Women, Gossip, and Film: Social and Cultural Construction on Women's Behavioral Engagement in Gossiping

Abstract

This article discusses women’s gossiping practices as they are presented in the films; Tilik (2018), Pitch Perfect 3 (2017), and Emma (2020). This paper aims to show how social and cultural construction has constructed women as gossipers and affected their gender and cultural identity. The method used is qualitative and applies the concept of gender and cultural identity. The result shows that women’s behavioral engagement in gossiping has addressed them as gossipers. The three films represent how religious tenet doesn't have a relation to Indonesian Muslim women's gossiping. The films also revealed that historically, since the 18th century, gossipers have attached to women's appropriate behavior and have nothing to do with social status; both Upper and Middle-class women are gossiping. The films strengthened the idea that gossiping practice is appropriate for women and inappropriate for men. These films bring women's representation as gossipers and carry out the negative stereotype for them. This behavior is considered negative as the topic discussed is cursing others, spreading negative information, humiliating people, and somehow ruining other’s people reputations. When a society believes and internalizes that women are gossipers then it becomes their gender identity and at the same time affects their cultural identity.