This paper analyzes a gossip episode among a group of friends in which participants construct morally questionable identities for others with regard to class and gender. Data comprised a video recording of naturally-occurring conversation among a group of friends engaging in an approximately five-minute gossip episode which included four “gossip stories.” The paper argues that participants interactionally produce situated cultural meanings and moral stances toward communicative actions associated with class and gender. Specifically, certain ways of talking, dressing, comporting and interacting with others are entertainingly presented as inappropriate class or gender performances. Through gossip practices, participants reconstitute cultural norms regarding class and gender in the U.S. in their everyday discourse.

1. Ordinary Morality and Gossip
Jessica S. Robles
University of New Hampshire

2. Questions
• How do people talk about others?
• How are stances toward others proffered
in communication?
• How is this accomplished in interpersonal
group interaction?
• What are the implications of the moral
orientations evinced in discourse?

3. Are your neighbors all drug
dealers?
Carrie: ◦um◦ (0.5) s↑o are your neighbors all drug dealers: (0.5) or,
Kathy: [heh heh]
Mike: [wha:t]
Kathy: heh heh heh (.) heh heh heh heh heh=
arrie: =so I was sitting outside the other morning (0.5) eating breakfast reading (.)
(just on the step) and (.) one of them stumbles out (.) [literally stumbles out
ike: hmheh
Carrie: in a sports bra (0.5) and shorts (.) like brings the dog out and just
goes and
like s- stre:tches (.) full out on the gr(h)ass: (.) it’s l(h)ike=

4. Like totally judging
• Kathy: =heh heh heh heh heh th(h)e little boy’s like “where’d you just move
• in” (.) and was like to:tally judging I’m like “I moved in that d(h)uplex r(h)ight
• [th(h)ere”
4 Riley: [ha ha ha] ha
5 Kathy: and he wa - and then it was like “o:h↓” and
6 like no one said anything
7 [(all the sudden)
8 Riley: [(and then there’s just)
9 Carrie: [and all the sudden they realized
10 Kathy: “see ya::” huh huh huh huh huh
11 Carrie: they realized you were in the poor houses=
12 Kathy: =yeah=
13 Mike: =oh you rent=
14 Kathy: =great.
15 Mike: you’re not in a two-and-a-half million dollar home
16 Kathy: ◦uh huh◦

5. And then it’s validated
1 Mike: [kid] probly has a twenty thousand dollar tree house.
• Kathy: I know he’s l(h)ike nine totally judging me like “o:h.” huh huh huh I’m
• like “fu(h)ck y(h)ou(h)”
4 Carrie: hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah=
5 Mike: =huh=
6 Carrie: =please tell me you said that.
7 Riley: a::nd then it’s validated [huh huh huh huh
8 ((laughter))
9 Mike: =huh .hh (.) then you [spit on their crops and r(h)an [aw(h)ay
10 ((laughter))
11 Kathy: oh yeah (.) I’m takin this=
12 ((laughter))
13 Carrie: [grabbed a [pumpkin and ran]
((4 lines deleted))
17 Mike: =I’m gonna go home and roll a cigarette (.) huh huh huh huh=
18 Kathy: =hah hah hah hah (.) ◦o:h my god◦

6. Lady of the night
• Carrie: I just don’t understand why she doesn’t put clothes on (.) I swear
• I’ve seen her dressed? twice=
3 Mike: =she had to sell though
4 Kathy: huh huh huh [huh huh]
5 Carrie: [appar]ently
6 Riley: [huh (.) she’s in between clients]
((2 lines deleted)
9 Carrie: (yeah) I’ve seen her in clothes twice other than that she’s in her ro:be
10 Kathy: [did she have a red light on over her head
11Carrie: [or she’s wrapped in a blanket sitting [on the ( )]
12 Mike: [yeah she] must be uh::
13 (1.0)
14 Kathy: prostitute=
15 Riley: =(may[be she-)]
15 Mike: [lady] of the night
line 9 “twice” 

7. Reconstructing/moralizing…
• Appropriate or intelligible actions
• Actions aligned with socioeconomic/class
categorizations
• Actions aligned with gendered behavior