I'm a personal believer that gossip is just information that has been unfairly maligned. Women have been gossiping for centuries. How do you think information was shared pre-internet? Books and newspapers only get you so far. How was the house down the road supposed to know that Jeannie had a baby out of wedlock or that Tom was back on the gin? Gossip. True, to talk about people behind their backs is not always nice, but it can be at least constructive. And as long as you take every juicy tidbit with a grain of salt, then it's fair game.
One of the best ways to exercise your gossip muscle without fear of hurting others is to gossip about people who you don't know. That's why Twitter is so addicting. But these memes are just as delicious as hearing that your favorite celebrity has really funky-smelling feet.