Gossip, or rumours, is often viewed as "an unverified account or explanation of events circulating from person to person and pertaining to an object, event, or issue in public concern"
Your task will be to write a response to any of the following questions. As well, I would like you to comment on the issues of gossip/rumours so far in the novel.
Please note the criteria for what makes a good post in the previous post and rememeber to respond to two other people's posts.
- Discuss the TMZ, Perez Hilton, Enquirer, and People magazine mindset.
- Why do we gossip?
- How does it feel to be talked about?
- How would it feel if the rumor being spread was untrue?
- Have you ever had a rumour spread about you or someone that you knew? How did you/they feel?
- Did you ever spread a rumour? Why? How did you/they feel?
- What should I do if I hear personal or private stuff about a classmate or friend?
- What can I do when kids are spreading gossip or rumors about me?
- Why do you think people gossip so much?
- When do you think a rumor is hurtful, and when is it no big deal?
- What can I say to friends who are trying to hurt me with gossip or rumors?
- What’s the craziest rumor you ever heard? How do you think it got started?
Discuss the TMZ, Perez Hilton, Enquirer, and People magazine mindset.
ReplyDeleteWhich sort of celebrity would you be? Would you be the type to plan out a paparazzi ambush, or to attack them for attacking your privacy? TMZ and Perez Hilton are full of celebrities. The Kardashians, Hulk Hogan, Kathy Griffin and other D-listers. Printing off photographs of J-Lo in her bathing suit whilst on a yacht, or Britney Spears’ baldhead. This is trash; the guilty pleasure everyone seems to have in common these days. Where as People magazine contains photographs of the Queen’s last croquet match, some American senator’s house and Vera Wang’s newest bridal gown. In the end, it’s all gossip. But really, which magazine you read is all based on what kind of gossiper you are. Whether you enjoy the scandals of athletes or politicians, David Hasselhoff’s come back or the royal wedding, it’s still an unverified account or explanation of events circulating from person to person and pertaining to an object, event, or issue in public concern. Whatever the mindset.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHow does it feel to be talked about?
ReplyDeleteAt some point, we have either been talked about or we have talked about someone. Most of the time when we talk about people it's not to hurt them. Or so we think. What I believe the problem is with people gossiping is that we don't put ourselves in that persons position. If your friend trusts you with a secret, then you go and tell another friend about it, you probably don't give it a second thought. We don't realize how it affects the person we're gossiping about. I've had rumours spread about me. The paranoia, not trusting anybody who looks at you or walks by you. It's frusturating and annoying. It's one of the worst feelings. Having your trust shattered by one seemingly harmless conversation.
-Kiara
I think in some cases people spread rumors unitentionally and other times it is on purpose. Rumors are basically the truth that someone heard wrong, and then they told someone else and they told someone,and so on and so on. People spread rumors because they love to hear gossip about anyone, even if it's so outragious and there is no way it can be true, people still believe it. The more exciting and dramatic the rumor is the better. If you are one of those people who claims they have never spread a rumor, well your wrong. Everyone has. The thing is that your friend probably told you a story that was easy to believe but still interesting enough to tell someone else. For example, say a person told you a story about how the girl who already has a "sluty" image, banged 3 guys at a party on the weekend, but really all she did was talk and dance with them, and madeout with a guy she liked. Now that story is easy enough for you to believe because everyone sees that girl as a slut so its expected she would do that. so you carry on, and share that rumor with everyone. People spread rumors because they love to talk, and everyone loves gossip. This is something that will never change. People don't realise how these rumors effect peoples lives, so maybe the next time your friend tells you something about someone else, ask yourself if it's a thing that that person would actually do or go and ask the person who the rumor was spread about.
ReplyDeleteDanielle D
In response to, "How would it feel if the rumor being spread was untrue?"
ReplyDeleteI think all the answers should be the same, which rumors suck! I say this because people are now judging you on false information. Most people that are the centre of the rumor can't get rid of the rumor. No matter what they say, they will always be 'that' person and will live with it in the back of their head. Some people have been able to right their wrong and set everything straight and good for them. Getting that message out to everyone is tough though and may never happen. Being that if it is untrue and is really affecting this person; they should consult with someone that cares about them.
