A commonly seen sex position in hentai has been turned into a viral meme on the internet yet again. Before we delve into the "Mating Press" and its many memes, we have to build a ground on the arguably most iconic of all rules of the internet.

If you are not aware of the Rule 34, at its simplest, is an "Internet Rule" that stipulates that anything which exists, anything at all, will have NSFW adult content made about it and posted online. It doesn't matter what the subject is, if it exists, adult content about it also exists.

So how does Rule 34 relate to the slang term and position known as the "Mating Press?" Here’s a quick explanation.

What Does The ‘Mating Press’ Mean And Where Did It Come From?

Coined in Japan by Japanese hentai artist Keita Takatsu /11-04-2013 (高津ケイタ) in November 2013, mating press is slang related to the sex position similar to missionary in which the person's legs are tucked up.

Editor's note: The illustration part has been omitted due to KYM's rules for NSFW content.

The concept wasn't introduced to the English internet until 2018 when it was added to Urban Dictionary by user El Fuckface on October 2nd, 2018, becoming much more widespread over subsequent years.

How Did The ‘Mating Press’ Become A Viral Meme?

Otakus and hentai enthusiasts shared many fan art depictions inspired by the mating press position during the 2010s, which led the term to be spread to other communities as it became more well-known during the early 2020s.

For example, in January 2020, X user @tripleafrog uploaded a Murray's 'you're laughing' meme complaining about their ancestors being drawn getting mating pressed (shown below, left).

In August 2021, X user @TinaFate1 then uploaded a meme using the Jack-O Crouch inquiring about what a "mating press" means (shown below, right).

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For the full history of "mating press," be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.