Gossip is good
(The one where I convince you to read Laineygossip.com)
The earliest published gossip was in the 17th century, with gossip columns more prevalent in 18th-century Europe. I’d bet that the spreading of information with a slant has been around as long as we have communicated. There’s something inherently human about telling stories and sharing secrets.
Celebrity gossip has been an ongoing fascination in my life. Not only the stories being told but who is telling them and what they stand to gain from it. You only need to look at the early reporting on the Joe Jonas-Sophie Turner divorce to see how gossip can be wielded to sway public sentiment. You don’t drop a bomb about “overhearing something on a Ring camera” without knowing that fans will be ravenous to know what he heard. It’s the gossip equivalent of showing a rifle on a wall in the first act. But the second or third, you know it’s going to go off.
But the Jonas-Turner saga also illustrated a change in how gossip is consumed, especially by women. We are all too familiar with how certain outlets *cough* TMZ *cough* tend to side with male celebrities and slant their coverage to their benefit. When they tried to portray Sophie as an unfit mother and partner, they showed their true colors. And women saw right through it.
Which brings us back to gossip. The most powerful storylines are the ones that resonate with society at large. They show us something that we are experiencing in our own lives.
I think the reason the Jonas-Turner affair was so transparent is that women were fed up with being gaslit. We can form our own opinions thankyouverymuch. And we smelled a rat.
In closing, I want to recommend two incredible Substacks for gossip analysis and what it means for culture and society: The Squawk and Hung Up.
Laineygossip’s The Squawk does a deep dive into celebrity gossip and has well-placed entertainment sources who giving the real scoop. I read her website every day.
Hunter Harris’ Hung Up is hilarious and thought-provoking. Her writing and voice is the best in the business. I will forever think about her comparison of Joe Alwyn’s on-screen chemistry to a skinless chicken breast.
What are your favorite gossip stories?
What I’m reading
Livy Hart’s Some Kind of Blunderful is basically the perfect rom-com. Two swoony main characters who can’t help falling in love? Check. Steamy scenes in fun locations? Check. Surprisingly emotional takes on finding your tribe? Check. You won’t want to miss it.
Lindsay Hameroff’s Till There Was You, is a super fun celebrity-normal person romance. The female main character is a chef who has a one-weekend stand with an up-and-coming musician who suddenly becomes super famous after he writes a song about their one perfect weekend. It’s out on February 20, 2024.
What I’m eating
My kids looooove a pancake breakfast and Bon Appetit’s flaxseed-chia seed pancake recipe is a stealth way of making sure they are also getting their protein. I add mashed banana or applesauce for a little extra oomph. Enjoy!