Jacob K.
How Does it Feel to Be Talked about?
ReplyDeleteThere are many different feelings behind that, and for many reasons as well, it's quite complex.
I know for a fact I'm not anybody with big reputation and so I don't exactly have rumors tagged onto me wherever I go, but I think everyone's had at least one rumor about them. Just the fact of hearing that somebody said something about you, before you know what it is, through your head you think, "Who cares?" But curiosity makes you want to know what they said, maybe even that slight feeling that makes us want some public attention, we all want to know what the world thinks of us, and that's when I fire starts. It may not be true, but just the thought that someone brought this up about you and has told others is hurtful, and if it's stretched from pure truth it's unlikely it's any nicer. 95% of the time, this rumor will be extremely hurtful.
They strike a number of emotions, negative ones. You feel insecure, hurt, most of all very angry. It's frustrating to have mean or untrue things spread about you, and if you're asked about them the emotions intensify. I've felt it, and it's nowhere near kind, or good in any way.
Kiara's Post.
ReplyDeleteShe's right. We trust peopole with alot of confidential information, and when someone goes around and just spills that info to someone else the trust is ruined. And now everyone knows about something that you didn't want anyone except your friend to know.
Danielle D.
Why do we gossip?
ReplyDeleteIn almost all cases, it is for sheer entertainment purposes. There are the odd times people start rumors to get back at people they dislike, but more often then not, we gossip for gossip’s sake. People are naturally attracted to a good story, and when no good story is around, the truth is stretched to create something more dramatic. Gossip is especially present amongst teenagers, who are drawn towards drama. People who are considered ‘gossipers’ are also great at telling entertaining stories, and often have a good sense of humor. These people realize how much more attractive a story can be if it’s about people their audience knows about. We gossip because we see the truth as uninteresting.
Who wants to hear about a couple that was married who have been together a happy 25 years when they can hear about another couple’s bitter divorce? The fact that we prefer the distinctly nastier storytelling makes us consider gossip as mean and almost inhuman. By definition, gossip isn’t necessarily nasty, but it often is. Gossip and rumors, as we have seen in Th1rteen R3asons Why, can ruin a person’s reputation and label them as something they’re not.
-Justin Jordan
When do you think a rumor is hurtful and when is it no big deal.
ReplyDeleteI believe that a rumor is never "no big deal". Even the tiniest rumor can be changed into something significantly larger. The more a rumor is spread, the more it is manipulated.
Any rumor can be hurtful, it doesn't matter what it is or what it's about. It can be something as simple as calling someone fat.That can be extremely hurtful depending on how the person that the rumor's about, interprets and deals with it.
If a rumor about you is being spread, you can choose to let it bother you or you can ignore it(which I understand can be exceedingly difficult)
Question: Why do we gossip?
ReplyDeletePeople gossip about everything. Anything they think they can get a kick out of, or for their own enjoyment. Almost every time that people gossip, it’s about something negative, which usually leads to a chain of rumors that start to get mixed up and twisted into something completely different. Rumors hurt, and the people who spread them are usually trying to either get revenge on someone or try to hurt them. I think that people gossip a lot cause they are trying to put someone down a notch and themselves up one. What a lot of people don’t realize is that when they spread a rumor, even if they aren’t meaning to, they are potentially hurting someone or giving them a bad reputation whether the rumor is true or not. If an untrue rumor was spread about you and people believed it, how would you feel? It would probably make you feel like crap.
I’ve had rumors spread about me before. Nothing major, but even though it wasn’t something horrible, it still hurt. It made me feel like people hated me, like I was just someone you could talk about behind their back and people could get away with it. When you hear a rumor about someone, do you keep spreading it, or do you not tell anyone and just try to keep it a secret? Think about how the person feels, how would you feel if you were in their shoes? Think about how they would feel and what they would be thinking as they walked down the halls and people were staring at them, like they were some reject. If you’ve ever been in this situation, you know what it feels like. To feel rejected, like you’re an outcast. It’s not a good feeling is it? I didn’t think so.
