Have you ever gone through a phase that seemed harmless but left such an impact on you that you wouldn't change it even if you could? If you answered "yes," you may have your own classic campaign. IYDK, a term that describes an inevitable experience in a person's life and inspired a new trend on TikTok, proving that we have a lot more in common than we think. Identifying your own classic event can be tricky, though, but once you understand how this trend works, you'll realize just how many life-defining moments you've experienced.
According to Know Your Meme, the classic event trend began to trend on FYP after Sony's animated film "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" was released on June 2. The movie depicts canon events as events that need to happen, according to the "Know Your Meme", in each universe to keep the various Spider-Men connected throughout the Spider-Verse. In the case of Spider-Man, Uncle Ben's death or being bitten by a radioactive spider are considered canon events. If these events were disrupted or altered, it could lead to the destruction of the Spider-Verse.
While the classic incident may have been quite sad, it didn't take long for the concept to be completely meme-ified by TikTok. According to Know Your Meme, @greekos_nikos was the first to introduce the term to FYP, when the user posted a video on June 1 that read: “Realize this is not trauma in any way, it’s a classic event". Plot,” the creators wrote in the caption. Here’s one way to look at it.
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Soon after, the video sparked a trend of users identifying their own classic events. It looks like users have united us over these less-than-ideal events, as the #canonevent hashtag has been viewed nearly 514 million times as of July 5, and the typical weird voice in this trend, says "Spider-Man 2099" has been used in more than 643,000 videos. Most of the videos in the trend end with the same disclaimer: "I can't interfere, this is a classic event" in parentheses.
Users are dragging out all the embarrassing mistakes they've made over the years and labeling them classics by making fun of everything from regrettable hair choices to bad home decor design ideas . User @lilyellaa says their go-to thing is getting a fringed haircut that ruins their clear skin, while @_beegeesluvr is destined to be horrified when a "teenage girl" decides to paint her bedroom teal .
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Sure, it feels like there's a new classic event every day in our teenage years, but early adulthood is also filled with many unavoidable life experiences. Creator @simplysimone recalls the horror of signing up for a sorority at age 18 while @sophiaaadelphine was powerless to do anything but stand by and watch as “young girls obsessed with financial independence moved out of their parents’ house and put themselves in financial trouble. ""
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Of course, nothing screams "classic event" like your dating history or negative roommate experiences. TikTok user @cowboyluvr4l says that every time "the innocent girl who's never been kissed" starts talking to the "boy who every girl has a story" they can't get involved and it's so true. On the other hand, @Haileyireland0 seems to know better than to interfere when "best friends from freshman year of college" decide to move in together.
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The multiverse trend has been a major trend on TikTok for some time, but what makes this particular trend stand out from the rest is how it allows people to connect with each other. By normalizing our past missteps and questionable behaviors, this trend helps remind us that mistakes are what make us human. It's all part of life, no matter how upsetting, frustrating, or downright aggravating the lessons those mistakes bring.
From exes to bad haircuts, we've all had our fair share of classics. Now that you understand how it works, it's time to figure out what your classic event might be.
