Layoffs, layoffs, layoffs

Now that the government has officially decided that we're in a recession -- since December 2007, no less -- news of massive layoffs has started gearing up, and no one's looking immune. Especially not in Hollywood.

Viacom, which owns Paramount Pictures, MTV, VH1, and Comedy Central, announced a 7% company layoff worldwide -- 850 employees, including lots at MTV.

Meanwhile, NBC Universal is also planning on cutting hundreds of employees after already enacting severe cost-cutting measures this week: no staff member is allowed to have a personal printer, for example, and perhaps most telling of all, the execs are being forced to ride coach when they fly to the upcoming Superbowl.

ABC/Disney is also forcing its higher-ups to ride coach, as well as canceling all holiday parties and refusing to pay for drinks at business meals.

Reading all these in a row, you'd think the world was coming to an end. Usually the bad news on this blog is of the schadenfreudian kind. This stuff is just plain crappy.

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