Our nation's finest art museums are crumbling to pieces, thanks to the global financial crisis. But more specifically, thanks to cheapskates like you.

Last week the Metropolitan Museum announced that it's laying off 74 people. Do you think that's just because of some vague macroeconomic thing, concerning rich donors? No, it's because broke small people such as you are not paying the "suggested" $20 donation at the museum. Some of you are just waltzing in for a mere buck! [The sensible ones. Has anyone ever voluntarily paid $20 to go in the Met? If so, why?]

Meanwhile, The Whore of California's Babylon, the City of Los Angeles, will soon be left with no art outside of tattoos and gang graffiti. LA's two Getty museums are getting slammed by the stupid stock market:

President James Wood said the financial stability of the Getty, the world's richest arts institution, could "fall off a huge cliff" if it delayed drastic cuts and hard times continued.

And on top of that, admission is free at the Getty, so even a widespread public guilt campaign can't save them! You lose your job, so you go to the museum more to fill your empty hours, but you pay less, so the museum lays off more people, and the vicious cycle continues. Soon the only 'museum' will be a picture of a $28 million chair, upon which we gaze, salivating at its tasty leather exterior.
[Pic via]