# My Plans vs 2020 > My Plans vs 2020 is a two-panel exploitable format juxtaposing hopeful scenarios with their disastrous 2020 outcomes, which exploded on Twitter in May 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. **My Plans vs 2020** is an exploitable two-panel meme format where users place movie or TV screenshots side by side, with the first image labeled "My plans" showing something hopeful and the second labeled "2020" showing the same scene's tragic or disappointing outcome[1]. The format blew up on Twitter in May 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out people's plans for the year, with some individual posts pulling nearly 100,000 likes in under 24 hours[2]. ## Origin The earliest known post using the specific "My Plans / 2020" two-panel format came from Twitter user @throughfilms on May 15, 2020[2]. They used screenshots from the 2019 film *Uncut Gems*, showing the before-and-after emotional arc of the movie. The post picked up over 200 likes in its first four days[2]. A related version appeared slightly earlier on May 11, 2020, when Twitter user @NawafAlhobabi posted an object-labeled image from *Rick and Morty* captioned "My plans for 2020"[2]. While this captured the same sentiment, it used a single image with labels rather than the two-panel comparison format that would define the meme. - **Platform:** Twitter - **Creator:** @throughfilms (first known format post) - **Date:** 2020 ## Overview My Plans vs 2020 follows a simple formula: take two screenshots from the same movie or TV show, place them next to each other, and label the first one "My plans" and the second "2020." The trick is picking a story where things start out well and end badly. The first panel shows something optimistic, exciting, or beautiful, while the second shows the same characters or situation falling apart[1]. Film nerds had a field day with this one, pulling from everything from *Uncut Gems* to *Parasite* to *Portrait of a Lady on Fire*[2][1]. The format worked because 2020 gave everyone the same shared disappointment. Brunch plans, travel, seeing loved ones, even basic social gatherings all got canceled by pandemic lockdowns and social distancing measures[1]. The meme turned collective frustration into a dark joke that anyone could customize. ## How It Spread The meme went from niche to massive in about 72 hours. On May 17, 2020, Twitter user @TomZohar posted a version using screenshots from *The Devil Wears Prada*, pulling in over 8,000 likes and 1,100 retweets within two days[2]. The very next day, @alexabads dropped a *Parasite* version that exploded, racking up over 96,000 likes and 28,900 retweets in a single day[2]. Also on May 18, the official *It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia* Twitter account got in on the format with a twist, posting a version where both panels showed the same image of Charlie, implying their plans hadn't actually changed[2]. That post pulled 2,800 likes and 550 retweets in a day[2]. Coverage came fast. Both the Daily Dot and Mashable published articles on the trend[1][2]. Mashable highlighted how users drew from a wide range of film and TV, citing examples from *Portrait of a Lady on Fire* to the cabbage merchant in *Avatar: The Last Airbender*[1]. The format was easy to remix, and any movie or show with a hopeful-to-tragic arc became fair game. The meme spread rapidly on Reddit alongside Twitter, as users adapted the format across different communities[2]. By late May 2020, "My Plans vs 2020" had burned bright and largely run its course, as the novelty wore off even though the pandemic did not. ## How to Use The format is straightforward: 1. Pick a movie, TV show, or any visual media where the story starts hopeful and ends poorly. 2. Place two screenshots side by side (or stacked top-to-bottom). 3. Label the first image "My plans" (the optimistic version of your year). 4. Label the second image "2020" (reality hitting). ## Cultural Impact My Plans vs 2020 captured a specific moment in pandemic culture when the world collectively realized the year was not going to be what anyone expected. Mashable described it as a way to "mourn 2020" while noting that humor provided a release valve during an ongoing public health crisis[1]. The format arrived at the perfect intersection of film culture and shared disappointment, with movie buffs competing to find the most devastating before-and-after pairing. The meme is also a snapshot of how quickly the entertainment and social media industries participated in pandemic-era meme culture. Official brand accounts like *It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia* jumped into the format within days of its creation[2], showing how fast the line between organic meme creation and brand engagement had blurred by 2020. ## Fun Facts - The *Parasite* version by @alexabads was the format's biggest single hit, earning nearly 97,000 likes in just one day[2]. - The *It's Always Sunny* official account played the format for comedy by using the same image for both panels, a meta-joke that their chaotic characters wouldn't notice a pandemic[2]. - The earliest related post predated the specific format by four days, using a single *Rick and Morty* image rather than the two-panel setup[2]. - Mashable's coverage specifically noted the *Avatar: The Last Airbender* cabbage merchant and *Portrait of a Lady on Fire* as standout examples from the trend[1]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is My Plans vs 2020? It's a two-panel meme format where users compare their pre-pandemic expectations (labeled "My plans") with the disappointing reality of 2020, typically using movie or TV show screenshots that mirror that hopeful-to-tragic arc[1]. ### Where did My Plans vs 2020 come from? The first known version in the specific two-panel format was posted by Twitter user @throughfilms on May 15, 2020, using screenshots from *Uncut Gems*[2]. ### What does My Plans vs 2020 mean? The meme expresses the universal frustration of having your plans for the year destroyed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The "My plans" panel shows something hopeful, and the "2020" panel shows it all falling apart[1]. ### How do you use My Plans vs 2020? Pick two screenshots from the same movie or show: one optimistic scene labeled "My plans" and one tragic scene labeled "2020." The humor comes from the dramatic contrast between expectation and reality[2]. ### Is My Plans vs 2020 still popular? No. The meme was hyper-specific to the pandemic experience of May 2020 and lost relevance as people moved past the initial shock of lockdown life[1]. It's now a time capsule of that particular moment. ### What movie scenes were used most often? Popular picks included *Uncut Gems*, *The Devil Wears Prada*, *Parasite*, *Portrait of a Lady on Fire*, and *Avatar: The Last Airbender*[1][2]. ### Which My Plans vs 2020 post went the most viral? A version using *Parasite* screenshots posted by @alexabads on May 18, 2020 earned over 96,000 likes and 28,900 retweets in a single day[2]. ### Did official brand accounts use the meme? Yes. The official *It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia* Twitter account posted a version on May 18, 2020, humorously showing the same screenshot for both panels[2]. ### Was My Plans vs 2020 only on Twitter? It started on Twitter but spread to Reddit as well, with users across both platforms adapting the format[2]. ## References 1. [Everyone's comparing their plans for 2020 to reality in this sad meme | Mashable]() 2. [My Plans vs 2020 - Know Your Meme]() 3. [List of viral videos]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/my-plans-vs-2020 Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library