This is a photo of Gene Simmons with the other KISS dudes (Eric Carr, Paul Stanley, and Tommy Thayer) at the American Idol grand finale in May. We have more recent pictures of Gene (below). I began with this picture to remind us all that Gene was the original Miley Cyrus. Dat tongue is so gross.
Gene landed in hot water last week, and he did it to himself. He made some rude and insensitive comments about depression and suicide. The remarks came in the wake of Robin William’s untimely death. Here’s what Gene originally said during an interview with Songfacts in an interview. He was answering a question about whether or not he got along with the original KISS members:
“No, I don’t get along with anybody who’s a drug addict and has a dark cloud over their head and sees themselves as a victim. Drug addicts and alcoholics are always: ‘The world is a harsh place.’ My mother was in a concentration camp in Nazi Germany. I don’t want to hear f— all about ‘the world as a harsh place.’ She gets up every day, smells the roses and loves life. And for a putz, 20-year-old kid to say, ‘I’m depressed, I live in Seattle.’ F— you, then kill yourself.
“I never understand, because I always call them on their bluff. I’m the guy who says ‘Jump!’ when there’s a guy on top of a building who says, ‘That’s it, I can’t take it anymore, I’m going to jump.’ Are you kidding? Why are you announcing it? Shut the f— up, have some dignity and jump! You’ve got the crowd. By the way, you walk up to the same guy on a ledge who threatens to jump and put a gun to his head, ‘I’m going to blow your f—in’ head off!’ He’ll go, ‘Please don’t!’ It’s true. He’s not that insane.”
[From Songfacts]
Of course people got really angry with Gene. Many radio stations decided to boycott Gene’s music. The #BanGene hashtag started trending on Twitter. Nikki Sixx (of Motley Crue) spoke out on his radio show: “I like Gene. But in this situation, I don’t like Gene. I don’t like Gene’s words. I don’t want people to listen to an interview from a rock star, who’s telling you the only way out is out.” Gene fully deserved all of the backlash. He must have felt the heat because he posted a “clarification” on Facebook:
“I want to make this statement about my views on depression for the record and to clarify my prior remarks.
“To the extent my comments reported by the media speak of depression, I was wrong and in the spur of the moment made remarks that in hindsight were made without regard for those who truly suffer the struggles of depression. I sincerely apologize to those who were offended by my comments. I recognize that depression is very serious and very sad when it happens to anyone, especially loved ones. I deeply support and am empathetic to anyone suffering from any disease, especially depression.
“I have never sugarcoated my feelings regarding drug use and alcoholics. Somewhere along the line, my intention of speaking in very directly and perhaps politically incorrectly about drug use and alcoholics has been misconstrued as vile commentary on depression. Unkind statements about depression was certainly never my intention. Fully, you will know that and I do not intend to defend myself here and now, by listing the myriad charities and self-help organizations I am involved with. Rather, I simply want to be clear that my heart goes out to anyone suffering from depression and I deeply regret any offhand remarks in the heat of an interview that might have suggested otherwise.”
[From Gene Simmons on Facebook]
Is this a sufficient apology? Nikki Sixx has updated his opinion and complimented Gene on his apology: “That was 100% the right thing to do.” Yes, it was a good thing for Gene to issue a statement, but he never really admitted to saying something wrong. He only said that his “politically incorrect” remarks were “misconstrued.” Gene does say that he feels badly for people with depression. He tries to make it sound like he was only talking about drug and alcohol abuse. Unless Songfacts altered his original quote, I don’t see how Gene’s words could be interpreted as anything but a blanket statement about suicide.
Here’s a recent picture of Sixx. He’s aging pretty well for 1980s rock god.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet & WENN
Not sincere.
Agreed. His apology sounds unintelligent & uninformed.
He blew it when he delved into that “political correctness” and “misconstrued” rubbish, which indicates that he doesn’t think he said anything wrong and it is everyone else’s fault for accusing him. I have learned that whenever anyone blames “political correctness” for a backlash against a statement, that the controversial statement usually reflects the person’s views accurately.
