Essay Sample on Historical Perspective of Gossip Columns

Gossip Columns are often looked down on as “filth” and highlighted for their negative impact on society. However many overlook the reason gossip columns were created and why they have been able to survive through the decades. Although Gossip Columns can have negative impacts,  Gossip columns have always and will continue to serve as a frame of reference for what is culturally acceptable, providing readers with an escape from their daily lives, and providing a sense of intimacy.  

The first reason Gossip Columns were successful and have remained throughout the decades is because they serve as a frame of reference for what is culturally acceptable. Gossip columns took off during the 1930s with Walter Winchell writing his first daily column for the New York Daily Mirror - a Hearst publication that was syndicated in approximately 1000 newspapers in June of 1929. (Walter Winchell Papers, 1920-1967, n.d.). The country had gone through a lot of big changes at the end of the 19th Century. One of the biggest changes was the masses of people leaving behind their tight-knit communities and moving to the cities. In fact, the 1920’s census revealed that for the first time in united states history there were more people living in urban areas, over 50% of the population, than in rural areas. (Urban and Rural Areas - History - US Census Bureau, 2021)  America was shifting from multiple communities into more of a singular society. Communities are where individuals learn what is and aren't culturally acceptable. Losing such communities left people needing a common frame of reference and gossip columns provided that for them. For example, if a reader sees a story that is talking negatively about a celebrity for partying all the time then it teaches them behavior like that is unacceptable. 

Secondly, Gossip columns provide an escape from everyday life for readers. The 1930s was an incredibly hard time for most individuals in America. The Great Depression hit America near the end of 1929 leaving many American unemployed and in great poverty. Movies became a form of escapism for people of the time. This escape was exceedingly important for people to be able to survive the stress of their lives. Gossip Columns was able to extend the brief escape out of the movie theaters by reporting on the stars people were seeing in the films.  The movie studious took advantage of gossip columns and would plant leads to gossip column writers such as Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons, who were two of Hollywood’s favorite gossip columnists during the so-called Hollywood Golden Age, to help publicize their stars and movies. (Zemler, 2022) Although gossip columns have changed since the 30s and 40s people still use them as a way to escape from their lives for a bit. Social media and the internet have made gossip even more attainable causing the traditional gossip column to jump platforms and take on a totally new look. However, it goes to show that people are looking for an escape more than ever. 

Finally, Gossip Columns have been successful because they provide a sense of intimacy. People today often struggle with feeling alone or separated from others. Some may argue that this feeling of being separated from a community is due to the rise of technology however people in the ’30s and 40’s were dealing with the same type of feelings after leaving behind the communities they used to. The creation of gossip columns provided a sense of intimacy and closeness for people. “By exchanging information with others, gossip is a way of forming relationships,” Chang explains. “It involves trust and facilitates a social bond that is reinforced as further communication takes place.”(Jolly & Chang, 2021). We even see this in today’s society. The slap was heard around the world as some publications dubbed Wil Smith and Chris Rock notorious encounter at this year's Academy Awards. (Carras, 2022) People could easily engage in a conversation over the event with people they had never even met just because they had the same common knowledge.

The traditional form of gossip columns has been slowly dying; however, it has done the same thing before. In 1960 after the golden age of Hollywood came to an end, broadcast media and the legendary gossip columnists retired; it seemed like the end of the gossip column. However, Gossip Columns rose from the grave in the 80s with Rupert Murdoch's reinvention of The New York Post and the creation of Page 6. Columnists such as Cindy Adams and Liz Smith, Became the new generation of legends but the rise of the Internet ended their reigns. The creation of TMZ and gossip bloggers like Perez Hilton and social media have made gossip columns seem obsolete but if history has shown us anything it is that gossip columns are never truly dead. They are just laying low until society needs them again. 

In Conclusion, although gossip columns are often overlooked as frivolous they have served a greater purpose throughout history. They have served as a frame of reference for what is culturally acceptable, provided an escape for readers, and provided a sense of intimacy. Gossip is a pivotal part of the success of many forms of mass communications. Instead of looking at the negatives, it might be time to think of how we can shift it to better help society since history has shown us Gossip Columns are not going anywhere. 

References

Carras, C. (2022, March 27). Oscars 2022: How Chris Rock reacted to Will Smith's slap. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 20, 2022, from https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-03-27/oscars-2022-will-smith-chris-rock-punch-slapJolly, E., & Chang, L. J. (2021). Gossip drives vicarious learning and facilitates social connection. Current Biology, 31(12). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.03.090 

Peng, X., Li, Y., Wang, P., Mo, L., & Chen, Q. (2015). Negative gossip about celebrities and positive gossip about self entertain people in different ways. Social Neuroscience, 10, 320-336

Urban and Rural Areas - History - US Census Bureau. (2021, December 9). Census Bureau. Retrieved April  2022, from https://www.census.gov/history/www/programs/geography/urban_and_rural_areas.html

Walter Winchell papers, 1920-1967. (n.d.). New York Public Library Archives. Retrieved April 20, 2022, from https://archives.nypl.org/the/21480

Zemler, E. (2022, March 30). The History of Gossip Columns. Shondaland.com. Retrieved April 20, 2022, from https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/shondaland-bridgerton-behind-the-scenes/a39576200/the-history-of-gossip-columns/