Before there was social media, there was gossip. Long before tweets could topple reputations, whispers did the job just fine—sometimes with deadlier precision. Gossip fed the frenzy of the Salem Witch Trials and has been the subtext of one too many fables where mischief masks moral rot. But gossip has also been a lifeline, fueling resistance, stitching together communities, and rallying support for social justice movements the world over.

Historically, gossip is equal parts social glue and poison. And it also has a far more pedestrian side—as the fodder of our mundane daily conversations. By some accounts , more than 65% of our conversations are about other people. The stories we tell about others helps to spice up the doldrums of life. This explains why Page Six draws 21 million monthl

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