Word, LilacFlowers
I agree. He’s nothing but a washed up hassbeen
I’ll bet any money that Blanda Eggenschwieler would never say a thing like this!!!!! Nevah!
I’ll bet any money that Blanda Eggenschwieler would never say a thing like this!!!!! Nevah!
What does Blanda have to do with this? Did she say something about depressed people?
@Sarah: No, Blanda didn’t say anything about depression. I just threw her name in here because it cracks me up! 😉
He’s as ugly on the inside as on the outside.
This is how all of our grandpas talked, am I right? It’s that old school, “soldier on” attitude of do or die. When an old person says these things, I cringe, it just shows their unwillingness to change. I guess in post war, in the example of his mother, there wasn’t a lot of support for depression, so it had to be repressed. If there’s no band aid, then let it bleed and scar up; ignore the pain. There are so many more resources and dialogues about suicide and addiction in our era. I personally take the hard line on alcoholism, because in my day, insurance didn’t pay for rehab, and even my own family told me to get sober or float off into homelessness. I made a choice to get sober and stay sober for nearly twenty years now. It’s hard for me to have compassion for the people who are serial rehabbers, and on this one issue, I’m nearly Gene Simmons-ish. I know he issued an apology statement like any celebrity should, but he let everyone know exactly how he aged but never grew.
Drug and alcohol abuse often go hand in hand with depression. It’s very difficult to draw a line in the sand and say these people here are weak but these people over here are ill. In my opinion, it is a mistake to place drug and alcohol abuse in the realm of a moral failure or transgression. Many people with drug and alcohol problems are not making a choice to be “bad” but are struggling with an overwhelming impulse to use or drink. An overwhelming impulse or desire to use or drink seems to me to be just as much of a mental health issue as depression or suicidal behavior.
Bob Loblaw, perfectly stated.
He’s not sorry he said it, he’s sorry that everyone got so POed about it.
Exactly. His publicist and other staff perhaps freaked out at this PR disaster, and they most likely wrote the apology. Just guessin’.
This is a man who lacks self awareness. He’s rarely ever said anything correctly.
I do get the point he poorly tried to make. It’s a valid one. Be thankful things aren’t worse and count your blessings. And no one wants to hear your pity me story. Although, mental illness is very real he’s said before you can control everything in your life. If you’re sad you want to be sad. And that’s so wrong.
So, the message is correct. The delivery system though? This man needs to keep his mouth shut.
I’m not sure I understand what you are saying here. Are you relaying other statements made by GS or are you implying that mental illness is something you can snap out of by “counting your blessings” and thinking “welp, it could be worse”? Are you saying that being depressed is something people with a mental illness choose to be? As someone who suffers from mental illness, I don’t CHOOSE to be depressed, it’s caused by a chemical imbalance in my brain. I don’t know anyone who suffers from a mental illness who’d choose to be depressed or bipolar. To suggest otherwise is beyond insensitive.
He has always been a ass.He is so full of himself I don’t know how he doesn’t blow up.I love hard rock but was never a Kiss fan.If it wasn’t for their live shows he wouldn’t be where he is at because their music was very limited at best.
I disagree. His message is not correct. It implies that depression is a choice, that it could be cured by an attitude shift…this mentality is part of the reason depression is still so stigmatized. Like Jaye said it is often a result of a chemical imbalance, and tends to be genetic.
lirko,
I agree. It is just so offensive to me – I’ve battled depression for years and my mother has lost her fight against a severe mental illness that she has suffered from for 30 years. I’m simply enraged when people say stuff like this. Mental illness it NOT a choice, it’s a nightmare and I wish that it has never blighted me or my family.
“Go kill yourself” is never a correct message. Nor is insulting people for having mental illness.
@ lirko and jaye, I couldn’t have said it better myself. In fact, this is pretty much what I said to my husband when discussing this story with him (he’s a KISS fan). Thank you.
AH – fistbump, and hugs.
I don’t even know if he is sincerely sorry that people got angry. I think he is like Ann Coulter or any other shocking pundit…he LOVES to get attention for the outrageous things he says.
F*ck you too, Gene.
+10
+1000
Yes!
