Exemplary Codgers: Donatella Versace

Ahoy there, readers. And a special “ahoy” to my grandson Max. His photography article yesterday was really something, wasn’t it? I really felt the thrill of traveling cross-country by looking at his photos. He has such a creative spirit. You know, if Max weren’t already a glassblowing artisan, he could always make a living as a photographer for a museum. Any museum would be proud to hang his photos up on the wall.

Now on to the next order of business: Today is as good a time as any to talk about my latest appointee to the list of Exemplary Codgers: Donatella Versace. The Wikipedia encyclopedia documents her age as 55, which at first I thought was a typographical error. But then I remembered that Donatella is European, and they can retire earlier over there because the government supports its senior citizens, in effect encouraging people to strive for seniority. It’s not like it is over here, with everyone preoccupied with staying young by getting plastic surgery. No, Donatella Versace is proud to let herself age naturally and is not ashamed of her mature physique, frequently flaunting it in the media:

A photo of Donatella Versace you can see at The Inquisitr

Using the YouTube video search engine, I found this fascinating video footage of Donatella being interviewed by former Supreme Court nominee Harriet Mays Powell. It’s good to know that Harriet Mays Powell landed on her feet after that nomination fiasco: New York Magazine was generous to offer her a position as its Fashion Director. How many other places would even consider hiring a Supreme Court non-starter? Not many, I’ll tell you that much. Maybe a dry cleaner or a newsstand might take her on as an apprentice, but that’s about it.

As you can see, Donatella Versace has dedicated her life to charity by encouraging the younger generation to become creative. She lets them draw and paint different types of fashions that she then sells right there in her store. The children hold full creative control (this is the complete opposite of the Kathie Lee Sweatshop); did you see the gold leather suit and that dress with zippers all over it that those kids came up with? This kind of creativity can only come from the mind of a child. And Donatella was kind enough to transform their ideas into reality. Donatella Versace, The Codger salutes you.

Until next time!

Ahoy,

The Codger

Trying To Re-expose the Kathie Lee Sweatshop

Ahoy there, readers. I’m still outraged from writing to you about the BP oil spill the day before yesterday, so I thought I should write about another corporate scandal today. I spent all morning researching the Kathie Lee sweatshop online to re-expose it, but I can’t find anything. It doesn’t even have a Web site. What kind of business these days doesn’t have one? One that’s trying to fly under the radar, that’s what kind.

Kathie Lee was off the TV for years and years, and then suddenly she’s back on the Today Show. They even created a special hour devoted just to her, known as the Fourth Hour, although there is another woman on it, Hoda something, I believe her name is. You’re not going to tell me she made this remarkable comeback without child labor. Of course, we all know that celebrities get to play by a different set of rules than the rest of us.

Like I said, the details are scarce, but I was able to find one picture that I believe shows the Kathie Lee sweatshop:

It’s on a Web site called “Discount Babies”, where they’re auctioning off some of Kathie Lee’s child laborers to help pay her legal fees. The bidding is already bid up to $176.99. While that may be an excellent price, I find it hard to believe that it’s legal to sell laborers over the Internet, especially child laborers. Dear readers, I urge you to break the cycle by not bidding on these child laborers. If you want to set a good example for Kathie Lee to follow, hire your own laborers and make sure that they’re not working in a sweatshop!

Until next time!

Ahoy,

The Codger