DeuxMoi: A Modern-Day Gossip Girl
Words by Brooklyn Leota (she/her)
Sent via form submission from Salient
Pseudonyms, Please: You Know You Love Me
Email: anon@anon.com
Subject: Modern Day Gossip Girl
Message: As a fan of the tv show Gossip Girl, I’m finding that life truly does reflect art. There’s a new gossip curator in NYC who’s sharing all the dirty little secrets of Hollywood’s biggest stars. DeuxMoi became popular during the 2020 lockdown and has changed how we get our celebrity gossip, having garnered 1.5M followers since.
What is DeuxMoi?
DeuxMoi is an Instagram account that is described as the modern-day Gossip Girl.
Before moving platforms to Instagram, DeuxMoi was originally one of many blogs and websites that worked around the idea of ‘blind items,’ or ‘blinds.’ A blind item is a term that has been around since the early 20th century; it describes a news story, more specifically, gossip, that does not reveal the names of the people involved, leaving the reader in the dark. Blinds use generic terms to identify subjects of gossip, such as the tier they are considered: A-list, B-list, C-list, and D-list. Here’s an examplei: “This A-list actress starred in an iconic role for an iconic television show. She was also pregnant quite often. Almost every day. She was the biggest of Karens this weekend and left people in tears. She really has become a lot less nice over the years.”
DeuxMoi receives thousands of blinds each day, giving an insight into what celebrities are like behind closed doors and what their next moves may be. “Statements made on this account have not been independently confirmed. This account does not claim any information published is based in fact,” reads DeuxMoi's bio. Not knowing who the blind is about is what makes the account so fun. You’ll find yourself trying to puzzle together exactly which celebrities were posting about going to Cardi B’s party, and exactly who was in the background of whose posts. Think VUW Meaningful Confessions, except it’s Hollywood.
With enough people banding together to crack these mysteries, a blind item can be revealed, changing your perspective on a celebrity. For example, the story I used earlier is none other than Jennifer Aniston. Gossip can be entertaining, exciting, and occasionally terrifying. Frequently, I find myself sharing a story from DeuxMoi with a friend to try and guess who it is about. We love speculating, even though it's none of our business.
To continue drawing parallels to VUW Meaningful Confessions: confession #389 about the bathroom rankings lives in my mind rent free as I continue to wonder where the beautiful bathroom with greenery is.
DeuxMoi is one of the most notable sites, but there are others such as Crazy Days and Nights which famously use ‘blind items’ to spread the gossip they receive.
What draws us in?
DeuxMoi gets tips on where celebrities eat, where they drink, and where they party. When someone tells you, “you’ll never guess what I heard,” you want to know every single detail even though it may be about a stranger. Humans are naturally curious and we ultimately gossip for fun. We consume information about celebrities everywhere: movies, television, music, social media. They seemingly live lives so different to ours, so knowing where they go to wine and dine is a way to understand their world
In the world of DeuxMoi, Sunday is for ‘Sunday Spotted,’ when the account posts celebrities going about their day-to-day life. Tuesday is a live chat with Deux themselves as they chat with their fans, elaborate on information posted in the week prior, and get new information. Thursday is my favourite day because that's when Deux U episodes get released. It's a weekly podcast where DeuxMoi discusses exclusive content and talks with guests that are in the know about celebrity gossip. Readers also receive emails about celebrities' next moves, upcoming tour announcements, updates on shows and movies that are in production, and general behind-the-scenes knowledge.
Is it all fun and games or is what DeuxMoi posts true?
It is typical for some submissions DeuxMoi receives only be mentioned one time as nothing else comes out related to it, but, if we’re lucky, some will get proven true. Recently, DeuxMoi posted a submission of Kim Kardashian being spotted at Ripley’s Believe It or Not, looking at Marilyn Monroe’s infamous “Happy Birthday Mr. President” dress. If you followed the MET Gala, you would know that she did in fact end up wearing this dress. DeuxMoi never reveals their sources, but sometimes sources themselves will confirm whether the blind is true.
DeuxMoi was notorious for maintaining its anonymity until very recently, when they got outed (the Gossip Girl parallels are never-ending). They have yet to speak on the matter, so the question remains: what is next for DeuxMoi?
Happy speculating, and I’ll see you on Thursdays for Deux U.