Others gossip mainly to obtain attention. People who crave attention usually start rumors or make a scene to make themselves feel noticed. They feel as though they need the attention, either positive or negative to be able to function. This could possibly be because they don’t get attention at home, or because they simply want to be noticed. Either way, spreading the rumors can hurt people and in some cases the rumors stick with them for life, which can lead them to unsuccessfulness.
So next time, before you start or spread a rumor, even if your just continuing passing it along, think about what affect this could have on the person. Will it hurt them? Will it affect their lives somewhere along the lines? Think before you act.
-Heather C
Jacob's post.
ReplyDeleteThat is a really good point. Everyone believes what they want to believe and it totally sucks when they choose to believe a rumor over the truth, especially since you have no control over what people are saying about you.
Danielle D.
How does it feel to be talked about?
ReplyDeleteTo be talked about feels sometimes bad because maybe you don’t really know what they’re talking and if it’s true or false. To find out that somebody badmouth about you can hurt your feelings and make you feel excluded. It is also a kind of mobbing.
But otherwise it can make you feel good because they’re interested in your life and all your stuff. It makes you popular in your environment, in a good or bad way. Gossip gives you something like an identity.
I believe people enjoy gossiping because it is usually focused around a rumor or talk of personal or private circumstances with others. However these rumors can be based on true facts or misinformation. Rumors get tossed around and seem to grow bigger and bigger. This turns everything around into the rumor being untrue and hurting the feelings of the people involved in these rumors. To have false information in the hands of your peers would make your self-confidence shrink in a very short amount of time and you would always wonder what people think of you due to those rumors. Most people would judge you without even meeting you just because of what they have heard which is unreasonable.
ReplyDeleteCaitlyn B.
Why do we gossip?
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion it's a sign of friendship, a sign of trust, its something that everyone loves to do because they feel empowered. Gossip gives something to talk about. It brings poeple closer in a terrible way, but brings them closer none the less. Gossip is also a way of revenge, it is a way to strike the roots of someone, get them where it hurts. when someone isn't brave or strong enough to actually confront them, they gossip, spread rumors to get a reaction.
In response to Jacob's comment:
ReplyDeleteI agree. You never get a chance to correct false labels. Having a tag defining you in a few cruel words is unbelievably dispiriting, and it is impossible to stop a rumor you are at the centre of.
-Justin Jordan
WHY DO WE GOSSIP?
ReplyDeleteI think our society gossips, because we like the feeling of knowing what other people are doing and how they live their lives. It also makes us feel engaged with our peers, and important by knowing other people’s business. Particularly in high school, gossip is common, who hooked up with who, which friends got in an embarrassing fight on Facebook, and people texting, talking about others constantly. Maybe because we find our own lives boring, maybe because we like talking down others to make ourselves feel powerful and confident. Maybe we gossip just because it is what we are used to, and feel it is nothing we can control, just going along with it. Whatever the reason, gossip can turn hurtful and create harsh reputations, as we read about in our novel, Hannah may still be alive if it weren’t for the gossiping and labeling because of the hot/not list.
In response to Sarah's post,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you completely because being the centre of a rumor can be very dangerous. I say this because many other rumors can be based off of the original rumor and be made even more hurtful to the person in the centre. At first you may be like, "yeah, so what?" but as you start to hear it more and more, you start to get real emotional or try harder to speak the truth.
Great response!
In response to Danielle:
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post. Use common sense. If we don't want people knowing about our personal life, then why should we spread rumours about other people.
In response to Jacob on "How would it feel if the rumor being spread was untrue?";;
ReplyDeleteStrongly agreed, I hate rumors with the passion, but it's the untrue ones that really set me off. I've had one spread that wasn't true on my side, it wasn't meant to hurt but it got me so mad because even two people I had just met already had an assumption about me that I had to clarify for them almost right after introducing myself.
Rumors are the most annoying thing to have to be stuck with, and who knows how long they'll stay floating around.
Kiara’s post:
ReplyDeleteShe’s right. We all don’t think about the reaction when we gossip. To build a friendship takes a lot longer than to ruin it. It takes just a few seconds.
