It's fodder for the mundane, warm fuzzies for the news starved and bored; it's manna from heaven when the bad gossip is about someone who is a grade-A, blue-ribbon a****le.
I know it's Schadefreude but it's also nice to be around to watch/hear when what goes around......finally comes around.
Nasty gossip about rotten politicians such as "Hit Rock Bottom" with Hillary Rodham, Ted "Hic!" Kennedy and their ilk really is just plain fun. I LOVED Dick Morris' book Hillary. It was chock full of verified gossip. Sorry to say but I did enjoy it very much.
Nasty gossip about movie stars is just boring to me but many Sleazywood-philes LIVE for it.
The line between passing on NEWS about people and gossiping is....what? an opinion? a feeling? Who designates that it is "useless"? Who designates it as "bad"?
I know, I know. The Christian thing is to never say anything bad or negative about anyone, ever, even though the seven deadly sins of anger, pride, envy, lust, sloth and gluttony DO NOT include "gossip."
I can think of so many worse sins than gossip. Abortion comes to mind.
Lol, will ya just listen to me?
The problem with gossip IMO is 99% of what is mentioned is untrue, yet so many people prey on Gossip, because it fullfills something lacking in themselves.
Politicians and Celebrities obviously get the brunt of gossip as they are in the limelight and gossip goes with the territory.
Most chit chat gossip I have read about or someone has told me in regards to another, usually is always negative and IMHO pretty much a bore, that goes in one ear and right out the other.
If someone has positive uplifting comments they like to share about people,I always enjoy hearing about that...