Gene Simmons interview w/ Terry Gross

[potato]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgwFDFpfKEM

Here is another interview taken 6 months ago.

I really like how Gene takes over the interview and shows the other sorry ass of a metrosexual feminine politically correct cohost how little he is in comparison.

How did he take over the interview any more than any other guest. He was there to promote his product, probably paid to be there and they let him say what he was there to say. He wasn't as obnoxious as he was on the NPR interview because he had to put on a good face to sell his product.

The girls were paid to be there.

 

[azanon]

Both Gene and Terry are communicating in their native gender languages, Gene's being OVERT and Terry's being COVERT. She starts the interview with a subtle jab at Gene wearing makeup and it being a way of hiding himself. She knows damn well from a previous interview that Gene is a Man who's well aware of his own value, so she starts with the standard feminized assumption that his bravado is a mask too. Gene's smart enough to read this and calls her on her sh!t test. He could've pulled some over the top gansta bullsh!t in offense, but that would only verify Terry's COVERT shot at him. However, rather than let her get to him he counters her and neg hits her. Notice his comments about her tend to be backhanded compliments. They're both playing poker; she bluffs, Gene sees her and raises, etc. As properly conditioned chumps, we assume Gene's an ass hole because he OVERTLY gets the better of her. Our default is always to side with the female, she's ALWAYS the victim, but look a little deeper and you'll see how she deftly sh!t tests him. Her questions seem innoccuous enough, but remember the context of this interview - each of them KNOWS how the other plays.

Nice analysis.

...............

I must say though, for what one opinion is worth, KISS's music is, at best, mediocre. In my mind, it proves that a rock band can have a tremendous impact on influencing the future for reasons other than their music specifically. I absolutely love rock music from the 70s era on, including hard rock and standard heavy metal (though I have yet to develop an appreciate for "thrash" metal). But I see a genius more in bands such as Metallica. To me, Metallica >>>> KISS, from a strictly musical/lyrical standpoint. OH, and I love some rockin' with Dokken too!

Heck, I can only name offhand one KISS song - Rock'n roll all night.

 

[azanon]

As to the interview, Gene Simmons was an a$$hole.

Again, I think most I and everyone else will agree at least with the thesis of your rant. By the 2008 definition of "a$$hole", there is absolutely no question at all that Gene IS one. If we're going to debate anything, the item to debate is whether that is actually a bad thing or not.

I don’t see how so many guys think that the way the people like Gene Simmons acts and talks is appealing to women, is the way real men should act.

Fair enough, but let me then ask you a question that, say, a supervisor would if you came to them with a complaint. If that isn't way to act, "like a man", then what is your idea of an ideal "man" behavior. Describe it or, perhaps, give us a name of someone who examples what you think of as the ideal man.

Its really easy to criticize. Its quite a bit more difficult to offer solutions to what you're criticizing.

He practically admits that it is a number that he just pulled out of the air.

You assumed otherwise? :crackup: I would have never guessed someone legitimately even considered that he actually counted that high. I took his claim to mean simply "a $hitload of women".

Gene Simmons proves little more than that, in America, image, no matter how fabricated, to the masses, is often more important than substance. That is why we have the president we have.

Bush has a desirable image? What about his image is desirable? I see very little redeeming in him, be it image or substance.

..............

I agree with your position on the music though. KISS <<<<< a Led Zep, Beatles, Rolling Stones, several others too (like the Eagles). I"m just talking about the music though. KISS does have great, iconical branding.

 

[STR8UP]

FWIW.....

I think I can say that I have been closer to Gene than anybody on this forum (I was in an elevator with him on my 21st birthday- I was staying in the same hotel).

He didn't utter one word, but I can tell you that this dude has a PRESENCE. Just in the way he looks at you.

I'm sure being the caliber of rock star that he is makes it quite a bit easier to be "that kind of guy". I don't even care for their music. I did pay $75 to see them in concert when they came to town a few years ago just to say I did (my hearing wasn't the same for three days, no lie).

Say what you want but anyone who says he's an a$$hole is likely a chump, sorry. He isn't rude, he simply says what other guys wish they had the balls to say.

 

[ketostix]

He is probably lying about his 4,600 women. But that is par for the course; he obviously thinks that he is more than he really is.

If you read the transcript he says he took polaroids of all the girls (within in the context of having slept with them). He said he counted all his polaroids one day and it was 4,600 girls. I'm always skepticle of any claims of a guy sleeping with more than a few hunderd different women. I mean wouldn't a wealthy guy sleeping with that many different women willy nilly get several legitimate or illigitimate lawsuits from women claiming he fathered their child and who knows what else? But being a level of the rock star he is I'm sure he's slept with many hundreds of girls. Was it 4,600? I don't know but it's probably not beyond the realm of possibility.

