Gossip often gets a bad reputation, dismissed as petty, harmful, or unproductive. But new research by Katherine Batchelor, Kelli Rushek, and Julia Beaumont of Miami University reframes gossip as a powerful act of feminist communication. Published in the Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy (2024), their study, “Spilling Tea: A Critical Feminist Reclamation of Gossip in Literature and Media,” explores how sharing “tea,” or truth, can connect people, challenge patriarchy, and promote gender equality in classrooms.

Through a feminist teaching workshop called Writing Us In, the authors guided preservice English teachers to rethink gossip in literature, from The Crucible to Pride and Prejudice. They found that gossip, when viewed through a critical feminist lens, fosters empathy, community, and awareness of how gender and power intersect. One student project even used young adult novels and pop culture, from Gossip Girl to TikTok, to show that talking about others can also mean building trust and solidarity among women.

The study argues that gossip isn’t inherently bad or good, it depends on how it’s used. When reclaimed as dialogue, storytelling, and truth-telling, gossip becomes a tool for meaning-making and social change. By teaching students to see “spilling tea” as feminist expression, educators can help advance conversations about gender equality, and perhaps even move closer to achieving it.

Faculty authors: Katherine Batchelor, Kelli Rushek (Miami University)
Student co-author: Julia Beaumont (Miami University)
Keywords: gossip and feminism, why gossip is good, spilling tea meaning, gender equality in education, feminist teaching
Publication details: Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy (2024). “Spilling Tea: A Critical Feminist Reclamation of Gossip in Literature and Media.” https://doi.org/10.1002/jaal.1327