Let me tell you; not all gossip is toxic, it can be beneficial

‘Let me tell you’ is a common Kenyan phrase that often signals the beginning of a colourful story.

In the fourth edition of the literary journal Kwani?, editor Billy Kahora refers to the words ‘let me tell you’ as magical because they always have him spellbound as the recipient of an incredible narrative.

‘Let me tell you’ is also quite often the beginning of gossip, something that Pope Francis on Monday warned hairdressers, hair stylists and beauticians against.

The pope urged them to snip split ends and wax limbs while “avoiding giving in to the temptation of chatter that easily creeps into your work environment”.

He added that they should practise their profession in a Christian style, treating customers with kindness and courtesy, and always offering them a good word and encouragement.

In all fairness, it was not clear whether the pope was against gossip per se or if he was specifically against hairdressers, hair stylists and beauticians doing it.

But sometimes when people of such high standing make statements like these, it feels like they are issuing decrees. Decrees that generally reflect the attitude of the society.

Even if the subject under discussion is something that ought to be looked at in different cultural contexts before being vilified.

The Oxford dictionary defines gossip as casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details which are not confirmed as true. Others might call it rumour-mongering. Gossip is not inherently bad.

A study from the University of California, Berkeley published in 2012 concluded that gossip can have positive outcomes such as helping us police bad behaviour, prevent exploitation and lower stress.

It was also found to be therapeutic. In short, gossip was found to have social and psychological benefits.

Gossipers will tell you of how it allows them to let go of their inhibitions and lets them truly express how they feel. Now, isn’t that something to aspire to do?

One would imagine that the typical hairdresser, who spends hours on his feet with hardly any time to spare for socialising or even lunch, needs his daily dose of gossip to keep his stress levels as low as possible.

Any journalist will also tell you that a good story often begins with gossip. It’s almost criminal to be a journalist and not be interested in gossip.

Having a nose for news means butting into other people’s business. You may have noticed that even newspapers have some columns dedicated to gossip.

It is not gossip in the traditional sense because the journalist will have tried to establish the truth and will most likely not reveal the identity of the story subject.

In a way, by labelling the columns ‘gossip’, newspapers are responding to the very human need their audiences have to get their gossip fix.

What distinguishes the journalist from the ordinary gossiper is that he will then fact-check and take the gossip through the rigours of journalism (asking the why, what, who, where, when and how of the story), sieving the dirt from the seeds of a good story.

Ordinary gossipers, for example, are social media folk who schizophrenically post gossip on their timelines in a mad chase for clicks, followers, comments and other forms of gratification.

One could also argue that advertisers and public relations practitioners peddle gossip, creating realities that they want their audiences to believe and making money in the process.

Spies world over also rely on gossip in their day-to-day work. James Bond and his kind depend on it.

Having said that, gossip can be malicious, toxic and divisive. It can be a knife that cuts through people’s hearts and leaves them bleeding.

Conversely, as demonstrated above, it can also be the super glue that holds the fabric of communities and societies together.

Its adhesiveness, however, depends on how it is used and how the people to whom the gossip is directed react.