The Price of Gossip: CBC's The Real Dirt on Gossip Shows Us How Much

Give thanks to England's favourite writer William Shakespeare for making this word part of the collective lexicon for over five centuries: gossip.

In daily conversation, 66% of what we share with our other half, our work colleagues, our friends is considered gossip.

Who isn't checking for dirt on TMZ.com or keeping track of the whirl of information on who's dating who on People.com?

The documentary The Real Dirt on Gossip, airing November 8 on CBC Television's Doc Zone reveals that we seek it, we spread it and we're fixated on it. So what is gossip? Is it a good thing and does it drive our economy, as some would suggest?
The CBC documentary shows that we're all fixated on gossip - whether it's via magazines or twitter feeds or even that office staple, the water cooler chat time.

Analyzing 22,000 conversations, The Real Dirt on Gossip reveals that the most popular topic of conversation is what other people are doing.

This hour of television based on whispers and innuendo found that men gossip as much as women, noted gossipmongers make more money at work and that gossips love to share stories about those who are in their peer group primarily.

And don't forget about the money trail - The New York Times estimates this industry has grown to $3 billion per year for the salacious tidbits of celebrity lives.

One of the focus interviews is with Jon Gosselin. Remember him? He came to prominence as the husband in the infamous reality TV series Jon and Kate Plus Eight and was lambasted by the media as a cheating husband. Or was he? The Real Dirt on Gossip reveals the power of gossip, especially words that are negative, can have an lasting effect on anyone's status.

The Real Dirt on Gossip airs November 8 on CBC Television at 9:00pm.