We have previously reported on the spread of gossip sites telling tall tales about greeks on campus. Now the long-beleaguered community at Pennsylvania State University is celebrating the recent shuttering of the loss-leader of the pack. "Ding dong, JuicyCampus is dead," quipped Panhellenic Council President Mairys Joaquin. An anonymous poster on the now-defunct site agreed: "This site was f----- up. Thank god it ran into financial troubles. I guess good ol' George Dubya did some good when he destroyed our economy after all."
Penn State Director of Greek Life and Advancement joined the chorus of cheers, saying he "didn't regret" the site's ignominious end. And even the university announced its pleasure, invoking the concerns of many institutes of higher education that JuicyCampus was "crossing the line" between commentary and libel: "If there are concerns about hazing or a university violation, it should go through the right channels rather than go through a gossip Web site." JuicyGossip had been previously targeted by lawsuits and enforced moratoria by greeks elsewhere in the nation to avoid feeding its stream of calumnies.
The only ones not in the cheerleading squad cited were the site's founder, Matt Ivester, and disgruntled gossip fiends. Mr Ivester even admitted to "parts of JuicyCampus that none of us will miss—the mean-spirited posts and personal attacks," but hoped he would remembered for the "lighthearted gossip" in which it pandered instead. Perhaps were there less attacks and more banter, the site would still be a going concern. But a comment from a now dispossessed status-seeker indicated such hopes are in vain, reminding readers of the typical fare once served at JuicyGossip: "You'll be missed. ... how will I ever know what tier my frat is or if the girl I was with last night is slutty ... RIP."
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