[See updates at end of post] There's a new disease in South Africa. It's scam-artists like Entertainment Online using the names of speakers and others in such a way as if they represent us. When they don't, and they don't have a mandate to, either. SA Entertainment Online are not known to me, have no authority to use my name and do not represent me. They probably also don't represent many of the other people showcased on their website.
Their rank amateurism and opportunism is breath-taking. Here's the spurious, ungrammatical and unethical 
crap they have on their website.
Jacques de Villers points out in his comment on this Blog, that the idiots at Entertainment-Online even feature dead artistes! Sheiza. Brenda Fassie being one of 'em. Yet they keep the search engines finding the people meta-tagged on their site. Brenda's psuedo-representation by these opportunistic bastards is also right at the top of a Google search for her. See below. All of this ticks me off no end. I even have a rolling disclaimer on my website stating that I am not represented by bureaus, agents or any other form of parasitic life. These people just have no scruple.
UPDATE 1th March '08: You've just gotta love these people! They promise a real quick turn-around time getting back to you. But clearly not in response to complaints or protests!
UPDATE 12th March '08: Cowardly bastards don't have the cahunas or the manners to get in touch (they don't take phone calls remember?), but they must have removed the meta-tagging, as their crappy site no longer lists me. This bears taking as a complaint to the Consumer Ombud. It's the equivalent of the now illegal 'negative marketing'. i.e. You don't respond and you find your insurance premium has increased because of an add-on you didn't want, but which you didn't decline. Those days are gone. These Entertainment-Online amateur opportunists need to know that.
Hey Clive,
Good spot. I checked out the site but didn't come across your name. Half the booking links don't work and they've also got a dead singer on its books (Brenda Fassie). I think this hasn't been updated for years. It is not high up on search and is not well visited. A big concern is that there's no telephone number to phone and this certainly is a big black mark.
On a positive note - the photos of most of the speakers are great - Motivators hasn't got such great photos. I need to get back to my speakers and ask them for new photos.
Thanks for the great blogs, I read them all and find them particularly interesting.
Jacques
Posted by: Jacques de Villiers | Saturday, 08 March 2008 at 09:59
Hi Jacques! Google my name and this site comes up as number 1 with my name on it. See pic on posting. So someone's doin' somethin' to keep it there. Although I may not be pictured, my name is clearly in a metatag, or Google couldn't have found it. Warmest, C
Posted by: Clive Simpkins | Sunday, 09 March 2008 at 06:57
Dude, any person or company that can get Brenda Fassie to perform from beyond must be fucking AWESOME!
Posted by: Don | Wednesday, 12 March 2008 at 17:12
Don, you naughty bugger! I now have this sneaking, paranoid feeling that you might be the brain behind the entertainment online empire. I knew those banks and banks of Apple Powerbooks in Casa Links were not just there for show....
Posted by: Clive Simpkins | Wednesday, 12 March 2008 at 21:36
I think it would be prudent to pay AFTER the gig. Just in case Brenda somehow can't muster the lung power from beyond the grave. I know she was good. But THAT good?
Posted by: Roy Blumenthal | Sunday, 16 March 2008 at 10:44
Now then Mr. B! I'll get out and dust of my Ouija Board and have her Brrrrrr you! ;-)
Posted by: Clive Simpkins | Sunday, 16 March 2008 at 15:52
Hey Clive,
Billy Selekane phoned me today and asked me about Entertainment Online. It appears that he has been featured and is not too happy about it.
Posted by: Jacques de Villiers | Tuesday, 18 March 2008 at 20:31
Well I did make a call to the people behind the site and they gave me a long protracted explanation. I urged them to remove me asap or I was going to unleash some "township flavour" on them, if you know what I mean. Well I felt very violated by this , it is really going crazy this tagging Blah! Blah!....I had thought that the internet is a Boon to us but sometimes it feels like a DOOM to us...hope some of you guys will also let them remove you.
Posted by: Billy Selekane | Wednesday, 19 March 2008 at 10:08