Gene Simmons of KISS interview on NPR's "Fresh Air" today

Danny Tse

You may have heard of this infamous interview on NPR's "Fresh Air". The interview is being repeated this week as part of the "Heavy Metal/Hard Rock" interview series this week. From Wikipedia....

A February 4, 2002 interview on the NPR radio show Fresh Air with Terry Gross, Gene Simmons said to Gross, "If you want to welcome me with open arms, I'm afraid you're also going to have to welcome me with open legs," to which Gross replied, "That's a really obnoxious thing to say." Simmons refused to grant permission to NPR to make the interview available online on the station's website. However, the interview appears in Gross's book All I Did Was Ask (ISBN 1401300103), and some unauthorized transcripts are also available.[2]

That line was broadcasted today. Check your local listings.

blakeh

I downloaded this interview in MP3 format years ago and it's nearly impossible for me to get through the whole thing. Gene Simmons isn't just an **** -- that I could accept -- it's the fact that he's such a poseur while trying to act like a bad ****.

The interview is one part annoying and eight parts embarrassing.

Still, it's good for a laugh if you don't mind cringing at the prospect of a rock God acting like a geeky freshman band student trying to act cool in front of the prom queen to get a date.

bobman1235

I've heard a bunch of interviews with Gene Simmons. I completely agree with blakeh. The guy is just a total self-righteous ****.

Demiurge

That "chick" looks like a sickly 13 year old boy. Pretty sure he was just **** around.

blakeh

Demiurge wrote: »

Pretty sure he was just **** around.

I have no doubt he was **** around, but IMO, he wasn't at all clever about it. He just managed to show off his own ignorance by using words incorrectly and trying to act like he was some sort of scholar when it was quite obvious that he was way out of his league.

Again, I have no doubt that he was trying to yank the chains of the NPR host, I just think he did a laughable and embarrassing job of it.

Demiurge

Yeah, I never listened to the interview myself, just what was posted above there. He does seem like a giant d-bag.

krabby5

you ever watch "Family Jewels"?

His arrogance is incredible..

madmax

I like Gene Simmons. I think it is his act to look and act scholarly while showing he is not. Like a double sarcasm or something.
madmax

Danny Tse

krabby5 wrote: »

His arrogance is incredible..

Here's the transcript of the interview. Check this part out....

Terry Gross: You write in your book you've had 4,600 sexual liaisons --
Gene Simmons: You're supposed to say "so far."
Terry Gross: So far.
Gene Simmons: Right.

madmax

That would be over 12 years with a different one every night. Shouldn't he be dead by now?

bobman1235

madmax wrote: »

That would be over 12 years with a different one every night. Shouldn't he be dead by now?

I figure you can knock off a few hundred with a big enough orgy.

schwarcw

He is a complete moron and an ****. But I'm just jealous as I'm sure he's had a lot of nice trim. The number may be exaggerated, but quite a few little hotties I'm sure.

dragon1952

I listened to this station on the way back from taking a relative to the airport the other day (6 hr round trip, BTW). She was interviewing Robert Plant and she was talking about the lyrics to Stairway to Heaven. She was wondering what he was thinking about when he wrote the lyrics:

if there's a bustle in your hedgerow,
don't be alarmed now,
it's just a sprig leaf for the May queen

he goes, "it's spring clean!" :rolleyes: although he probably added in his thoughts "you stupid freakin' twit!"

Actually, it was a pretty cool interview overall.

hypertone

This guy is really stuck on himself, which is quite funny because he is just an old has-been from a very overrated band. I guess there's nothing wrong with being overly confident, but damn, he acts like he's god's gift to women, yet he's just a greasy old man. I think it's quite disgusting actually. His music just sucks **** hard. He can't sing, his playing is sloppy. Why don't bozos like him and Ozzy just give it up and go out with dignity?

F1nut

Worst band of all time. I'm proud to have given them the single digit salute to their faces.

WilliamM2

This guy is really stuck on himself, which is quite funny because he is just an old has-been from a very overrated band.

Has-been? I'm no fan of the band, but their last tour (2003) earned them $64 million. Almost all of that going to Simmons and Stanley alone.

Wonder how much A&E pays him for that rotten show?

Midnite Mick

F1nut wrote: »

Worst band of all time. I'm proud to have given them the single digit salute to their faces.

I think there is a story in there. C'mon, do tell, do tell.

On a side note I never liked KISS nor Gene Simmons in the past. However, I do like Family Jewels as I find it kind of funny. I think the whole Gene Simmons persona is/was all marketing and business. Gotta keep people talking about you if you want to make money selling yourself.

Thanks,
Mike