Rock Paper Scissors in Pop Culture

Television

RPS has appeared in hundreds of TV episodes. Most of them treat it as a throwaway gag. A few understood the assignment:

• The Big Bang Theory (2008): Sheldon Cooper's explanation of Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock became one of the show's most iconic scenes and single-handedly popularized the five-gesture variant worldwide. One monologue about a hand game did more for RPS awareness than decades of competitive play, and we're fine with that. Mostly.
• Seinfeld (1996): Kramer settles a dispute with RPS in "The Stand-In," which is somehow the most normal thing Kramer does in that episode.
• Friends (2001): Multiple episodes feature the gang using RPS to settle arguments. It was the group's go-to conflict resolution method, narrowly beating out "yell at each other in a coffee shop."
• The Simpsons: Bart versus Lisa in RPS is a recurring bit. Lisa's analytical approach consistently defeats Bart's signature philosophy: "Good old Rock. Nothing beats Rock!" Bart is wrong. Paper beats Rock. Every time.
• South Park (2003): Used "Roshambo" as both a decision-making mechanism and a source of comedy. They took some creative liberties with the rules.

Movies

• The Internship (2013): Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson use RPS in a scene that plays on the game's ability to resolve impossible choices. Which is literally what the game was designed to do.
• Liar Liar (1997): Jim Carrey's character uses RPS in a courtroom scene, which is funny because a real judge would later order actual lawyers to do the same thing. Life imitates art imitates hand gestures.
• Anime: RPS (Jan-ken) features prominently in Japanese animation. In Hunter x Hunter, "Jajanken" is a literal fighting technique based on Rock Paper Scissors. The main character punches people with a move called Rock. It is extremely cool and we endorse it from a safe distance.

Sports

Professional athletes take RPS surprisingly seriously, which is to say they take it exactly as seriously as it deserves:

• MLB Rain Delays: Baseball players regularly play RPS in the dugout during rain delays. Some of these matches get caught on camera and go viral. A pitcher who can't resist throwing Rock every time has a different kind of accuracy problem.
• Soccer: A referee once used RPS instead of a coin toss for the opening kick decision. He was reprimanded. The internet was outraged on his behalf. Many people pointed out that RPS is arguably fairer than a coin flip because both players have agency, and coins do not have agency.
• NFL and NBA: Pre-game RPS between opposing players has become a common sight on sideline cameras. These are people paid millions of dollars to compete at the highest level, and they're out there throwing Rock at each other for fun. We love it.

Business & Legal

The most consequential RPS games have happened in places you wouldn't expect:

• Christie's vs. Sotheby's (2005): A Japanese executive needed to choose between the two auction houses for his $20 million art collection. His method: Rock Paper Scissors. Christie's consulted the 11-year-old twin daughters of a director, who advised Scissors because "everybody expects Rock." Sotheby's chose Paper with no particular strategy. Scissors won. An 11-year-old effectively decided who got a $4 million commission. This is the greatest RPS story ever told.
• Federal Court (2006): A U.S. District Judge ordered opposing lawyers to settle a discovery dispute through Rock Paper Scissors, calling their inability to agree on trivial matters "a waste of judicial resources." The legal system, everybody.

Advertising

Brands love RPS because everyone already knows the rules. Zero explanation needed. Maximum relatability:

• Android: A viral campaign using RPS to promote the "Be together. Not the same." message. Even tech companies understand non-transitivity.
• Bud Light: Super Bowl commercial featuring RPS as a party game. Cost approximately $5 million to air. Could have just played RPS for it.
• Samsung: Used RPS in campaigns to demonstrate device features. The game transcends language barriers, which is handy for global advertising.

Internet & Memes

RPS is one of the most memed games on the internet, and there is significant competition for that title. "Good old Rock, nothing beats Rock!" is quoted approximately four thousand times per day on social media. Competitive RPS clips go viral on TikTok regularly. The game's simplicity makes it endlessly remixable.

Online RPS communities produce a steady stream of strategy discussions, tournament highlights, and the occasional deeply heated debate about whether paper really beats rock. It does. But people keep asking.

Why RPS Works in Pop Culture

When two characters play Rock Paper Scissors on screen, every viewer in every country immediately understands the stakes, the rules, and the outcome. No subtitle needed. No exposition. No "as you know, Bob, in this game we each choose one of three hand gestures." Everyone just gets it. That's rare. That's powerful. That's a hand game played by a couple billion people doing something no other game on Earth can do.