I gained a lot of respect for what I thought of as "shallow
  gossipers" when I realized that they are nerds about people's
  activities and deciphering intent. They're TOTALLY obsessed by
  it and they find other nerds of their own kind. Desperate
  Housewives? Nerds.
  Nerds about people activities. Nerds about fashion. Nerds about
  "the high life".