#i'm endlessly fond of the pieces of classical art and literature that we reference all the time on here

[subsequentibis]

for a while now i've been contemplating a concept of tumblr canon, as in like the western canon, a body of works of art, literature, songs, media, and other creations that have influenced or are widely known in tumblr culture. things like leyendecker paintings that people redraw as fanart, lines of text that get used in web weaving, odd or obscure media referenced in textposts with the assumption that everyone reading it will know it and get the joke, that kind of thing. the kind of thing that gets a "yeah yeah the time knife we've all seen it" reaction here and nowhere else.

issues and limitations that immediately arise to me: do pieces of media that have large influential fanbases on here count, e.g. homestuck, supernatural, or dungeon meshi? do they have to have an established history with the site to make the cut? how do i make sure this doesn't become just another know your meme database, but more niche? do i assume some things make up the canon because of my specific tastes and followings, despite not being that widespread? how could i make a website or collection for others to view when i decide what goes in? what would be the point of this collection if i were to make it? do events count for the canon, or only pieces of media? what if influential images and media resulted from events and are inextricable from said events? is this all needlessly pretentious and certain to result in petty bickering about what should and should not be considered "tumblr canon", if indeed anyone takes notice at all?