# Venn Diagram Parodies

Venn Diagram Parodies are mock Venn charts where unrelated groups share a punchline in the overlapping slice, turning random comparisons into one-line jokes. Online examples go back to a 2006 Indexed post about Santa and the Tooth Fairy[2], but the format exploded on Twitter in August 2018 when a diagram comparing preachers, DJs and bank robbers hit thousands of retweets and set off a week of imitation posts[1].

## Origin
English logician John Venn introduced the Venn Diagram in July 1880 through a paper titled "On the Diagrammatic and Mechanical Representation of Propositions and Reasonings," published in the Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science[10]. Parody versions likely existed in print for decades before migrating online.

One of the earliest online parodies ran on the single-panel chart blog Indexed on August 9, 2006. Titled "How tenuous, that imaginary friendship," it showed three circles labeled "Easter Bunny," "Santa Claus" and "Tooth Fairy" meeting at a center slice marked "Religious doubt"[2].

- **Platform:** Indexed blog (early examples) / Twitter (viral spread)
- **Creator:** Unknown
- **Date:** 2006

## Overview
The joke works by picking two or three groups that look nothing alike, then naming what they secretly share where their circles overlap. Each group's label sits in the outer, non-overlapping part of its own circle, and the shared slice carries the actual punchline[1]. Common targets include religious figures, holiday mascots, and specific social situations like weddings or living with parents[4].

Posters typically build Venn Diagram Parodies in simple tools without any illustration. Adam Levy, who made the viral 2018 preachers/DJs/bank robbers chart, told the Daily Dot he threw it together in Google Slides after a group chat joke[1]. Captions stick to plain text labels and plain circles, since the comparison between the words is the entire gag.

## How to Use
To make a Venn Diagram Parody, pick two or three groups that at first glance share nothing, then find a short phrase, object or behavior that quietly applies to all of them. Label each full circle with a group name, place identifying traits for each group in the non-overlapping outer sections, and put the shared punchline in the center where the circles meet[1]. Common conventions include using three circles rather than two, writing small pairwise punchlines inside each two-way overlap when using three circles, and sticking to plain text with no imagery.

## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is Venn Diagram Parodies?
Venn Diagram Parodies are mock Venn charts where two or three unrelated groups share a surprising punchline in the overlapping slice of their circles[1].

### Where did Venn Diagram Parodies come from?
One of the earliest online examples was posted on the blog Indexed on August 9, 2006, showing Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and Tooth Fairy overlapping at "Religious doubt"[2]. The format went viral on Twitter in August 2018 after @adamklevy posted a chart comparing preachers, DJs and bank robbers[3].

### What does Venn Diagram Parodies mean?
It applies the structure of John Venn's 1880 logic diagram to make jokes about unexpected traits shared between unrelated groups[10], with the actual punchline landing in the center overlap[1].

### How do you use Venn Diagram Parodies?
Pick two or three groups, label each circle with a group name, and write the surprising thing they all share in the middle where the circles meet; posters typically build them in tools like Google Slides with plain text and no imagery[1].

### Is Venn Diagram Parodies still popular?
The format is a classic internet joke style; its biggest spike came during the August 2018 Twitter run around @adamklevy's "put your hands up" chart and the variations it inspired[1][3].

## References
1. [https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/venn-diagram-twitter-memes/](<https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/venn-diagram-twitter-memes/>)
2. [http://thisisindexed.com/2006/08/how-tenuous-that-imaginary-friendship/](<http://thisisindexed.com/2006/08/how-tenuous-that-imaginary-friendship/>)
3. [https://twitter.com/adamklevy/status/1031640764747534336](<https://twitter.com/adamklevy/status/1031640764747534336>)
4. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/venn-diagram-parodies](<https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/venn-diagram-parodies>)
5. [https://chartporn.org/2010/12/17/the-santa-brand/](<https://chartporn.org/2010/12/17/the-santa-brand/>)
6. [https://twitter.com/mattsurely/status/1032324459674259456](<https://twitter.com/mattsurely/status/1032324459674259456>)
7. [https://twitter.com/pixelatedboat/status/1032746380412866560](<https://twitter.com/pixelatedboat/status/1032746380412866560>)
8. [https://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/richardwinskill/tag/venn_diagram/](<https://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/richardwinskill/tag/venn_diagram/>)
9. [https://lateenough.tumblr.com/post/4512722968/lateenough-on-tumblr-it-all-makes-sense-now-also](<https://lateenough.tumblr.com/post/4512722968/lateenough-on-tumblr-it-all-makes-sense-now-also>)
10. [https://www.cis.upenn.edu/~bhusnur4/cit592_fall2014/venn%20diagrams.pdf](<https://www.cis.upenn.edu/~bhusnur4/cit592_fall2014/venn%20diagrams.pdf>)
11. [http://mentalfloss.com/article/61102/12-funny-and-delicious-venn-diagrams](<http://mentalfloss.com/article/61102/12-funny-and-delicious-venn-diagrams>)
12. [https://twitter.com/_ericcurtin/status/1032697184821497856](<https://twitter.com/_ericcurtin/status/1032697184821497856>)

---
Source: https://meme.com/memes/venn-diagram-parodies
Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library