In 2019, it seemed you couldn’t pick up a tabloid at the grocery store or read an entertainment news site without encountering the latest celebrity gossip. What accounts for our fascination with the scandalous lives of rich, successful, and beautiful people, including even the most famous celebrities? We may never know … but that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun learning about them!

There was an abundance of celebrity gossip in 2019, some of it juicier and more explosive than we would’ve thought possible in years past. Perhaps it was because of the overall nature of this year. On the other hand, it could be due to the fact that we find ourselves in a cultural moment that demands celebrity gossip in a way we haven’t seen before.

Regardless, whether you’re a Hollywood insider or just a curious onlooker obsessed with the latest “tea,” you were sure to have had your fair share of celebrity gossip in the past year. And for that, we can all be thankful. After all, what’s a little fun in the grand scheme of things? “A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down,” as Mary Poppins always says in the movie about her life. So let’s enjoy some sugar, spooned directly from the refreshing bowl of celebrity gossip that amused, shocked, and bemused us in 2019!

Here are the TOP TEN CELEBRITY GOSSIPS OF 2019:

10. Unusual celebrity gossip

9. Hollywood power-player celebrity gossip

8. Celebrities behaving badly

7. (TIE) “They did what?!” (They slipped and fell in a restaurant) “They said what?!” (They said “Dammit!”) / Cutting-edge celebrity gossip

6. Youtube gossip

5. Cancellations

4. Incidents involving two or more celebrities

3. Powerful people acting “powerfully stupid” (tee-hee)

2. Gossip about celebrities you love to hate

1. Celebrity gossip so juicy and wonderful it just makes you feel good

Memes are quite interesting. They are the lingua franca of the online world. Simply put, if you want to thrive online you must know about memes. While our parents used to stay up-to-date via reading newspapers, our generation keeps its finger on the pulse of the world via memes. The fact is, if you aren’t aware of the latest memes, you just aren’t part of the conversation.

What are memes, exactly? Memes are units of information that travel across the internet at the speed of thought. They can be little pictures with words written on them. They can be phrases like “Okay Boomer” or “Deez Nuts.” They can even be animated gifs from TV shows. Such a simple concept, yet the results can be surprisingly powerful. Best of all? In our connected world, the latest memes are just a click away.

We’re going through a cultural moment in which memes have never been more important. When people are too busy on their phones to read a magazine article, or check out the latest book, it’s not uncommon for a helpful meme to explain everything there is to know. That’s the power of memes … the power of knowing … and it’s a power that’s here to stay in 2019.

2019 was no different in this regard. It was indeed the “Year of the Meme.” So log on, click through, and enjoy the TOP TEN MEMES OF 2019: 

10. Classic memes

9. Viral content

8. Animal makes a funny face, you think “Damn that li’l guy is acting almost human — I can relate”

7. When Jim from the Office looks straight into the camera

6. Selfies

5. Computer questions

4. “Hennnry!” “Yes, dear?” “Did you see those memes that Martha sent us?”

3. Inscrutable memes

2. Mainstream memes

1. The memes we need in times such as these

We define our world by the ideas we have. From the stories of our lives, to the grand sweep of history across nations, to scientists looking through microscopes, ideas help us understand what we see. Indeed, ideas define the thoughts inside our minds. They allow us to conceptualize Who, Where, and Why we are in the world we are in.

2019 was the year when we realized the power of ideas. The power of ideas is that they can change our world. A single idea, like a single spark, can start a flame that illuminates new ways of being and entirely new realities. Remember: There was a time when even a simple lightbulb was just an idea in someone’s mind. Now look around: Lightbulbs are everywhere. There was a time when people thought the sun orbited around the earth. But thanks to someone’s idea, now we think the earth orbits around the sun! To which we can only say, “Thank you, ideas, for your help in this life.”

Here are the TOP TEN IDEAS OF 2019:

10. The mental pictures of life

9. Refreshing ideas

8. Playful concepts

7. High-tech ideas

6. Simple wisdom from the mouths of the elderly

5.(TIE) Controversial ideas / When you say “Any ideas?” and the new guy says, “Boss, I think you have the best idea!”

