"Male Gossips," The Christian Recorder, Jun 7, 1862
Dublin Core
Title
"Male Gossips," The Christian Recorder, Jun 7, 1862
Subject
Black Periodicals
Gossip
Gender Norms
Description
This article argues that although "[t]he world, especially the masculine part of it, has always had a great deal to say about female gossips" and it is "doubtless" that women are "good talkers," men also gossip and the author confirms the existence of something that can be termed "male gossip."
Credit
Accessible Archives: African American NewspapersSource
The Christian Recorder
Publisher
African Methodist Episcopal Church
Date
1862-06-07
Type
Reference
Article Item Type Metadata
Text
MALE GOSSIPS.
The world, especially the masculine part of it, has always had a great deal to say about female gossips, and one would almost conclude that no other species existed. Now, it is doubtless true that the female portion of the community are generally good talkers, and not indisposed to pretty large liberty in the use of the unruly member. There are, indeed, very many honorable exceptions: women of lovely spirit, upon whose tongue ever dwells the law of kindness - whose gentle and generous speech in a soft mantle of charity - whom natural refinement and superadded culture of mind and heart have raised far above this weakness of their sex. What more beautiful than these ministering angels! Their very presence rebukes all unkindness.
But it is by no means true that no gossip exists outside of hoops and crinoline. Be it known to whomsoever it may concern, that there are male gossips. They are not confined to any particular locality, but are generally found in the greatest numbers and perfection in small country towns, the chief theater of their operations being the tavern or store. Here they congregate, especially in winter evenings, and such using up of their neighbors - the ladies are nothing to them! Before this self-constituted tribunal or petty court in which every man is lawyer, judge and jury, all combined in one, every person, every event, and many things that never happened in the neighborhood, pass in review. No one too high or too low - nothing too sacred or too profane to be discussed. The doings, even the sacred privacy of every family, of every church, minister, deacon, school-master, school-ma'am, and school committee, are the theme of free and exaggerated talk.
Now we believe in a large freedom of speech, but not at all in that unlicensed, meddlesome spirit which catches and makes the theme scandal whatever is calculated to disparage or harm a neighbor's reputation - which breeds strife and ill-will among families - which kindles fires that would go out or have no existence but for its interference. And how much precious time is thus wasted - what an evil influence is exerted upon the young who sit by and listen, and learn to take part in the vulgar of profane discourse. The young who, at home, where they should be, might store their minds with useful knowledge, are here schooled in the most unprofitable learning. They learn too much of many things of which they should be ignorant; they become bold, meddlesome and profane. Truly this male gossiping is an evil and a nuisance.
Boston Journal.
The world, especially the masculine part of it, has always had a great deal to say about female gossips, and one would almost conclude that no other species existed. Now, it is doubtless true that the female portion of the community are generally good talkers, and not indisposed to pretty large liberty in the use of the unruly member. There are, indeed, very many honorable exceptions: women of lovely spirit, upon whose tongue ever dwells the law of kindness - whose gentle and generous speech in a soft mantle of charity - whom natural refinement and superadded culture of mind and heart have raised far above this weakness of their sex. What more beautiful than these ministering angels! Their very presence rebukes all unkindness.
But it is by no means true that no gossip exists outside of hoops and crinoline. Be it known to whomsoever it may concern, that there are male gossips. They are not confined to any particular locality, but are generally found in the greatest numbers and perfection in small country towns, the chief theater of their operations being the tavern or store. Here they congregate, especially in winter evenings, and such using up of their neighbors - the ladies are nothing to them! Before this self-constituted tribunal or petty court in which every man is lawyer, judge and jury, all combined in one, every person, every event, and many things that never happened in the neighborhood, pass in review. No one too high or too low - nothing too sacred or too profane to be discussed. The doings, even the sacred privacy of every family, of every church, minister, deacon, school-master, school-ma'am, and school committee, are the theme of free and exaggerated talk.
Now we believe in a large freedom of speech, but not at all in that unlicensed, meddlesome spirit which catches and makes the theme scandal whatever is calculated to disparage or harm a neighbor's reputation - which breeds strife and ill-will among families - which kindles fires that would go out or have no existence but for its interference. And how much precious time is thus wasted - what an evil influence is exerted upon the young who sit by and listen, and learn to take part in the vulgar of profane discourse. The young who, at home, where they should be, might store their minds with useful knowledge, are here schooled in the most unprofitable learning. They learn too much of many things of which they should be ignorant; they become bold, meddlesome and profane. Truly this male gossiping is an evil and a nuisance.
Boston Journal.
Provenance
Archive
Accessible Archives
Location
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Geocode (Latitude)
39.9527237
Geocode (Longitude)
-75.1635262
Social Bookmarking
Geolocation
Collection
Citation
“"Male Gossips," The Christian Recorder, Jun 7, 1862,” Archival Gossip Collection, accessed April 19, 2024, https://archivalgossip.com/collection/items/show/981.