As far as Gene Simmins being an a$$hole, actually if you listen close or read the transcipt you can see it was Terry Gross trying to be the bigger a$$hole. Most women are the biggest a-holes you'll ever find, they all act like they're rockstars. Women are subtle a-holes just like they're subtle with everything if that makes sense.

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

...As far as Gene Simmins being an a$$hole, actually if you listen close or read the transcipt you can see it was Terry Gross trying to be the bigger a$$hole. Most women are the biggest a-holes you'll ever find, they all act like they're rockstars. Women are subtle a-holes just like they're subtle with everything if that makes sense.

This is what I'm saying. If you actually read the transcript it's readily apparent that Terry tried to make digs into Gene and he would volley it back so quickly that she was constantly backtracking. I don't understand how this could be considered him being disrespectful.

 

[Tazman]

If his response in the interview made him an as*hole, than I'd have to say I wish I had the courage to be an as*hole all the time.

 

[Señor Fingers]

The chick was subtly jabbing at him, trying to make him look insecure and break a chink in his armor, so his assh0le responses were not unwarranted.

Besides, he's an international icon and rock star who came from nothing, in my book he has every right to be a c0cky bastard.

Whether or not you agree with his views is one thing, but you can't hate on a man who has his priorities together and made sh!t happen for himself.

His story is an inspiration to anyone who dares to chase the life they always dreamed of.

 

[Mr. Me]

I have a different take on all this.

What Gene Simmons is doing is no different than previous celebrities who used arrogance to provoke and exploit media opportunities for publicity and attention. Gore Vidal did the same thing 40 years ago. Mae West did it 80 years ago. So do shock jocks today.

A high quality man doesn't have to say everything that's on his mind. He uses tact, not arrogance. It's a character trait of maturity. The word "assh0le" wouldn't even come up in a conversation about a quality man.

Terry Gross already knew what the deal was by this second interview. You don't think that the real reason to have him on again was for its shock/publicity value? Simmons had refused to grant NPR permission to air his first interview online, Gross went ahead and printed a transcript of it in her book, yet he agrees to another? It was plainly about creating more controversy. This is about creating a scandal of sorts and making publicity. You don't think Simmons knows this walking into the second interview? I see Terry Gross as the one who's pulling the strings here and in charge, not Simmons. He was merely up for the publicity Gross had in mind.

So sure, he's going to play the part. Did you notice how his flirting with her was weak? I mean, what DJ says things that get a woman to view him as being "obnoxious" (not where the woman smiles and laughs and playfully slaps you and calls you obnoxious, but instead really means it) and then tries to hit on her... repeatedly? This is schoolboy behavior. He wasn't really flirting. This was an act.

The guy has no moves anyway. If he did, his act would've been better than that. In real life, last October, on a flight from Los Angeles, he tried to pick up a tall, blond flight attendant. You know how? He passed her a note before takeoff on which he had written: "Would you like to get together???".

She declined. What was he relying on that just being on a plane for a few minutes, her occupied with getting passengers ready for takeoff, and not even speaking to her but just handing her a note, that she was going to agree to meet him afterwards but that he's "Gene Simmons"? Passing a note... Weak. Relying only on his celebrity.

Consider too that the man has a long relationship with Shannon Tweed with whom he lives. Unless their's is an open relationship, then he's being disrespectful to her when he flirts or tries to pick up other women. This is not being a man. Personally, I don't think he was really flirting with Gross, he was doing that as an act for the broadcast. But if you're going to live with a woman, then you committed yourself. You don't spin other plates. You wouldn't want her spinning plates if she's moved in with you either. Wonder why she accepts that behavior from him? Well...

Ever watch his reality show? Shannon goes shopping and spends his money like it's water. She laughs about it. In effect, he's paying her to be with him, as long as she has carte blanche access to his credit cards, she doesn't care what he does. Imagine if he cut her off what would happen? I'm sure there would be a stand off.

If he was really a man he wouldn't take a woman leeching off of him. If he was really the stud he thinks he is, he'd also be with a young hot babe rather than an older one, and she'd be chasing him, rather than him shacking up with an older babe who goes out to spend his money while he can't even pick up a stewardess with all his fame and wealth. Probably takes it and stays with her because he has abandonment issues from his dad leaving when he was young. He admits to being emotionally scarred by his mother's long absences while she was working two jobs to make ends meet. Maybe that's why he seeks the constant reassurance of female attention rather than being fulfilled in his primary relationship. Maybe that's why he acts the way he does?

All he's demonstrating is that when you have lots of fame and tons of money, you can act immaturely putting on lots of bravado - and still not be able to pick up women.

