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Library/Series/Normal Gossip
Grade B21 sourcesHIS-00519

Normal Gossip

Series · 2022 · Notable

45Editable slideCertificate

A podcast about strangers’ gossip reached about 45 million downloads by late 2024.

S1 Ep1: Gossiptonin with Virgie Tovar
Defector Media; Kelsey McKinney and Alex Sujong Laughlin
Defector Annual Report, September 2024 – August 2025 | Defector
Defector
Here, Have A Little "Gossiptonin" | Defector
Defector
Come Join The Normal Gossip Close Friends Circle And Obtain Secrets | Defector
Defector
How 2022 became the year of gossip
TIME
“Normal Gossip” from Kelsey McKinney, Alex Sujong Laughlin, and Defector Media Joins Radiotopia from PRX
PRX via Podnews
Defector Annual Report, September 2022 – August 2023 | Defector
Defector
A white woman with long brown hair holds her hand to her face and whispers into the ear of a black woman wearing her afro out.
ABC News
Defector Annual Report, September 2023 – August 2024 | Defector
Defector
Best of the Year So Far Podcasts Featured
TIME
If You Love Podcasts, Dump Spotify | Defector
Defector
The Normal Gossip team at the host and producer handover.
Defector / Sylvie Rosokoff
The podcast for eavesdropping on gossip
Embedded

Spread Score

How it works
Reach0Contagion75Breadth50Velocity100Longevity3245

Numbers

Peak date
Week of Mar 6, 2024
Jan 5 ’22 to Week of Mar 6, 2024
Platforms
5
Started on Audio
Origin
Seeded
Media & publishing

Mechanics

  • Maker originPrimary
  • Platform jump
  • Press loop
  • Underdog
  • Scarcity drop

How it spread

Trace the origin

Defector released Normal Gossip in January 2022. Reader recommendations and press coverage carried it beyond the site’s audience. Paid subscriptions and sold-out live shows followed; Vulture reported about 45 million downloads by December 2024.

Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.

Wikipedia views · Google searchesAug ’20Mar ’21NovApr ’22JunOctMar ’23SepFeb ’24MayNovJul ’25NovPeakXAudioPressRedditOpen web
XAudioPressRedditOpen web

13 more events on this chart

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Timeline (16)

  1. October 2020

    Kelsey McKinney precursor · Oct 2020

    McKinney tweeted the idea for a podcast about ordinary people’s gossip.[1]

    Defector Annual Report, September 2024 – August 2025 | Defector
    Open the first post ↗

  2. January 2022

    Kelsey McKinney and Alex Sujong Laughlin seed · Jan 5 ’22

    Defector released the first episode, featuring Virgie Tovar and gossip about a graduate-school cohort.[2][3]

    Here, Have A Little "Gossiptonin" | Defector

  3. The New Yorker press · Jan 14 ’22

    Rachel Syme recommended the show after its first two episodes.[4][6]

Changelogupdated Oct 16 ’26
  1. 2026-10-16Added 1 event · Added 1 source · Added 1 number
  2. 2026-10-14Added: 15 events, 19 sources · Score 45 · Fact-check passed (36 claims)
Origin
Seeded
Sector
Media & publishing
Region
US
Reported figure
—
Evidence
Grade B

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Open web · 2020

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Phasmophobia on Steam

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The Serpent & the Wings of Night

Retail · 2022

38
Bramble cover of The Serpent and the Wings of Night, with a serpent, sword and roses

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Legends & Lattes

Retail · 2022

27
Legends & Lattes novel cover from Travis Baldree’s website

1M sold

New cases, every week

How the next thing spread, the week it does.

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Wikipedia views · Google searchesAug ’20Mar ’21NovApr ’22JunOctMar ’23SepFeb ’24MayNovJul ’25NovPeakXAudioPressRedditOpen web
XAudioPressRedditOpen web

13 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

  1. October 2020

    Kelsey McKinney precursor · Oct 2020

    McKinney tweeted the idea for a podcast about ordinary people’s gossip.[1]

    Defector Annual Report, September 2024 – August 2025 | Defector
    Open the first post ↗

  2. January 2022

    Kelsey McKinney and Alex Sujong Laughlin seed · Jan 5 ’22

    Defector released the first episode, featuring Virgie Tovar and gossip about a graduate-school cohort.[2][3]

    Here, Have A Little "Gossiptonin" | Defector

  3. The New Yorker press · Jan 14 ’22

    Rachel Syme recommended the show after its first two episodes.[4][6]

  1. platform jump · Mar 30 ’22

  2. commercial · Apr 2022

Join free to see the other 13 events and the full chart. Free, on every case.

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Why it worked

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