may be wholesome, frightening, mechanical, abstract, or completely ordinary; ‘Rule 34ing’ means adding an erotic context that was not necessarily present before.
Tone matters when using the expression. Among adults familiar with internet culture, it can be a playful shorthand. In professional, mixed-age, or public conversations, however, the term may be inappropriate or misunderstood.
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Resources:
Rule 34 (Wikipedia)