BTW, in the interview, he claims he's bedded 4600 women. But in the same interview, he says that if a woman has even the hint of alcohol on her breath, he's immediately repulsed and throws her out; she never gets near him. So we're to believe that not a single one of these 4600 women, groupies and women that he met while touring, while out at parties, clubs, events, what not, that not a single one of them had a drop of alcohol on her breath? Yeah, right. This is obviously all an act. See through the make-up. This is NOT what masculinity is. Sadly, great male role models continue to not exist nowadays.

 

[Señor Fingers]

I mean, what DJ says things that get a woman to view him as being "obnoxious"

I've had girls tell me flat out that I was an arrogant bastard, only to end up sleeping with me that night. But I agree that there are better ways to play and that this type of approach will attract trouble-makers.

Consider too that the man has a long relationship with Shannon Tweed with whom he lives. Unless their's is an open relationship, then he's being disrespectful to her when he flirts or tries to pick up other women. This is not being a man.

I think there is a fine line here. We all have different ideas of what is right and wrong, but to me there is a world of difference between flirting and trying to pick up. If you are in a committed relationship I dont think there is anything wrong with a little cat and mouse game, as long as you set the boundaries.

Gene clearly crosses the line, if you make the assumption that he is committed to Shannon. From the outside it seems to me like she knows exactly what she signed up for and would be foolish to expect monogamy, since he is pretty vocally opposed to the whole idea.

As for your assessments on Gene's character / psychology / relationship status, you may be spot on. I'm sure that like everyone else in the world, the man has issues of his own.

I think one of our biggest problems though, is in the idealization of people, in either positive or negative light. Hero worship or the demonization of fellow human beings is a narrow-minded perspective.

I look at a dude like this and realize I don't want to be exactly like him, his comments on money and people's motiviation for being musicians are way off in my book... But as a self-made man from rags to riches, I still have to give him props.

I think we all need to do this more often.. emulate the characteristics you like about your heroes, and toss out the garbage that doesn't really jive with you. It's all about being a man and making your own rules.

 

[potato]

Fair enough, but let me then ask you a question that, say, a supervisor would if you came to them with a complaint. If that isn't way to act, "like a man", then what is your idea of an ideal "man" behavior. Describe it or, perhaps, give us a name of someone who examples what you think of as the ideal man.

Its really easy to criticize. Its quite a bit more difficult to offer solutions to what you're criticizing.

Once I was hanging out with a bunch of guys who were the typical construction worker types. When decent looking woman would come by they would start saying things like, “nice ass” “great tits” and all manner of crude comments about the ways they’d like to have sex with her. I never think that way and at most I might think “well, she looks interesting”.

Some women came along and at the end of the day they weren’t sitting with those guys who hooted and hollered, who told the women that they were beautiful, and that they wanted to be with them. No, at the end of the day they were sitting with the guy who just gave them a gentle smile.

This may surprise some of you but most women are very much attracted to men who are gentlemen - those guys who stand tall, have manners, and speak respectably to women.

As to an example of what I would consider the ideal way that a man should act around a woman, the movie Meet Joe Black is a good example. In the first scene, at the café where Brad Pitt acted rather innocently with the woman is a good example of how a man should act when he first meets a woman. In the dinner scene he is polite and unassuming, a good example of the way to act with a woman in a social setting. In the love scene he again treats her with the utmost respect and he makes love to her rather than just fvcking her. In the end, rather than take her with him in a self serving selfish manner, he thought about what was better for her, even if it meant letting go of her.

 

[ketostix]

Once I was hanging out with a bunch of guys who were the typical construction worker types. When decent looking woman would come by they would start saying things like, “nice ass” “great tits” and all manner of crude comments about the ways they’d like to have sex with her. I never think that way and at most I might think “well, she looks interesting”.

Some women came along and at the end of the day they weren’t sitting with those guys who hooted and hollered, who told the women that they were beautiful, and that they wanted to be with them. No, at the end of the day they were sitting with the guy who just gave them a gentle smile.

This may surprise some of you but most women are very much attracted to men who are gentlemen - those guys who stand tall, have manners, and speak respectably to women.

As to an example of what I would consider the ideal way that a man should act around a woman, the movie Meet Joe Black is a good example. In the first scene, at the café where Brad Pitt acted rather innocently with the woman is a good example of how a man should act when he first meets a woman. In the dinner scene he is polite and unassuming, a good example of the way to act with a woman in a social setting. In the love scene he again treats her with the utmost respect and he makes love to her rather than just fvcking her. In the end, rather than take her with him in a self serving selfish manner, he thought about what was better for her, even if it meant letting go of her.

Potato, I really believe you're a female. If you are, just come clean.

 

[STR8UP]

Potato, I really believe you're a female. If you are, just come clean.

I'll second that.

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

..His story is an inspiration to anyone who dares to chase the life they always dreamed of.

