For those of you who don’t know me, I LOVE Bridgerton! While the love stories are immaculate, one of my favorite scenes involves women, gossip, and protection. In season one, Daphne Bridgerton is pursued by the very creepy Lord Burbrook, who is set on marrying her. Daphne can’t ward him off, and her mother, Lady Violet Bridgerton, understands that she must do everything she can within the confines of their society to protect Daphne. Daphne is practically convinced that her fate is sealed with the nasty Lord Burbrook, until her mother reveals her plan: to invite Lord Burbrook’s mother, Lady Burbrook, to chat over afternoon tea while the Bridgerton household maids get the inside scoop on the Burbrook household via their maids. It was found in the end that Lord Burbrook had an illegitimate child, which was scandalous enough for Daphne to use to get rid of him. However, when Daphne was doubtful of this whole plan, Violet Bridgerton stated the iconic line, “We shall do what women do. We shall talk.” And with this, word spread — Lady Whistledown, the infamous gossip writer, put it into words, and Lord Burbrook was forced to flee town, leaving Daphne to go and be with her Duke. And at this point, you might be very confused as to why I’m hyperfixating on this scene, and my point is this: gossip is so much more than nosy chatter — it can be a critical form of communication especially to warn, protect, and pass important information. In simple terms, gossip is female (although not limited to) currency.
Historically, women weren’t allowed to have access to the same information men had. While men got to discuss “important” topics such as politics, law, science, and more, women were limited to “trivial” matters such as gossip. While this was considered subpar to men’s discussion, gossip still built influence through networks of information and informal connections. This is depicted quite well in Bridgerton, especially in the aforementioned scene. Daphne’s mother knew she couldn’t do much directly to get Lord Burbrook to back off, but she knew that whatever information she found on him, she could use it against him in society to protect her daughter. In this way, you could argue that gossip was a survival tool. And in many ways, this remains true today. Whenever a friend is talking to a guy or goes on a date, there is always a debrief afterwards. While it can be silly and fun, a lot of the time women are assessing how they felt — if they were comfortable and the actions of the date in question. For many women, discussing things such as red flags or the ick isn’t just a matter of preference; it is also about sharing tales and warnings and processing the experience. On the receiving end, you get to understand how you would’ve reacted to or interpreted a situation, which essentially serves as good “data” for you.
Additionally, gossip can be a form of trust. I know for me, if I tell people private information about my life or receive any from theirs, I understand that there is mutual trust involved. In a way, you could even consider the act of gossiping as networking — you learn more information about others and share bits about yourself. However, like with everything else in life, it is a double-edged sword. While you could argue that gossip can empower women, it can also severely undermine them, especially based on who controls the narrative. Going back to the currency analogy, some people profit while others face heavy taxes. Overall, this form of female chatter isn’t necessarily a bad thing; it serves a crucial role in our circles as women, and as women have been doing discreetly or loudly for years, we must keep talking.
