It’s the end of an era, an era rife with everything we hold dear, i.e. malice, judgments, and the word “slut.” Juicy Campus is shutting down February 5^th, unable to maintain its costs as ad sales have declined. Where will we find out who the sluttiest girl on campus is? The biggest closet homosexual? The ugliest frat guy?

When the economy is so bad that it actually is detrimental to gossip and spite, you know you’re in a recession. I’ve heard a lot of talk about increases in sales of stuff like SPAM, boxed macaroni and cheese, and instant mashed potatoes; these are supposed to be indicators of economic (and digestive) distress. I say the best indicator is when even bitchiness takes a nosedive.

The Los Angeles Times reports:

JuicyCampus, a popular online hangout for college students to spread anonymous rumors about classmates, is dropping out on Thursday.

The social tabloid grew to more than 500 campuses in the year and half since its launch. But the website is closing up shop, citing a lack of sufficient ad revenue and outside funding.

JuicyCampus' message boards were a hotbed for such crucial college discussions as who is the most promiscuous sorority girl or the hottest waitress at the downtown sports bar, and how to deal with overbearing parents.

The website recently launched a number of beta features, including a way to rank landmarks on campus and an alcoholic beverage catalog -- college at its finest.

For those regretting involvement in a particular racy post, the blog post assures users that their IP addresses won't be released without a subpoena. The abrupt closing is unrelated to the New Jersey and Connecticut attorney general investigations for possible violations of consumer protection and fraud laws, according to an FAQ posted to the company's blog.

"In these historically difficult economic times, online ad revenue has plummeted and venture capital funding has dissolved," Matt Ivester, the website's founder and chief executive, wrote on the JuicyCampus blog. "JuicyCampus’ exponential growth outpaced our ability to muster the resources needed to survive this economic downturn."

Well, I guess in these hard economic times we’re going to have to revert back to doing things the old-fashioned way, and I’m not talking about using candles instead of electric lights. Yes, my mean-spirited compatriots, we’re going to have to go back to saying terrible things about our peers in person or at least without the cloak of anonymity offered by Juicy Campus. Juicy Campus, R.I.P.