What is even more impressive is what we see of his homelife. Parents would die to have children like his. I don't know the extent of what he and Shannon agreed to in order to sustain a relationship but she doesn't seem to have any problem with who he is or what he does. Frankly I say that people are throwing stones at him because he's figured out what works for him.

 

[Señor Fingers]

This dude simply appeals to the frustrated chump that is living a quiet hell of men's mags and "Entourage" reruns. Credit to his handlers for spotting this marketing opportunity.

I have to agree that his overall message is not very spiritual.. in fact its pure hedonism/materialism.

Enlightened or not though, he is living exactly the life he wants to... how many of us can honestly say that?

 

[drmeathead]

Once I was hanging out with a bunch of guys who were the typical construction worker types. When decent looking woman would come by they would start saying things like, “nice ass” “great tits” and all manner of crude comments about the ways they’d like to have sex with her. I never think that way and at most I might think “well, she looks interesting”.

Some women came along and at the end of the day they weren’t sitting with those guys who hooted and hollered, who told the women that they were beautiful, and that they wanted to be with them. No, at the end of the day they were sitting with the guy who just gave them a gentle smile.

This may surprise some of you but most women are very much attracted to men who are gentlemen - those guys who stand tall, have manners, and speak respectably to women.

As to an example of what I would consider the ideal way that a man should act around a woman, the movie Meet Joe Black is a good example. In the first scene, at the café where Brad Pitt acted rather innocently with the woman is a good example of how a man should act when he first meets a woman. In the dinner scene he is polite and unassuming, a good example of the way to act with a woman in a social setting. In the love scene he again treats her with the utmost respect and he makes love to her rather than just fvcking her. In the end, rather than take her with him in a self serving selfish manner, he thought about what was better for her, even if it meant letting go of her.

i hope you are a female. i really do. while i dont think being openly forward with a woman you have zero rapport with or is giving you no IOIsis appropriate. acting the way you mention makes you look like a sissy. like a prissy yuppie *****. seriously

 

[potato]

So sure, he's going to play the part. Did you notice how his flirting with her was weak? I mean, what DJ says things that get a woman to view him as being "obnoxious" (not where the woman smiles and laughs and playfully slaps you and calls you obnoxious, but instead really means it) and then tries to hit on her... repeatedly? This is schoolboy behavior. He wasn't really flirting. This was an act.

The guy has no moves anyway. If he did, his act would've been better than that. In real life, last October, on a flight from Los Angeles, he tried to pick up a tall, blond flight attendant. You know how? He passed her a note before takeoff on which he had written: "Would you like to get together???".

She declined. What was he relying on that just being on a plane for a few minutes, her occupied with getting passengers ready for takeoff, and not even speaking to her but just handing her a note, that she was going to agree to meet him afterwards but that he's "Gene Simmons"? Passing a note... Weak. Relying only on his celebrity.

If you look at the second referenced interview,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgwFDFpfKEM

a video, and if you watch his body language in relation to the hostess and to the girls that were there to help promote his product and how he interacts with them you do not at all see a guy who is good with the ladies. What he says is not at all congruent with how he acts. From my perspective he comes off as a guy who is pretending. That is what is consistent. He has spent the past 35 years promoting his band as if they were greater than they really are, the same with himself.

 

[potato]

Potato, I really believe you're a female. If you are, just come clean.

I'll second that.

i hope you are a female. i really do. while i dont think being openly forward with a woman you have zero rapport with or is giving you no IOIsis appropriate. acting the way you mention makes you look like a sissy. like a prissy yuppie *****. seriously

Where you all fail is that you are seeing it from the male perspective. Women don’t see men the same as men do. Until you learn to look into the mind of women you’ll forever be frustrated trying to get women in ways that are impressive only to men.

 

[Eddie417]

Hardly. Beatles 1 billion album sales world wide, Led Zeppelin 300 million, Rolling Stones 200 million, ABBA 370 million…. Guns and Roses with only 5 albums - 90 million.


KISS 95 million

In every list that I can find of top bands regardless of category - album sales, gross income, concert attendance, radio play, popularity - KISS doesn’t make the top 100 in any of them.

Thanks Poindexter. I guess based on your lists that Britney Spears is a greater artist than say...Billie Holiday?

And ABBA....ABBA? I'm going to the store for some beer, I'll grab you some tampons while I'm there.

 

[Eddie417]

ABBA 370 million…

He is good looking, athletic, successful, looked up to and is a really nice guy to be around

If you get past your erection for a guy that talks crap you’ll see that Terry just got Gene Simmons to show how much of an a$$ he really is.

Once I was hanging out with a bunch of guys who were the typical construction worker types.

Brad Pitt acted rather innocently

if you watch his body language

Someone is in denial.

The interviewer was a dud, Simmons took control and turned what could have been a 20 minute discussion about makeup remover into something worth listening to.