El Gran Galeoto

I was surprised when I read "The Great Galeoto" to find that it was about gossip and the detrimental effect that gossip can have on the people about whom it circulates. In our world full of cheating movie stars and scandalous singers and athletes gossip has become ubiquitous.

What is so tantalizing about the stories of what goes on in other people's lives? Does it somehow provide affirmation that the rest of us are decent people because we don't do that, or nobody knows about it if we do? I've read theories of language development that state humans developed language because of the desire to gossip and it appears to be present in every human culture and language. For some reason we have some basic need to discuss the status and affairs of others.

Which leaves me to wonder if it is as detrimental to people now as it was when Echegaray wrote "The Great Galeoto"? Are reputations and relationships as delicate? We are certainly more inured to scandalous tales but just because they're more public and more known doesn't mean they're less harmful.