teatracking-blog

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About the Term

The term, “tea,” is a word present the English language. In the past, “tea” solely referred to a beverage made by pouring hot water over a leaf, flower, or plant of some sort. This drink can either be served hot or over ice, the latter appropriately deemed “iced tea.” Depending on personal preference, some choose to drink their tea with milk or sugar added, and others choose to enjoy it plain.

The origins of tea can be traced back to the Shang dynasty in Southwest China for remedial purposes. Suitably, the etymology of the term also has Chinese origins.

In recent years, approximately 2017 onwards, the meaning of tea has shifted from the original drink to essentially be a synonym of “gossip.” In a hypothetical conversation between millennials, one may ask their friend, “What’s the tea?” or “Do you have any tea?” which asks if there is any hot gossip or drama that they would like to spread. Saying “Spill the tea” or “Let’s sip tea” are as equally efficient to facilitate a discussion on frivolous, everyday matter. It is not farfetched to assume that this idea stemmed from older ladies having a tea party and discussing prevalent gossip over their beverages. At least, this is just one image that is evoked. Tea as gossip is further insinuated by the two contemporary memes below:

The above meme alludes to the tea that is about to be sipped, or the gossip about to be shared, between friends regarding the “bitch” in reference. The exaggerated, almost hyperbolic pouring of tea in mugs is what may elicit laughter from this meme’s audience.  

This meme is also funny, but it comments on real-world, prevalent issues. The tea in this situation is blatantly calling out the hypocrisy in this world.

Tea, or “T” can also connote “true.” This can be used as a term of agreeance in a conversation. For example, if somebody were to say, “It might be too cold to go to the beach today,” the person on the receiving end of the conversation may exclaim, “Tea,” meaning “Yes, true.” 

“Tea” can also be used in the Western idiom “not my cup of tea.” In this phrase, the speaker may imply that the subject in reference is not something they enjoy, or to use another expression, “not up their alley.” The image below demonstrates this idiom through new media, as it uses emojis to convey the sentiment behind this tried and true expression.

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Boston Tea Party

The biggest political implication of tea is demonstrated through the 1773 Boston Tea Party, a painting of which is shown below. 

This historical event was an American protest against signs of British colonization: increased taxes on tea. The Boston Tea Party demonstrates tea’s importance as a symbol of American liberation.

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Japanese Tea Ceremony

The Japanese Tea Ceremony, as demonstrated in the video above, is one of many cultural traditions which revolve around tea. This choreographed ritual involves the ceremonial preparation of a Japanese tea called matcha, and it has been present since the 12th century. The purpose of this ceremony is to create a bond between the host of the ceremony and the guests, alluding to the social significance of the drink. 

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Tea in Britain

Tea is a large part of English culture, with the United Kingdom being one of the world’s largest tea consumers. Drinking tea, or “afternoon tea” is a typical British custom that takes root in the actions of Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford in the 1800s. She introduced this idea to fill some time between lunch and dinner.

The image below of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge is the epitome of tea in British culture, as it connotes classiness and sophistication.

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Tea & Consent

Tea can be compared and contrasted with the word “consent,” as demonstrated by the above artifact. These words are completely different, but the creator of the video used tea as a metaphor for sexual consent in attempts to make the audience aware of rape and rape culture. This video has been circulated among various college campuses, including Chapman University’s, in attempts to educate and empower. Though the video is indeed about consent and not the beverage nor the word’s more nuanced meanings, the fact that it is effective in this light speaks to the term’s versatility.

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Tea & Gossip

“Tea” in modern day is synonymous with the term “gossip,” or "a report of an intimate nature.” Thus, it is only natural to compare these terms with one another. The best way to do so is to look at the way the word “gossip” works in popular culture. The 2007 – 2012 television show, Gossip Girl, portrays the lives of teenagers living in New York City. It is narrated by an anonymous blogger, "Gossip Girl," who spreads the gossip and news of the social circle on which the audience is keeping tabs. The clip below is from the series’ pilot episode and provides an idea of the series’ intent:

Though this series was pertinent to adolescent pop culture in the 21st century, if it were aired today (2019), differences in its execution would be seen. For example, the technology of smart phones that is present today would facilitate the spreading of gossip even faster. Also, the modern day employment of “tea” as another word for “gossip” makes one wonder: if “Gossip Girl” was created today, how would “tea” be integrated into the show’s concept?

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Drag & Tea

The award-winning reality television show, RuPaul’s Drag Race, is built on the premise of having various drag queens, or male artists dressing extravagantly as women, compete for the title of "America's next drag superstar." Though this show reaches wide audiences of different natures, it primarily speaks to those of the LGBTQ community because they may feel some affinity with the characters of the show, thus highlighting sexual ideologies. “Tea,” or “T,” is an integral term in the queens’ vocabulary and is used in many episodes. When looking at promotional video clips  like the one below, one can see the term at work.

This interview with Queen Alaska Thunderfuck is prime example of tea being sipped in the context of the show. The music video for Thunderfuck’s song, “The T,” further perpetuates the term’s usage in the drag community. 

Disclaimer: the following artifact contains profane and vulgar language. 

The song, taken in conjunction with the music video, depicts Thunderfuck’s avant-garde sipping of tea about herself and her own life. Some lyrics which underscore her tea include “I like black tea / I like black D / I never touched Tina / and that’s the T,” then later in the song, “Let’s talk about my exes.” These refer to frivolous matter in Thunderfuck’s life, mostly with sexual, or more specifically, homosexual implications. 

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Tea in Celebrity World

As seen in the above videos, the Game of Thrones actress, Sophie Turner, has perpetuated the “tea” trend through her various social media platforms during recent years, specifically that of Instagram. 

She does this for comedic relief, delivering statements in a neutral, dry manner, exclaiming “and that’s the tea,” and taking a sip from her teacup.

Here, “tea” connotes “truth,” and the phrase “that’s the tea” translates to mean “these are the facts.” 

Though this may not be intentional, Turner utilizes her status as a celebrity to popularize the usage of the term. Her fiancé, singer Joe Jonas, now also uses this term because of Turner’s influence, further promoting the phrase towards a different a demographic that Turner may not reach. 

The fact that these celebrities say “tea” on a regular basis is a testament to its prevalence and how it works in modern-day.