MEN THAT GOSSIP

What’s up people?

It is officially March Madness; time of year we lose that extra hour of sleep by setting the clock one hour ahead but I am so looking forward to this year’s NCAA basketball tournament to get started. I must redeem myself from last year’s dismal performance in the office pool. Oh, the weather outside is already hitting 70 degrees in the DMV so that means allergy alert and that d**n pollen is back.

Ok people; let me get focused…

Women call it “Girl Talk” men refer to it as “Locker-room banter”. A few days back I was in the middle of my day handling my bin-ness like I usually do before I decided to take a break to shoot the breeze with one of my favorite people at work. We clowned around for a bit like we usually do everyday and then the person let out a little information that some might consider a SECRET. Now grant it am usually the last person to know or pick-up on things that are happening right in front of me, I did not think too much of what was shared in our conversation because I know that person only felt comfortable enough to tell me the GOSSIP because I don’t talk. I mean you will have to treat me like Denzel in the movie SAFE HOUSE or WATERBOARD my Nigerian a** if you ever plan on getting information out of “P”. You know the rules; don't know NUFFIN' don't hear NUFFIN' & don't see NUFFIN'. No SNITCHES in my camp.

Now what does this have to do with this week’s post you may ask? Well, I started to think about how men and women use and process information that are regularly shared with them. And YES; one thing I have no tolerance for whatsoever is a dude that likes GOSSIP. Upon my little research, I was very troubled and actually had to concede to the idea that many men take part in gossip as much as women about secret liasions, inept lovers and overpaid colleagues. In the words of Yeeezy; “That S**t Kray”.  

Gone are days when boys were brought up to not give a rats a** or care enough about other people’s personal lives to gossip about them. Unlike our women counterparts that crave a measure of drama in their lives which is why they co-opt the personal details of others for their own first person soap opera. What most women are accused of as GOSSIP, men call barbershop talk or networking. But I will be the first to tell you and admit to knowing who got BEEF with who in the rap game and who’s baby’s mother is suing who in pro sports. So I am a total HYPOCRITE because that too is gossip right?

But why do some men GOSSIP in the first place? One popular thought is that it’s a confidence booster that helps some men feel better about themselves when they can criticize another person’s behavior because it provides a sense of moral superiority. Gossiping is a UNIVERSAL phenomenon. It is almost a necessary evil that fulfills an important role in daily interactions and not all of it is bad. It can unite us, calm us and entertain us. Gossip also warns us about bad behavior, bad weather and off course bad people. Mostly though, what Gossip does is it gives us what many of us crave for POWER & CONTROL.

Be Responsible…