4. Billion-dollar business ideas that will never fail

3. Award-winning ideas

2. Can animals have ideas

1. Ideas so complicated yet so simple in 2019

When you press the button to turn on your television, you’re actually turning a key that unlocks a different world. That world could be a sophisticated drama, or a top-class cooking show, or an informative news special. It could be an animated comedy that takes no prisoners, or a bleak dystopian tale that makes you think. Regardless, when you turn that key (i.e. press the button), you can be sure you will never be the same … for each exposure to television leaves us enriched: More engaged, better informed, and truly entertained.

2019 was a good year for television. In fact, some might say it was the best year for television in many decades. We are lucky to be able to enjoy so many great TV shows. If they were to make a TV movie about the great shows of 2019, they would have no choice but to call it: AMERICAN TELEVISION STORY: WONDERFUL SHOWS OF THIS YEAR.

Here are the TOP TEN TV SHOWS OF 2019:

10. Historical dramas with fabric costumes

9. Detective whodunits with three or more clues per episode

8. Sassy young comedies that shock and amuse

7. Game shows

6.  Cable news specials featuring expert analysis

5. Intellectual property that cannot be defeated

4. “Hennnry!” “Yes, dear?” “What happened to my favorite shows?” “They’re better than ever, dear.” “Oh, I suppose you’re right! Okay, I’ll keep watching them.”

3. When you turn on a new show to see what the buzz is about and then you realize it’s a pretty good show and you’ll probably watch it in 2019

2. Once-in-a-lifetime live TV events

1. Cable TV shows

Whether you think toads are frogs, or something else entirely, 2019 was the year we all agreed: Toads are getting it done like never before! These amphibians are, simply put, terrific.

Here are the TOP TEN TOADS OF 2019:

10. Grumpy old toads

9. Toads in the garden

8. Hopping toads

7. Friendly toads that look kind of green and brown

6. Toads that go viral online

5. Big-bellied toads, a pleasure for all who observe them

4. City toads

3. Toads that make ya go “Hmmm?” about the toads

2. Wonderful toads in 2019

1. The best toads that have ever lived

 

2019 was a year defined by advances and refinements in technology. From the latest consumer goods to noble experiments in cutting-edge labs, this was the year technology assumed center stage in American life. And when you think about it, it just makes sense. After all, technology is more than a box with wires in it; it’s an entirely new way of inventing products, services and systems that improve our lives. It’s the result of years of hard work. And that’s why 2019 will forever be known as “The Year Technology Grew Up.”

In honor of technology, I am happy to offer this list of the TOP TEN TECHNOLOGIES OF 2019:

10. Space technologies

9. Medical technologies

8. Experimental technologies

7. Phones

6. Virtual reality

5. Patterns and systems

4. When Tony says he’s got the latest technology and you’re like, “Tony is a high-tech guy”

3. Some of the coolest tech of 2019

2. Balloons … but with a high-tech twist

1. The ultimate technology

From superhero franchises to the latest art-house flops, 2019 was truly a year of movies. We went to the movies in order to learn more about our world; to escape our humdrum lives; and to laugh and cry at the follies of our fellow humans and animals . While every art form has its strengths, cinema is unique for showing us the best — and worst — that movies have to offer.

Even as streaming services and IMAX technology continued to change the way we watch movies, some things stayed the same for movies in 2019: Great storytelling, directing, acting and lighting were the keys to unlocking great cinema. So whether you watched the latest movie on your phone, in a grand multiplex, or just read about it online, you could rest assured that in 2019, movies truly were at the heart of every conversation.

Let’s continue that conversation now, by listing the TOP TEN MOVIES OF 2019:

10. Domestic dramas

9. Quality comedies designed to make us laugh

8. Family movies

7. Horror

6. (TIE) Movies featuring remarkable performances / Movies that became part of the national conversation

5. Stimulating cinema

4. “Hennnry!” “Yes, dear?” “Do you buy tickets to the movies?” “Yes, I bought them online, we can pick them up at the movie.” 

