The world of TikTok is no stranger to viral trends, and recently, a trend involving TikTok users typing the phrase “Damon Salvatore Rule 34” into Google Image Search has taken users on a deep dive into the teen drama series The Vampire Diaries, but many participants may not fully grasp its broader implications.
Damon Salvatore, a character well-known to fans of The Vampire Diaries, originated from a popular novel series that was later adapted for television. The phrase “Rule 34,” on the other hand, is an internet meme that traces its roots back to a 2003 webcomic featured on the Zoom-Out website. Let’s take a look at the origin of the trend and its meaning itself.
If you haven’t come across many examples of the trend, check out its hashtag on TikTok to see users’ reactions to the Google Image Search.
What exactly does Damon Salvatore Rule 34 mean?
Understanding the meaning behind the internet meme ‘Damon Salvatore Rule 34‘ requires unpacking the combination of these two elements. “Rule 34” is a widely-known internet meme that suggests explicit content exists for every imaginable subject on the internet. In simpler terms, if something exists online, there is likely adult-oriented content associated with it.
Damon Salvatore, brilliantly portrayed by Ian Somerhalder in The Vampire Diaries TV adaptation, is a darkly handsome and charming vampire character in his mid-20s. Consequently, searching for “Damon Salvatore Rule 34” on Google prompts the search engine to scour the internet for explicit content related to Damon Salvatore. This serves as the essence of the trend, albeit with a cautionary note that depending on one’s search settings, the results may align with the aforementioned explicit content.
The origins of ‘Rule 34’ itself date back to around October 2004, as indicated by Google’s cached records. It gained prominence when a user on the forum Something Awful posted a thread titled ‘Ask me about inventing Rule 34‘ in 2009, claiming to have invented it alongside his sister. The concept was introduced to them through an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) chatroom. The Lurk Wiki‘s Rules of the Internet also include ‘Rule 34’ as one of its eight rules.
The comic that initially showcased ‘Rule 34’ depicted the author’s astonishment upon stumbling upon explicit parody content related to Calvin and Hobbes, a beloved daily comic strip. He coined the phrase “Rule 34” to describe the apparent tendency of internet users to subject even innocent and mundane things to NSFW (not safe for work) treatment. While the comic eventually faded into obscurity, the phrase “Rule 34” endured, and it was further cemented in the realm of internet terminologies with the publication of the webcomic xkcd‘s comic titled Rule 34.
For some TikTok users, comprehending the true meaning behind the ‘Damon Salvatore Rule 34’ trend might initially pose a challenge. A simple Google search for the phrase “Damon Salvatore Rule 34” (excluding the image search) yields various explanations, not all of which are particularly helpful. Some claim it relates to Google’s page-ranking algorithm, suggesting it serves as a set of guidelines employed to enhance search result quality.
However, for the majority of TikTok users, the purpose of the “rule” appears to be centered around pranking others. Over the past couple of years, numerous TikTokers have shared “before and after” videos showcasing their search for the phrase. Others encourage their followers to partake in the trend with caution and at their own risk.
In essence, the trend does not inherently provide explicit explanations regarding the meaning of ‘Damon Salvatore Rule 34’ or why specific images surface during a Google Image search. Nevertheless, this TikTok trend has effectively piqued curiosity, prompting users to delve into the enigmatic world of The Vampire Diaries and explore the intricacies of internet memes.
If you come across many trends that you can’t make sense of lately, checking out TikTok’s deathly trend Benadryl Challenge explained might remove some confusion for you.
