The internet has created specific "deep dive" niches where unverified rumors take on a life of their own.

Engaging with celebrity lives can create a sense of connection and excitement, serving as a distraction from daily routines. This practice is as old as the early Roman Empire, where women mimicked the hairstyles of Empress Valeria Messalina, much like modern consumers purchase branded fragrances to "smell like" their favorite stars.

celebrity gossip — Substack — Lisa Jakub: Keynote Speaker

: We often see celebrities as simultaneously human and god-like. This allows us to judge their actions—like poor job performance or public outbursts—as if they were people we know, while struggling to "fire" them from their elevated social hierarchy.

: For many, finding flaws in celebrities is a way to feel superior or to recognize where they fit into society. However, critics argue that "canceling" culture, rooted in gossip, can be an engine of destruction that feeds on human misery. Bizarre Wormholes & Persistent Rumors