The Zsa Zsa Golden Casket Controversy: The view from the other side

Yesterday I wrote a blog entry questioning the good taste of The Golden Casket, a coffin manufacturer, in promoting their product by giving Zsa Zsa Gabor a $40,000 gold casket while she is ailing.

Zsa Zsa

The Golden Casket folks got wind of this and their publicist sent me an email, which is their side of the story, and you can see it, in its entirety, below.

One thing's for sure; regardless of what you think about their idea of appropriate gifting, these people make a good looking coffin. You can check out their website at this link. If you want to be buried like a Pharaoh, they're the people you need to call.

One of the points of the original post is that people tend to like gifts that they can use when they're, you know.. alive!



Would have looked better with
A Golden Casket



But after looking at their products, I realized, a person could make some fun use out of them. Put some wheels and motor on one and you'd have the Bentley of coffins..or is that the coffin of Bentleys?

If I were a vampire, a Golden Casket coffin is definitely where I'd want to be having a good day's rest.



"This wouldn't have happened
if my coffin had a lock! If only I'd called
The Golden Casket!"


What I'm getting at is that I'm feeling a little under the weather today, so why wait 'till the last minute, Golden Casket people? If you want to comp me a coffin too, I'm sure I'll make good use of it!

                                

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The Golden Casket Company (http://www.thegoldencasket.com) makes luxury hand-crafted caskets using 24 Karat gold. The men behind these works of art are artists and craftsmen by trade. Only a limited number of caskets are made due to the intense labor and skill that is put into each casket.


When the news of Zsa Zsa Gabor’s struggle with health hit the airways, the owners of The Golden Casket were honored to extend the company's kind and heartfelt offer of a pure 24K Golden Casket to Zsa Zsa and the Prince. The Golden Casket Company made the decision after much internal discussion regarding the sensitivity and timing of their offer. The offer was made to Zsa Zsa Gabor’s publicist, John Blanchette, and not to the family directly. Prince Frederic von Anhalt personally expressed serious interest and requested more information from The Golden Casket Company to be sent directly to his attention, nearly two weeks ago.


The original offer sent to the Prince follows below:


January 21st, 2011

His Royal Highness

Prinz Frédéric von Anhalt

1001 Bel Air Road

Los Angeles, CA 90077


Your Royal Highness –

I recently contacted Mr. John Blanchette regarding a beautiful gift for your wife Zsa Zsa, and he requested that I write to you directly.

I am the president and owner of The Golden Casket Company. After reading Zsa Zsa’s recent comments, and following the updates on her health, we thought it would be an appropriate time to contact you and respectfully offer as a gift to Zsa Zsa something for the future that would celebrate her wonderful and colorful life.

We would like to honor Zsa Zsa Gabor by providing an exquisite, handcrafted, pure 24-Karat gold casket – a handmade work of art that will serve as a truly refined and exceptionally beautiful celebration of her life. We feel that a resplendent personality such as Zsa Zsa’s deserves the best and most elegant casket. In addition, we can add one of Zsa Zsa's famous quotes on the interior velvet, as a personal touch.

Our top of the line Monarch 24-Karat Gold Luxury Casket retails for $40,000.00. However, we will donate it at no cost whatsoever to you and Zsa Zsa, provided that discretion is used that this was a gift, and that the casket is the one chosen for the ceremony.

We believe that Zsa Zsa would want to be forever remembered as she has always been in life – beautiful, elegant, uncompromising and completely original. We create the only real pure 24-Karat gold burial casket available in America, and we feel that Zsa Zsa deserves the real thing. Our highly skilled master craftsmen spend more than 200 hours to produce a single casket, and each is a truly unique masterpiece.

Zsa Zsa has of course captivated, inspired and motivated millions of people, including our parents, their parents and us. We would be deeply honored if you and Zsa Zsa would consider accepting this beautiful gift, as we believe it would truly reflect her glamorous and sophisticated era. If you and Zsa Zsa do decide to accept our offer, we will prepare and store the casket, ready for personal delivery to your chosen funeral home.

Enclosed please find our brochure. I look forward to your reply.


Sincerely,



Justin Wessels

President, The Golden Casket Company

Office: (860) 598-4067
Cell: (860) 373-6077


After receiving a voicemail from Gabor’s publicist, John Blanchette, to contact the Prince directly with more information, the founders of The Golden Casket proceeded as requested.

The Golden Casket works primarily with “pre-need” people who order their caskets in advance, sometimes years. The company’s only intent in contacting Gabor’s representative was to make them aware of a new luxury product that would suit a woman of her stature, sophistication, and class. Vice President, Edward Balfour states firmly, “After the negative portrayal on The Golden Casket Company from the article on TMZ.com, we felt it necessary to take further action. We are proud to offer handmade works of art to celebrate the lives of incredible people. I simply do not understand how our company's offer can be taken as anything other than what it is --- a kind and respectful gift. With the couple's financial setbacks, high medical bills, and their estate up for sale, we felt that our gesture was appropriate and with honor. We still feel that way." 

The Golden Casket prides itself on offering exquisite products to well known figures and making the world aware of a luxury entity.