'Animal Crossing' Is Weirdly Making People Horny

On the surface the Animal Crossing franchise is the most benign gaming franchise imaginable. You play as a human in a town of animals with your only express purpose being to pay off your home loans and perhaps improve the town at your leisure. The game occurs in real-time as you play so there's only so much you can accomplish in one day. There is no ticking time bomb forcing you to be productive, as your home loan carries no interest and no time limit. Every aspect of this game from the whimsical nature of the town you inhabit, to the cheerfulness of the fellow villagers, is meant to be wholesome and relaxing. So it's extremely perplexing, yet not at all surprising, that the new Animal Crossing: New Horizons is making some people horny AF.

"So what?" You say, atop your ivory tower of apathy and unimpressed-ness. "People sexualize everything. Ever hear of Rule 34? Why is this any different?" We'll tell you why. Because with the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons it's happening on a massive scale. As Vice reported 'people are now searching for "Animal Crossing" more than they are "sex."' Searching "animal crossing" on Pornhub alone returns over 1,700 results. Also, there's this:

Why this is happening is anyone's guess. Perhaps, like Rule 34, it's just another unspoken law of the Internet: the more wholesome and innocent the content, the more likely people are going to fetishize it. Or maybe this is just a product of quarantine thirst. We're all trapped in our homes going stir crazy and the cute anthropomorphic animals on our screens are the last possibility of viable sexual partners. Or maybe, maybe, it's a reverse uncanny valley and the fact that the Animal Crossing characters are so far removed from looking like actual humans, they actually allow you to connect with them more easily.

We don't know. No one on staff is a psychologist or cult leader so we don't know what makes people wank. All we know is that we're preparing for a world in which a lot of people emerge from quarantine as full-blown furries.

Top Image: Nintendo