Dear Shalisa :)
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you, any rumor, even if it's just a small one can turn into something big. It can be manipulated and twisted into something bigger and more vicious. It's like a snowball. The more people say, the bigger it gets, and the more it accumulates and the more it gets spread.
Response to Jacob,
ReplyDeleteI agree, it is very difficult to stop a rumor and most times its not possible. But sometimes, Fortuantly people can mature, and grow out of these rumors they've spread.
Part of Sarah’s comment
ReplyDelete“Just the fact of hearing that somebody said something about you, before you know what it is, through your head you think, "Who cares?" But curiosity makes you want to know what they said, maybe even that slight feeling that makes us want some public attention, we all want to know what the world thinks of us, and that's when I fire starts”
I completely agree with what you wrote, and I particularly like these few lines. Not many people point out the possible positive parts as gossip, but sometimes people take gossip as gaining attention, and enjoy being talked about. Also, I agree that it makes you curious what people think, a chance to see what a large group overall thinks of you, true or not. Hopefully people just don’t take these rumors and gossip to heart, as there is a good chance the truth is stretched. Good job though :)
In response to Julia;;
ReplyDeleteCompeltely agreed, it was straight to the point what you wrote, good job :)
As hurtful as comments can be, it gives people a reputation, we all want to be heard, be known in our environment, even if it's a bad thing, attention is attention. But as a rumor goes on, it's a fleeting dream that you'll be happy with one, you see, the more a rumor spreads the more tainted it gets.
It's just like the rumors spread about Hannah in our book, it went from kissing a guy to being felt up in a public place, giving her a label. Of course, many of us will judge a book by its cover, and in the end it became a reason why she killed herself.
In response to Shalisa's post,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you being that any rumor is, "no big deal." Some may take the tiniest comment and turn it into a really big something. I also agree that when it is spread more, it has a better chance of being changed into worse.
Great post.
Response to Emily’s comment:
ReplyDeleteI agree that people naturally need to socialize and connect with one another. It is unfortunate that part of that means that we also like to compare our lives, and enjoy it when our lives are ‘better’ than others. The sad thing is that some people deliberately start rumors to feel superior over others. It's a sick world.
-Justin
I think people gossip so much because they want other people to know personal stuff about some one else that is really none of their business. Or they really don’t like the person they’re spreading stuff about and just want to hurt them. Or they’re intertwined.
ReplyDeleteUsually gossip spreads so far that the person who originally spread it is so far down the line it’s very hard to find out who it is, so the spreader is pretty much buried in his or her own mess. For a little while the gossiper is unknown so they can spread whatever they want about who ever, and they usually do not care about the other person’s feelings. But in the end somebody or a bunch of people will know who spread them, and whether the truth comes out or not is really up to either the original gossiper…which will probably not happen, or one of the people that knows who it is.
Jennifer
Shalisa,
ReplyDeleteI completly agree. Rumours are a big deal, and they can be really hurtful. And yes, it can be hard to ignore but if you know its not true then thats all that matters.
Kiara,
ReplyDeleteyou made a good point. It hurts alot to have your trust broken. You think your telling a close friend a secret that they'll keep one minute and the next they're spreading your secret around.
In response to Justin's post:
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of this. Especially the phrase, "we gossip for gossip's sake" because it's so true! We gossip because its entertaining. Who doesn't want to hear about other peoples embarrassments or the latest drama and conflicts between couples or friends. Gossip gives us a topic of conversation, gossip gives us humor and in some cases, makes us feel better about ourselves. We gossip for lots of reasons but all in all "we gossip for gossip's sake" :)
Very good response
in response to Kiara:
ReplyDeleteYou made a good point. If you tell a friend a secret, it usually gets spread around because she tells one person who tells a couple more people. It's like a game of telephone! Usually when you get told a secret you get tempted and think "I'll just tell one person. It won't matter" but one must consider that if I tell one person, there's a chance that this secret will be made public. Taking all this into consideration, it really makes you think twice before telling anyone a secret.
