Gossip anyone?

Gossip and mischief go hand in hand. Mischief may not be preceded by gossip, but it always certainly follows gossip. And even though we may pretend to be beyond and above shenanigans of this kind, in secret, we all love them. It’s practically a collective schadenfreude.

Everyone loves gossip in big doses or small; and the more salacious it is, the more we salivate. We are all guilty of indulging in a little bit of gossip every now and then. Admit it! How many times have we delightfully pored over news that details the downward spiral of a public figure? How many times have we been the carriers of innocuous pieces of stories that snowballed into a crisis for others?

Is there anything like harmless gossip? I guess not? Gossip, by its very nature, feeds on innuendos, whisperings and unsaid words. The more the gaps in information, the more the chances of people filling it with half-suspicions, ideas, and more often than not, rumours hit pay dirt. Sometimes, it can help bring out the true nature of a person or event but often it reveals more about us than the person it’s about. We fail to see how vicious we can really be when it comes to putting someone down. The doggedness with which we pursue their fall and sniff for more evidence and information is scary at times. Do we spare a thought for people whose lives are affected? The direct and indirect fallout of someone’s misdeed has far reaching repercussions.

Some people revel in the misery of others. They are the ones who are always on the lookout for a new target. One whiff of a potential scandal brewing and the lengths they go to confirm and spread the news is unbelievable! The unraveling is an art though. At times, a theatrical approach, where there are clues left, a little innuendo here, a slight drama there, a well orchestrated coming together of the players towards a climax that is earth shattering to say the least. They direct the movements of hapless players caught in the web of deceit, to brilliance; and they love the power and control this gives them. At other times, there is a quick sharp yanking of the truth, skin and all with no anesthesia offered. At times I wonder which is worse, the cat-and-mouse game of subterfuge or the sudden knock on the chin? There is something to be said though for the quick unraveling. At least you know that you haven’t been dragged around like a dying horse for the world to flog, which eventually you will, but for now you are spared the theatrics.

The times we are living in, there is no such thing as a quiet and dignified exit. Whether you are the perpetrator or the victim, there is no escaping. Your story is the price you pay for the sordidness that surrounds you. In the past the gladiators were cheered as they gouged and gutted each other, today people caught in the snare of gossip and scandal are cheered as they live and die in the media glare as a source of entertainment.  Every shred of your dignity, the play-by-play account of your misery is the tax you have to pay for being the entertainers of the modern world.