Everyone Has Jokes About How They Made Big Plans But 2020 Had Other Plans

Abraham Lincoln once said, “I laugh because I must not cry, that is all.” They are wise words that are extremely applicable in the year 2020, when an unprecedented global pandemic has lead to lost lives, lost jobs, and scuttled plans. Now, a new meme is helping people laugh through their tears by pairing images of naiveté with the impending reality.

The meme, which is spreading on Instagram and Twitter, pits “my plans” versus 2020, frequently using images snagged from pop culture. Take for instance this version with a happy office visitor, laughing at the wacky hijinks about to ensue thanks to an in-office lawn mower. As anyone who watched the first season of Mad Men knows, that did not end well:

My plans 2020 pic.twitter.com/sjAYcNbUDn

— mad men pics (@madmenpics) May 18, 2020

The other examples of the meme follow a similar format with someone happily envisioning their future, whether an adorable child, an illogically optimistic character in Succession , a RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant with big plans for a butterfly-filled runway walk, or a smiling character in Game of Thrones, only for the plans to be completely derailed by future events. See a sampling of the my plans vs. 2020 memes below.

My plans 2020 pic.twitter.com/72H7COYrQi

— Breanna Whipple (@breannimator) May 18, 2020

pic.twitter.com/P3t43ump3l

— Kealan Patrick Burke (@KealanBurke) May 18, 2020

My plans: 2020: pic.twitter.com/LgZdrE6v8f

— rob delaney (@robdelaney) May 19, 2020

My plans: 2020: pic.twitter.com/HsjB5Is25R

— FANGORIA (@FANGORIA) May 19, 2020

My Plans // 2020 pic.twitter.com/8OjwTF8ouV

— zach silberberg (@zachsilberberg) May 19, 2020

my plans / 2020 pic.twitter.com/z1OP5vLvhX

— karen han (@karenyhan) May 18, 2020

my plans 2020 pic.twitter.com/ggOeslPhUl

— HORROR FLICKS 🔪 (@horrorflickss) May 18, 2020

My plans 2020 pic.twitter.com/1wboVtvpLH

— Lourdes* (L to the OG) (@la_loulu) May 18, 2020

My plans 2020 pic.twitter.com/dW70ef0W9V

— Max 🤪 (@Balegde_) May 17, 2020

My plans for 2020 Corona virus pic.twitter.com/gvwQTwd0yb

— Sara's (@throughfilms) May 15, 2020

My plans: 2020: pic.twitter.com/GJaIWbz9PR

— Bilge Ebiri (@BilgeEbiri) May 19, 2020

My plans 2020 pic.twitter.com/5RMtgOPVWG

— Tom Zohar (@TomZohar) May 18, 2020

My plans 2020 https://t.co/RYGcQ3JrP4 pic.twitter.com/rYrBov6j7M

— KB (@keithcarian) May 17, 2020