Great post Kiara
In response to Jennifer’s post
ReplyDeleteI think that the gossiper is usually not detected because so many people have added their own little twist to the story. That leads to never finding out what was actually said or the real version. Also I have to agree that in some cases of gossip being spread is due to the fact that it is based on revenge.
In response to Kiara’s post
ReplyDeleteI would have to say that most gossip start with your friend and they promise not to say anything to anyone and you trust them. But you shortly learn that was not the truth, now everyone knows everything that you confidentially told your friend. Trust is a key factor in any relationship.
Why do we gossip?
ReplyDeleteThere are several reasons why people gossip. I think that the main reason is low self-esteem. Everyone is judged, criticized and picked apart these days. It is hard to not think that you are worthless when you are constantly being told by everyone. So what do we do? We bring others down to make ourselves feel better, in the form of gossip. Another reason that we gossip is just to see their reaction. Some people just enjoy watching people react to certain situations because, let’s face it, the people that over react can be hilarious. So we say something just so that they will react for our own amusement. As long as they keep reacting, we will keep gossiping. If people didn’t react to gossip, it would eventually stop, once we realized that no one else cared anymore. It, like so many other things in this life that we have created, is a vicious circle that we have difficulty in ending.
Anna
Dear Shalisia
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you. I think that rumors are never a "no big deal". They are always hurtful but can be so dependent on how the person that the rumor is about takes it. If you don't care about what the person said, then neither will anybody else.
Dear Jacob
ReplyDeleteWhen you say that "people are now judging you on false information" I agree with this whole-heartedly. We hear something about someone and automatically assume that it is true. We then judge that person, and treat them differently, because of one thing that one person said. We should never assume things because when you assume you make an ass out of u and me.
Why do we gossip?
ReplyDeleteThere are many answers to that, but to be brutally honest it's because people get bored. Whether you are a good person or a bad person you can agree that drama can liven up life whether good or bad. People are an intelligent species, and we constantly need to be doing something to have a feeling of fulfillment. We need to be busy and we need conflict. That might make us sound less intelligent, but it's true. If life is all unicorns, rainbows, and perfection, what is there to do? Is that a life you would want to live?
People strive for perfection, but when you get it, you realize the trip there was way more fun.
Just sayin',
Emma-Lynn Whitman
In response to everyone:
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree with just one of you, I honestly agree with you all. You all mentioned how everyone just wants to hear a bad rumour because it's interesting. That's why magazines sell. Having the rumour be about you is even worse, and as I've seen from the posts most of you have felt that. I can understand your feelings because everyone's had a rumour spread about them, big or small. When you hear a rumour that could or could not be about you, you instinctively want to know what it is about (as Sarah said). When you do find it out, you start defending yourself even though that will never work.
I think the worst gossip isn't about events that have happened, but what someone thinks about someone else's character. People love to judge a person right away without finding a reason behind their actions.
Unfortuneatly, there is no avoiding the spread of rumours. But you can stay true to yourself and know what really happened. The rumours will blow over. If you let the rumours dwell on you, they'll last longer. Gossipers love to see a reaction or a depletion in your self -esteem. Don't let that happen :)
E.W.
Why do we gossip?
ReplyDeleteGossip is something you can’t avoid in High School. Everyone does it and everyone is involved with it at some point in time. Sometimes gossip is the most outrageous stuff, but people will believe it! I for one have had rumors spread about me, I’ve started rumors and I have spread rumors. It’s something everyone does; especially girls!
I guess sometimes people don’t mean to. They will hear something and tell their friend. Then that friend will tell a friend, and it just keeps going. It’s a vicious circle that never really ends. If it starts as something so simple, like kissing someone; and it can escalade to “hooking up”.
On the other hand, some people spread rumors just to make the person look bad. They just don’t understand that it actually affects people. It seriously makes them feel horrible about themselves and it can make them stuff that can put them in serious danger.
We can’t avoid gossip. But we can help stop it.