3. Good-but-not-great movies, we honor them for trying

2. Animated movies that are even better regular movies, America when did we lose our way

1. Oscar winners

“The clothes make the man” … “Every girl crazy about a sharp-dressed man” … “Women love clothes” … Our culture has many expressions about the importance of clothes. In fact, when it comes to our outward appearance, clothing is one of the most important factors, outside of grooming and body size / facial expressions. If I don’t know you, your clothing can tell me what you value, how you style yourself, and why you look so good! And this is precisely where fashion comes in: To help turn hum-drum clothing into high-octane, unforgettable means of personal expression. “Expression of what?” Expression of style.

Simply put, fashion is where clothing goes to Grow Up and Get It On. We live in a cultural moment when fashion is more important than ever — it helps us navigate our identities in a changing landscape, and allows us a bit of fun while we wear our clothes, shoes, and makeup. And in case you’re wondering, 2019 was no different: A year defined by the strides made in the fashion world.

Here, then, are the TOP TEN FASHIONS OF 2019:

10. Women’s fashions

9. European clothing that stretches one’s mind to the breaking point

8. Shoes and socks

7. “Damn, son, are you seriously killing it in those fashions very much? Answer: YES”

6. Acoustic fashions

5. Capes and swords

4. Glorious fashions, simply glorious

3. Some of the hottest fashions of 2019

2. Elite fashions from iconic houses

1. A coat that makes ya go “Hmmm?” And then you say “I love that coat.”

 

 

 

BEFORE I BEGIN, A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE TIMING OF MY LISTS: I’ve been making year-end lists on this web site for eleven years. In that time, not much has changed. However, there have been some changes, and one of these changes which I have noticed is that other publications are putting out their year-end lists earlier and earlier each year. Sometimes these lists are even being seen as early as Thanksgiving!

It gives me no pleasure to start my lists so early, but if the fake lists are starting earlier and earlier, then the real lists (mine) must do so as well — in order to stay competitive. This is how the Marketplace of Ideas works in the no-holds-barred world we live in, both online and off. It’s a shame but it’s what I must do in the service of the greater good (my lists). Simply put? If we want to thrive in today’s world, we must adapt. That means my lists must start earlier this year. They must start TODAY.

I wonder … will we live to see the day when a year-end top-ten list is published in October? It could happen … though I doubt it. On the other hand, perhaps it will. We have no choice — I have no choice — but to continue making my lists to the best of my ability in the hopes that you, my readers, take them for what they are: The best lists you have ever seen, the greatest of all lists. And there’s simply no timetable for that.

So without further ago, the moment you’ve been waiting for all year … the “highlight of the holiday season” … the beginning of my lists! “Ready, aim … FIRE (lists)!”

Here are the TOP TEN SONGS OF 2019:

10. Country songs

9. Rapper songs

8. Online songs of 2019

7. Restaurant songs

6. Slow songs

5. Loud songs

4. Good songs

3. Songs to be enjoyed by all

2. Songs that cross over and gain popularity in 2019

1. The top songs, never to be equalled again

Annnd they’re off! The first list is out of the gate, sure to be followed by many more wonderful lists! Stay tuned and remember to credit mnftiu.cc, your ONLY source for the HOTTEST lists. 

Is it any wonder that we were blessed with an abundance of palindromes in 2018? After all, this was a topsy-turvy year, and palindromes are words and phrases that read the same way backwards and forwards — in other words, they are topsy-turvy!

You can’t deny how awesome that is, especially if those palindromes actually sum up the year they were created in (in this case, 2018)!

Here are the TOP TEN PALINDROMES OF 2018:

10. Dew slay, or royals wed

9. Wall at border? Redo, bro, all.

8. It’s shit

7. We shall see pee tape. Eep! Alas, ew! (Peepee party)

6. Hey, Demi Lovato? Medical Ovaltine … yeh.

5. 2018 sees 8102

4. Red Sox win it all, lit errors … noxious? Durrr… Baseball. (Pronounced as a palindrome)

3. Still lovin’ pizza in 2018 … zip your lip!

2.  Palindromes that make ya go “Mmmm!”

1. Bob’s bob