07 egotistical burst your bubble

tistical. egotistical. tistical.

SHOOT STAFFERS Giovanna Morceri, Maddie Mayberry, Paulina Matheu, Gaby Sicardi, Sophia Pinilla BEAUTYEmmali O’Neill and Ashley Angley MODELRose Jackson PHOTOGRAPHYTori Harvin VIDEOGRAPHYTristan Reale WRITERJayna O LAYOUT Chloe Evers

egotistical. egotistical.

As the esthetician smears the warm wax on my upper lip, I wince in anticipation of enduring the familiar sting that will soon follow. But, instead of the harsh sound of hard wax ripping the unwanted hair from my face, I’m met with the echo of hushed voices.

“Have you heard?” “You’d never believe what happened…” “Did you hear?”

Despite only meeting this woman once a month for a routine eyebrow and lip waxing, she continues to divulge the latest tales from her personal life and relationships, ranging from bad first date stories to roommate drama. When among fellow female peers in a beauty salon, it is not unlikely that one will be privy to the latest gossip. But how has gossip become so intimately tied to women–and why is it so demonized?

The demonization of gossip has been historically used to dismantle the solidarity and relationships between women, aiming to prevent female closeness and bonding during times when women were yearning for power and freedom under unequal political, social, and economical institutions. Throughout history, female discussion has been equated to rebellion and troublemaking, so much so that punishments, often in the form of public humiliation, were established in order to deter women from gossipping. The notion that women possess a perpetual dislike for their own sex and communicate solely to tear each other down is a misogynistic and patriarchal idea that reduces gossip to idle backbiting talk or “s**t-talking”. Meanwhile, gossip between men is deemed as important and acceptable, instead being referred to as networking or lobbying. Such a double standard perpetuates the view that women are incapable of engaging in matters of necessary discussion.

Despite its historically negative connotations, gossip is a useful social tool for bonding social groups together. It is a communication strategy that has been discursively positioned despite being vital to the development and wellbeing of women throughout history. In female-dominated environments like beauty salons, women feel comfortable letting their guards down by allowing themselves to be vulnerable and bond with their female counterparts. So, instead of preserving the belief that women exclusively converse with malicious intent, the perspective needs to be shifted to how gossip is used to help foster female connection and unity.

Leaving the salon with a fresh face, I observe the hoards of other women chatting amongst themselves– about their new jobs, pet cats, or latest troubles– and admire the beauty in the unity and solidarity between women that has remained unbroken.