~Becca
In response to Emily:
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more. Why is it that facebook is the most popular website ever? With millions of mebeer each attached to one another? We all love getting into each others' private lives. The world is losing it's intimacy. We can argue that we facebook accounts to stay in touch with friends, but then why was the telephone invented? There are people who have over a thousand facebook friends, and they probably haven't have a face to face conversation with over half of those people. Are their private lives really worth you opening up yours? Facebook is a two way street.
lol, *members
ReplyDeleteI think that a lot of the time gossip is one of those things that is not intented to be hurtful. Sometimes it can be used to hurt people but I think the majority of the time, people know it could be hurtful but they do it only for innocent reasons, like curiosity, conversation and just that itch you have to get a secret off your back. I think that we should take more time to weigh the consequences of gossip before we act. But then again we are just kids and we barely ever weight the consequences of our actions. That doesn't mean that gossip is okay, I'm just saying that it's kind of immature, and if you can, you should try to avoid getting involved in it or contributing to it.
ReplyDeleteMarie
Discuss the TMZ, Perez Hilton, Enquirer, and People magazine mindset.
ReplyDeleteReporters for teen magazines are always trying to make celebrities look bad by publishing embarrassing photos and 'dirt' on them. When really they can’t always look their very best. We all have days when we wear our hair up and no make-up to go to the gym, or go out for coffee. The paparazzi catch all the embarrassing moments for celebrities whether they walk into a door, fall down the stairs, or their clothes slipping out of place. They do this because people enjoy reading about this in magazines and on television, embarrassing things spread faster than good news for the celebrities.
Amy & KIARA
Response to Emma-Lynn:
ReplyDeleteSometimes the truth isn't what we want to hear, but I think you really said it how it is. Maybe people who live more exciting lives, gossip less. For instance, we imagine high school kids gossipimg all the time but can you really picture a sky diver whispering about what the pilote was doing last night? Not really. We get bored and need some hot gossip to entertain us. Like you said it does make us sound less intelligent but thats the way it is.
Marie
Marie -I think that a lot of the time gossip is one of those things that is not intented to be hurtful.
ReplyDeleteI agree! Often it is just people discussing and sharing their opinion about certain people, and it is not realized how hurtful it is! It's difficult though to try to stop this cycle, to get people to only discuss their own lives to others, with out being over secretive!
Response to Amy & Kiara:
ReplyDeleteI think the key point in your post is that negative things spread faster than positive things. The paparazzi know that, so a lot of the time they are not looking for complementary pictures of celebrities. Unfortunately the negative spread of news is also present in schools, in the form of gossip. We feed on the emmbarassment of others because in comparison to their misfortune, we seem lucky. Maybe we like to read about celebrity misfortunes for the same reason.
Marie
Rumours and gossip. Rumours can suck pretty bad bad sometimes and can be uncalled for. But not all rumours can be bad. From my times in Dunsmuir i can tell you that there can be rumours that cxan actually be funny and some that you can just say "No sorry" or "Yes i did" to. But bads rumours...i'm not sure. I have necer personally had a "Bad" rumour about me (or so i think). These rumours though must be terrible if they start to change how people look at you and how they treat you. But we have to live with them day after day,week afterb week, month after month and year after year. I don't like rumours tht put other people down. But some can be alright to say i suppose. These keyboards make me mad.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Jacob.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with when you say people judge on false information. It is beyond true. I don't know many people these days that will try to dig out the truth or talk to the person the information is about. It's almost as annoying as people judging on how the person dresses and just looks in your eyes.
I have to say this. THESE KEYBOARDS MAKE ME MAD!
ReplyDeleteWHY DO WE GOSSIP?
ReplyDeletePeople gossip for a few reasons. A being for their own personal amusement; there's nothing malicious in it, no conniving, just sharing information on a specific person. That isn't always how it goes though. Often times, B, there is cause (not just cause, but still a cause) for a rumour being spread, mostly to get a rise out of them, to piss them off or hurt their feelings. Rumours range all over as well; they are usually far out and inaccurate, which are the least hurtful of rumours. The less true they are, the easier they are to disclaim. Hurtful rumours though have a lot of truth to them, and they peg out your insecurities. Hannah's problem was that she couldn't shrug off either of these, and she didn't disclaim all of the false rumours that went around about her.