Male and female's gossip in Mean Girls movie (2004)

Through this study, the researcher examines the usage of gossip by male and female characters in Mean Girls movie. As many people assume that gossip is a kind of conversation which only uses by woman, the aims of this study are to discover that gossip is not only used by woman. Thus, this study analyzes the types of gossip which are used by male and female characters and the functions of gossip which are used by male and female characters in movie. In analyzing this study, the researcher uses Deborah Jones’s theory (1980) and Robert Foster’s theory (2004). Moreover, the researcher uses qualitative methods to analyzing this study. The result of this study shows that both female and male characters in this movie use four of four types of gossip, including Chatting, Scandal, House Talk, and Bitching. Moreover, both of genders often use Scandal as the type of gossip in their conversation. Furthermore, the female characters use four of four functions of gossip in their conversation, including Provide Information, Enhance Friendship, Give Entertainment, and Influence Others. Otherwise, male characters use three of four functions of gossip in their conversation, including Provide Information, Enhance Friendship, and Influence Others. Through the result of this study, the researcher has proven that gossip is not only restricted to woman. Male characters in the movie tend to use similar type of gossip as female characters, it means that gossip is not a kind of conversation which is associated to woman.