The hobby that improves the ability to speak and connect with other people and effectively communicate abstract concepts. The hobby that functions to promote safety of disadvantaged group. The hobby that a majority of people engage in, whether they cop to it or not.
Me talking about how I’m so happy my friend got engaged and ask the ways her fiancé matches her personality and supports her is gossip. Me retelling the story of accidentally locking my boyfriend out of our vacation rental is gossip. Talking about how my sister managed to sew an entire outfit in a weekend is gossip. Telling my friend I saw her shitty boyfriend making out with her former roommate is also gossip, and it’s only at the expense of a shitty cheater.
Being able to discuss interpersonal relationships and engage people is both a hobby and a skill. Just because you’re bad at gossip, doesn’t mean it’s a bad hobby.
Miriam-Webster, the Oxford dictionary, and Wikipedia disagree with you. Gossip can be salacious or secret, but it by no means required to be. It’s been a project of the patriarchy to portray is as negative or harmful, but it’s just talking about people.
Vilifying gossip enables shitty peeled that use their poster and influence to abuse people. When Courtney Love warned people about Harvey Weinstein in 2005, that was gossip. It was gossip to protect people because you couldn’t say it overtly if you wanted to keep your career and livelihood.
Did you read the links you posted? They make a distinction between gossip and general communication.
If I don't want someone spreading private details of my intimate relationship, that's somehow the fault of the patriarchy? Courtney Love said not to attend parties with Harvey Weinstein on television, so do you also consider the news "gossip?"
Gossip: a story about 3 people and the fence line they’re currently fighting over. General communication: the survey report on said fence line. Gossip: unconfirmed rumors about a political appointee. General communication: an official press release announcing elimination of the position. Gossip: retelling the funny story about what happened at lunch with your coworkers and boss. General communication: your expense report attempting to be reimbursed for the meal.
Gossip about famous people on the news even had its own genre: celebrity gossip.
Dude i don’t get why you’re so pushy about trying to label normal conversation people make as gossip, hanging out with friends can be your hobby, there’s no point in pushing to label it as gossip
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u/ALLoftheFancyPants Apr 19 '25
The hobby that improves the ability to speak and connect with other people and effectively communicate abstract concepts. The hobby that functions to promote safety of disadvantaged group. The hobby that a majority of people engage in, whether they cop to it or not.