The 25 Most Burned In My Brain Images of 2024
Back back back back back again!
The fifth-annual 25 Most Burned in My Brain Images List is here at last! This annual MBIMB (the acronym has finally grown on me, though it’ll never be IJBOL-level, let’s be honest) image list began in earnest in 2020 and has by now become a time-honored tradition, even being name-dropped in Bloomberg last week.
2023:
2022:
2021:
2020:
To review: What qualifies as a MBIMB image is a stand-alone image (can’t require accompanying text, though I’m kinda wanting to launch a Burned in My Brain Meme List at some point now that I think about it) that held space for more than its intended life cycle and, when working in concert with other images from the year, helps define what 2024 meant — pop culturally, at least. Similar to how RuPaul judges Snatch Game (“just make me laugh”), there’s no real rhyme or reason to some of these selects. Sometimes, as is the case of MJ on The Traitors, it’s just an inextricable feeling. Other times, like the Challengers threesome, the image’s ubiquity helps get it over the line. (To note: I didn’t include any Tr*mp nor any Luigi as this list is meant to be light-hearted and not dark-sided.)
It’s meant to visualize the year in popular culture, both bizarre (Glenn Close in The Deliverance) and canonical (the fingernail clutch). So without any further ado, here’s this year’s list as well as some explanation as to why each image made the cut, and a peak at some of the images that were cut for space. Hope you enjoy!
Ariana Grande as Antonio on SNL
An immediate Emmy for Achievement in Wigs!
Dakota Johnson in Madame Web
What a tangled — and iconic — web Johnson weaved with this film and its ensuing press tour.
Charli XCX Holding Up the “I’m on vocal rest” Sign
Fan meet-and-greets tend to produce Charli moments (the mother’s ashes, the poppers, etc.) and this one matched that freak, but on her terms.
Kamala Harris on The Drew Barrymore Show
She’ll always be Momala.
Chappell Roan Confronting the “Disrespectful” Photographer on the Red Carpet
She conjured true Dark Willow energy here. I never want to be on the receiving end of that pointer finger.
Dorit Lighting a Cigarette
Changed everything. Like the sorcerer released the sword from the stone, it was in this moment that Dorit conjured her full power.
Frank Ocean Showing Off His Nasty Pig Singlet
Not since Riccardo Tisci and Frank Ocean linked up after the Met Gala and then Riccardo posted that picture of Frank’s bowtie with the caption “Please don’t go......” the next day has Frank given us such an Internet-bending moment.
Demi Moore in The Substance
It was between this and this, but ultimately Elisabeth Sparkle won out.
Jack Schlossberg
Quite possibly the gayest expression a straight man can assume.
Cole Escola in Oh, Mary!
It was between this and the flamingo at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, but I think it was our cultural introduction to Escola’s Mary that stays lodged in my noggin.
Jeremy Allen White for Calvin Klein
Something shifted.
Cosmo, the Queen of Melrose
🚬🚬👩🏻🎤So we🤗move✈️to LA🌴🏄. My father🧔🏻♂️gets a job💼at the Palm🌴Restaurant🍽️. My uncle👴🏻Junior👶🏻works🔨there who🚬🚬 is a Jehovah’s⛪ Witness✝️believe it😱or not🤯❌he went🔄️from Catholic📿to Jehovah🙏🏻. (Deep breath😮💨) so basically my grandmother👵🏻wanted us all👨👩👧👦to switch from Catholic🛐 to Jehovah✝️ you know👀 meanwhile🚬🚬 we’re from Harlem🗽🚕wi- my father’s doing coke🥤you know🚬🚬my mother thinks she’s 💄Ann-Margret🇸🇪 she’s teasing🙌🏻the hair💇🏻♀️with a bottle of vodka🍾you know so dysfunctional🤪🚬cross✖️ addicted💊family👨👩👧👦STILL COOKING🍳PASTAR🍝ON SUNDAYS🕰️ UUum👅🌚anDDUH🚬🚬and the meatballs🧆🇮🇹 they-they🚬🚬wind up🙄being☹️burnt🔥like you know it just got so dysfunctional😵💫 (breath) it got pretty🫢 bad🥴.
Holding Space
I thought maybe it was recency bias, but going through the year, this is the image that defines 2024 for me, and therefore it earned center square.
Patti LuPone on Hot Ones
Patti really came into her power this year on the global stage thanks to Agatha All Along and the surrounding press tour which gave us many moments, this being my favorite.
Jemima Kirke During an IG Q&A
Jemima Kirke’s Instagram Q&A’s are the stuff of legend. And she cemented that when asked if she was queer and responded: “What the hell sure.” The accompanying image has gone on to have a life of its own.
MJ on The Traitors
Quintessential Burned In My Brain image. The context doesn’t matter. It earned an immediate entry from the moment I saw it.
French Pole Vaulter Anthony Ammirati’s Bulge Incident at the Paris Olympics
I think this one speaks for itself.
Mike Faist, Zendaya and Josh O’Connor in Challengers
Not since Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Dreamers have we gotten such a horny trio.
Jesse at the Russian/Turkish Baths
In the end, he really did help us blend into autumn.
Meredith Marks in Distress
Though her Breakfast at Tiffany’s bangs are memorable, Meredith in distress on the beach from the start of the year really proved to have staying power.
Nicole Scherzinger Signing Autographs After Sunset Boulevard
If I was doing “Burned In My Brain quotes,” we’d have “where do I get this hat!!!??” on here, but this image will more than suffice in its place.
Nicole Kidman Interviewed by PopCrave
Nicole gave us so much this year, as I wrote about last week, but this, for me, is her magnum opus.
Glenn Close in The Deliverance
She should be in Oscar contention for this performance but I don’t think some of y’all are ready for that conversation.
The Willy Wonka Experience
I have never taken the time to Google the context of this, nor will I, but I find this woman’s state of shambles deeply relatable.
The Gay Who Pushed Brittany Broski During the “Apple” Dance at the Sweat Tour
Not since the anti-gay Brazilian priest was pushed offstage has their been such a shove heard round the (gay) world!
Honorable Mentions
YOU are a highlight of 2024 (and always!). Thanks for bringing us so much joy and laughter (we need it!).