Often vilified an idle activity at best, or a dangerous pastime at worst, here’s why we should be re-examining the benefits of gossip in the age of new media.
If you love gossiping — whether it’s by the office watercooler or on a secret WhatsApp group — it’s likely that this is not something you advertise, or are particularly proud of. At the same time, it’s unlikely that gossiping is something you will actively seek to avoid, as it is an essential part of making sense of the social world.
Gossip is often characterised as the idle chatter of the criminally underworked, or in a more nefarious sense, the political manoeuverings of Machiavellian wannabes. But in a time where even Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, one of most powerful men in the world, is involved in a huge gossip story, you have to pay attention to the power of this medium.
Gossip has more uses than one would imagine today — rather counterintuitively — in the era of fake news. Although it is not often framed as such, gossip is a way of learning and digesting vital news in an informal manner. For individuals who are is not in a position of power, gossip can be a very useful source of information, that they would not otherwise be privy to. Lainey Lui, the founder of LaineyGossip.com and a host on CTV’s The Social & Etalk, is known for her insightful celebrity gossip, and believes that gossip is key to how we process information. “Gossip is a conversation — it’s information exchange and it’s a communication tool. Through gossip you begin to form opinions, you shape your understanding of a person or an idea, and that information helps you navigate your next moves,” says Lui.
And it is unfortunate that gossip has taken on a rather gendered slant, with many, wrongly believing that it is a largely feminine activity. To find out how that came about, you only need to dig deeper into the etymology of gossip.
この記事は T Singapore: The New York Times Style Magazine の March 2019 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は T Singapore: The New York Times Style Magazine の March 2019 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Look At Us
As public memorials face a public reckoning, there’s still too little thought paid to how women are represented — as bodies and as selves.
Two New Jewellery Collections Find Their Inspiration In The Human Anatomy
Two new jewellery collections find their inspiration in the human anatomy.
She For She
We speak to three women in Singapore who are trying to improve the lives of women — and all other gender identities — through their work.
Over The Rainbow
How the bright colours and lively prints created by illustrator Donald Robertson brought the latest Weekend Max Mara Flutterflies capsule collection to life.
What Is Love?
The artist Hank Willis Thomas discusses his partnership with the Japanese fashion label Sacai and the idea of fashion in the context of the art world.
The Luxury Hotel For New Mums
Singapore’s first luxury confinement facility, Kai Suites, aims to provide much more than plush beds and 24-hour infant care: It wants to help mothers with their mental and emotional wellbeing as well.
Who Gets To Eat?
As recent food movements have focused on buying local or organic, a deeper and different conversation is happening among America’s food activists: one that demands not just better meals for everyone but a dismantling of the structures that have failed to nourish us all along.
Reimagining The Future Of Fashion
What do women want from their clothes and accessories, and does luxury still have a place in this post-pandemic era? The iconic designer Alber Elbaz thinks he has the answers with his new label, AZ Factory.
A Holiday At Home
Once seen as the less exciting alternative to an exotic destination holiday, the staycation takes on new importance.
All Dressed Up, Nowhere To Go
Chinese supermodel He Sui talks about the unseen pressures of being an international star, being a trailblazer for East Asian models in the fashion world, and why, at the end of the day, she is content with being known as just a regular girl from Wenzhou.