Have you ever taken a poop so glorious, so aesthetically pleasing that you just had to snap a picture before flushing? If so, we know exactly where to post it. In fact, there’s an entire online community that will welcome you (and your poop pics) with open arms.

Welcome to the “Rate My Poo” subreddit (warning, that link is NSFW).

For centuries, talking about bowel movements was taboo. Remarking on the size or consistency of your fecal matter would almost certainly get you expelled from polite society. But such is not the case on r/ratemypoo, where members talk about strangers’ poop like the rest of us talk about sports or the weather. 

As connoisseurs of poop culture, we analyzed the rise of this controversial group to find out why people find it appealing and whether it’s good or bad for society.

The History of r/ratemypoo

/ratemypoo was created in 2011 by Redditor cloudxnine. “This is a subreddit for posting pictures of your manly or womanly turd,” says the description. “Rating by others should be posted as so: 1 to 10. 10 being the best.”

For the first nine years of its existence, the community was somewhat idle (and dwarfed by similar poop-rating resources like the now-defunct ratemypoo.com). Members in r/ratemypoo didn’t post very frequently and their entries rarely got more than a few comments. 

But that all changed when COVID-19 hit.

People’s quarantine hobbies ranged from baking bread to hoarding toilet paper. But the lockdowns led some folks into strange corners of the internet—and r/ratemypoo ended up becoming one of the hottest trending destinations.

The subreddit accumulated thousands of new members during the pandemic, with some poop pics getting hundreds of upvotes and dozens of uplifting and, at times, envious comments. “I’ve never been able to lay a cable that long before,” said mario_fingerbang about a picture of a man defecating in the woods. “Am jealous.”

As of this writing, r/ratemypoo has nearly 5,000 members, which is still small compared to other subreddits dedicated to quitting porn, day trading, and Karen haters. But the subreddit’s denizens are consistent, passionate, and dedicated when it comes to their pursuit of a perfect ten for their number two.

The Current State of r/ratemypoo

As restrictions have eased up, the subreddit isn’t quite as vibrant as it was during peak COVID times. You can expect to see about 5-10 entries per day, the majority of which come from regulars.

So, what constitutes a perfect-10 poop? It’s subjective, but based on past ratings it’s long and smooth with decent girth and a uniform color—something that resembles Type 4 on the Bristol Stool Chart. Many people fish their turds out of the toilet bowl and place them on a flat surface before taking a picture of it, presumably to adjust the angle, lighting, etc.

If you’re wondering how this subculture could appeal to anyone, you’re not alone. We have some theories. For some people, it may give them a sense of human connection in an age of digital isolation—seeing (and sharing) pictures of poop reminds them that they are indeed human.

We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the people who get horny from looking at poop (that’s called coprophilia). You don’t have to look far in r/ratemypoo before finding lustful comments.

And then, of course, there are trolls who post fake pictures and mock the members who take their poop-rating hobby way too seriously. 

Say what you want about the folks who analyze strangers’ poop on the internet, but it can be a decent way to source advice for your gastrointestinal health. For instance, one user who posted a picture of loose stool was instructed by a reviewer to eat more fiber-rich foods like whole grains and fruit.

Maybe r/ratemypoo is good for society after all.

The Perfect Poop Deserves the Perfect Wipe

Dry, brittle toilet paper is no match for the caliber of dumps people are sharing in this subreddit. A heavy-duty dookie requires a strong flushable wipe like DUDE Wipes.

Honestly, we should be plugging our Quit Toilet Paper Starter Kit in r/ratemypoo, but we know that would be frowned upon by the community’s moderators. 

Just know that while you’re cooking up the perfect poop, you can always count on us for cleanup duty.