Danny Gokey Gear Not Affiliated with Danny Gokey
UPDATE: Danny just tweeted this:
Many companies r claiming 2 partner w/ Sophia’s Heart (clothes, eyewear, ect).They r all SCAMS. We have not seen 1 penny nor been contacted
Last week I posted a story about the online eyewear company, FramesDirect.com selling eyeglasses on behalf of Danny Gokey Gear, with part of the proceeds going to Danny Gokey’s charity, Sophia’s Heart foundation.
One would think with the advert not only sporting Danny’s photo, but also the American Idol official logo, that it would somehow be affiliated with Danny Gokey.
Well, no.
The real deal became clearer over the weekend when curious fans contacted FramesDirect.com for more information and the company replied that they were partnered with a Danny Gokey FANSITE, NOT Danny Gokey himself.
Later, Frames Direct updated their site, removing Danny’s photo and the AI Logo, and adding this disclaimer:
Please Note: This is not a direct partnership with Danny Gokey but instead we are providing FramesDirect.com customers with a selection of eyeglasses worn by Danny Gokey on American Idol. FramesDirect.com will donate 50% of our profits from any sales of products listed on this page between May 24th 2009 and July 21st 2009 to Sophia’s Heart Foundation.
Using Danny’s likeness and the AI logo to sell glasses without a formal affiliation? I’m surprised FramesDirect.com didn’t instantly get a Cease and Desist from 19. Believe me, they harass peeps for far less.
MTV did some digging, contacting the fan who started Danny Gokey Gear, and basically could not get a concrete answer about how the funds will be distributed to Danny’s charity.
In fact, the fan claims he tried to make contact with Sophia’s Heart, but has yet to formally connect to the organization. So, there’s no set plan in place to transfer funds to the organization. Yet, they are promoting the venture with promises to donate a percentage of proceeds to the charity.
Fishy! Danny, or somebody at 19 needs to step in….
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38 Responses to “Danny Gokey Gear Not Affiliated with Danny Gokey”
Yeah, I agree. I just worry about trying to do so much, especially at a time when he has so much going on. I know he can’t possibly be intimately involved because, well, at the moment it’s just not possible.
I think it is admirable that he wanted to start the foundation in his wife’s name, to “carry on her legacy on earth.” She (as well as Danny) was intimately involved in volunteer work to help children from disadvantaged backgrounds. He has a good goal. But I must say, I wouldn’t know where to start with something like this….so hopefully he is getting some good advice and help.
I understand the motivation for wanting to have a legacy for your deceased loved one. I wish him the best in this endeavor.
Poor Danny
“I understand the motivation for wanting to have a legacy for your deceased loved one. I wish him the best in this endeavor.”
Me too. Also I would have no idea where to begin if I were in his shoes. I give him kudos for trying. And I think he is sincere.
I am gob smacked. Truly, flat on my ass gob smacked. Donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t they care about getting sued? Or have they set up their corporation so as to render them immune from any legal wrangling? Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d always wondered about fan sites selling tee shirts, etc. I helped set up a site for SYTYCD performer Mark Kanemura last year. All merchandise profits (after expenses) went to his dance studio (a not-for-profit enterprise). We took care to set it all up ahead of time (get permission, arrange for Pay Pal). I cannot imagine doing something like that as a gyp. Talk about brass balls! I hope they get shut down pronto.
Poor Danny. I hope this doesn’t taint his foundation too much. I’m glad he had this athlete is supporting him. What a bummer coming back from something like that presentation and then finding out this is happening. He sure is learning a lot about the hard-knock life this year. I hope the best for him.
I know that Clark Howard recommends ordering (and orders for himself) from some company online for great deals on eyeglasses, but I have no idea what it’s called. Hopefully it’s not this company, probably not.
“FramesDirect” is just getting on the bandwagon of abusing Danny and his (very sad, actually) story for its own benefit. Some do it for laughs, some for profit.
Considering the speed with which they remove Toobes you’d think they’d have been right on top of that logo situation.
LOL!!!!
You all are ridiculous!
Why would FramesDirect get sued? They are just selling glasses WORN by Danny Gokey.
What is the difference between selling people glasses that they have seen Paris Hilton wearing or Danny Gokey wearing. Give me a break.
Fans want to know what glasses Danny is wearing (demand). FramesDirect offers people the service to buy the glasses Danny is wearing (supply). It’s economics 101. Would you like everyone to stop selling retail products all together?
True or False everyone on this blog dreams about Danny Gokey every night before they go to sleep?
Well, I think the biggest deal is that they claim to be giving a cut of the profits to the foundation that Danny set up in his wife’s name, Sofia’s Heart Foundation. Danny says that they haven’t been contacted at all about this, and they haven’t received a penny.
Also, they used Danny’s likeness with the AI logo. I’m no lawyer, but I can see how that is not legit.
That’s it.
I think that if they get in trouble this will be why. The Gokey Gear website has been selling Danny clothes all season long. I believe that they were operating like Cafe Press does. Cafe Press is another website, that sells clothes representing the different idols to fans. Stuff like T-shirts that say “I love so and so” “So and So” is my idol, etc… For example they were selling Anoop gear this season. I think that doing something like that is probably okay.
But selling the eyeglasses using Danny’s image and the AI logo and saying that they are giving money to Danny’s foundation but not doing that, and them not telling him about that or contacting him about it, could hurt them.
I think that like someone mentioned upthread, some of the fans probably had good intentions, but they went about things wrong. The Gokey Gear website shouldn’t have partnered with Frames Direct, without Danny or Idol knowing about it.
So this is fan induced? Wow….way wrong.
Right, Jx. The ad looked like Danny was involved or had endorsed this company. Selling something that features an Idol’s name or a piece of clothing or eyewear like something the person wore is one thing; making it look like the person is behind the promotion is not. Neither is featuring the AI logo, making it look like AI’s production company has OK’d the product and sales effort. The supposed link to the charity, in the absence of any real connection there, makes it even worse because it plays on people’s desire to contribute to a worthwhile cause.
I am surprised Simon and Simon are not all over this. The logo implies a blessing from Idol.