We all know how derogatory faint praise and snide compliments can be. In the last century, the sainted Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan wrote a number of great books detailing the laws of speech and how to avoid the trap of speaking lashon hara . A great effort was made, and is still being made, in the traditional Jewish world to speak in an acceptable and refined holy fashion. There is no room for slander in life. The expose, whether oral or in print, usually leaves the speaker more exposed than the victim.
Uninhibited speech leads to bad consequences.
The characteristic that distinguishes humans from animals is the power of speech, which, more than any other trait, represents our intellectual capacity to communicate. Judaism always has taught that this characteristic is a holy gift from the Creator. Just like the gifts of life, health, talents, and family, this gift of speech is not to be abused. It is to be used sparingly and carefully, for good purposes and not for evil. Gossip, muckraking, slander, and cynical language all fly in the face of the purpose of this holy gift of speech.