What Is a ‘Canon Event’? Behind TikTok’s Latest Trend
The animated film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has dominated the box office and the internet too. It has became so hyped it has left a mark even on pop culture, the “canon events.”
This Sony masterpiece has reached the level of the highest-grossing release in Sony’s history. Moreover, its influence extends far beyond the cinematic scene.
The movie ignited a relatable and fascinating TikTok trend. The canon event trend has captivated and influenced millions of users globally.
The Meaning of the ‘Canon Event’ Trend
In the realm of the Spider-verse, canon events are shared experiences that connect the multiverse of Spider-Man. These key events are defining points that shape the personalities of these web-shooting heroes.
In every timeline, one canon event stays the same… 🍪 pic.twitter.com/PuyVql7Bts
— CookieRun 🍪 (@CookieRun) June 13, 2023
Each canon event has immense importance, from a radioactive spider’s bite to losing parental models. The charm of canon events is in their relatability. They are bittersweet notifications of the effect of peculiar stages in our lives.
It highlights our inability to save others from experiencing similar phases. In addition, it also echoes the timeless essence of communal rites of passage, which appear to be repetitive across all generations.
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Similar to how “bed rotting” dominated TikTok recently, the canon events trend utilizes pop culture language to relate to our own lives.
How did the ‘Canon Event’ trend start?
Following the release of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the idea of canon events dominated the platform TikTok. It became a popular meme that relates with users more personally.
According to Mashable, TikTok users welcomed the trend and shared their own canon events. They resonated with their personal lives and communities.
@greekos_nikos It was all for plot #fyp #spiderman #acrossthespiderverse #milesmorales #intothespiderverse #peterparker #miguelohara #gwenstacy #haileesteinfield
For instance, @greekos_nikos posted a video on June 1 that became an instant TikTok hit. It captioned, “Realizing it was never trauma, just a canon event.”
This post earned over 643,800 likes and more than 3.8 million views. It set the trend on its meteoric soar and became a template.
After the viral post, users started posting personal situations and experiences of others. Some of them stated, “this is a canon event,” highlighting their inability to intervene with these events.
The allure of the canon events depends on their flexibility. What started as an event in the Spider-Verse fandom quickly extended into different TikTok niches and built diverse groups on the platform.
In addition, @keeganconciousness posted a clip that was also relatable to many users. The post stated, “Nobody stopping me from discovering Brockhampton in 2017 (this was a canon event).”
This video which resonated with other users, garnered 133,200 likes and more than 668,000 views. Moreover, another TikToker said, “whenever I see a girl at her absolute lowest in her sophomore year of college (I can’t interfere; it’s a canon event).”
@keeganconsciousness It was necessary for a music taste foundation in the future #spiderman #spiderverse #brockhampton #musictok #filmtok
The different variations of events in these videos prove the endless potential of the canon events trend. It could be just a simple circumstance in one’s life or the other’s that we can’t do anything about; it’s a canon event.
Expanding Influence Beyond TikTok
While TikTok is the main platform for this emerging canon events trend, its influence has reached other social media networks. Twitter users have used a similar term, “it is what it is.”
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This adoption of crossing over to another social media platform implies how huge the trend is. It reaches the broader online community and its ability to extend beyond just one platform.
Overall, the canon events trend serves as proof of the relentless effect of pop culture. By using the trends, we build our own stories, finding solace and meaning in our experiences.
As this hype continues to capture TikTok and the other platforms, its legacy remains with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse. It will solidify the film’s cultural significance for a long time.
In this world where we all have our shared canon events, Spider-Man’s web reaches far. It extended beyond the four corners of the cinema screen and spun a web of relatability that millions are familiar with.
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