As a Jew and someone who has been depressed, like most every human being at one time or another, I am so embarrassed by this man’s words. He should just not say anything at this point. When you are a public figure, you must remember that you are someone who is going to be scrutinized highly. At no time should anyone tell people to hurt themselves or commit suicide. This is just asinine. Although he has the right to say anything he wants, common decency dictates that he should be a good role model up to a point. I mean look at his track record anyway; he cheated on a beautiful wife who gave him two wonderful kids, he is a total egomaniac….who cares about his old, crusty band? Maybe he should just go into a corner and wither away, like the sad old man that he is.
+1000
He must be extraordinarily stupid. How did these words even come out of his mouth after the death of Robin Williams? Double fuck you, Gene Who Won’t Be Missed at All.
His interview was done last July but only came out after Robin died. Nonetheless, it’s still heartless and ignorant to say those things.
Right. People will latch onto this to attack. It’s still pretty bad, but it’s come out so it’s double controversial.
And should we be shocked he’s said this? Did everyone here forget how this man is?
I don’t like him, I never have but the media dug up his interview and sandbagged him with it in the wake of Robin’s death. They have to fill the media cycle and controversy, even contrived, gets clicks.
Just a crusty, outdated attention whore. A man his age has no business saying stupid stuff like that in the first place.
A man his age?? What does that mean? I agree he’s an ass, but why should older people keep their traps shut?
His face has been giving me anxiety since the 70’s. My cousin had KISS posters all over his walls & sleeping in his room during holidays was terrifying.
I’m with you, I was always scared to look at his images directly when I was a kid. I remember being horrified when I heard Cher married him.
An unattractive man, inside and out. Such ignorance.
Cher never married him.She did date him and lived together for awhile.But they were never married but you are right about him being unattractive inside and out.
I agree. He’s one of those people who are very pleased with himself, for absolutely no reason.
That tongue has been creeping me out since the 70’s. I remember there were urban legends about it, ugh, creeping myself out all over again.
One of Robin William’s last statements,, was that he did not want to die the slow, agonizing death of an addict, who causes everyone around him to suffer. (sob) He was weary to his bones, according to a woman who was in the last treatment center with him.
Gene Simmons is dirt. He just wanted some of the attention.
Yup, that’s what I think too, he just wanted the attention. But what a skeevy, lowlife way to do it huh?
I wait for the day Gene Simmons is a contributing talking head for Fox News. And let’s hope he keeps the KISS makeup on while he rants about how his myriad of charitable donations entitle him to condemn the addicts and depressives. Too bad he didn’t include pu**y hounds in that group – – wait, aren’t they addicts, too?
Boycott Kiss’ music? I don’t know any radio station who still plays Kiss’ music, not even in the classic rock station. It’s not that difficult to enforce that punishment.
Nope, not sincere. He is an arrogant, callous, sanctimonious, misogynistic prick to the highest degree. See: Terry Gross interview. He and his team stuffed it after realizing how poorly it made him come across. Just revealing his true nature, as far as I can tell.
Yes!!
This!
I have always hated this man. Since the 70’s. A garbage man with a garbage band. His personality matches his jacked up ugly face. He made his awful comments on purpose. It was a dick comment, from a major dickhead.
Move into an old folks home and shut your trap already. So ignorant …
Wow. If he hadn’t said this a week after Robin Williams died, maybe. But how could anyone be so heartless? I’m not sure that I even care whether or not his apology is sincere. Some things are impossible to take back.
And alcoholism and drug addiction are “real” diseases, too.
Exactly. He faux apologizes about his depression comments but doubles down on the addiction condemnation, exposing his ignorance even further. He’s horrible.
It was from an interview he gave before Williams had died not after.
Oh. But it says “The remarks came in the wake of Robin William’s untimely death.” So I’m confused. I was more offended by the thought that he made those remarks right after Robin Williams died, but I disagree with him either way.
I believe his interview was a month or two before Williams died. They only were paid attention to after Williams.
I am not defending Simmons at all. He is guilty of being an ahole but facts are facts and his comments had nothing to do with Williams and seeking attention from his death.
Oh, ok. I withdraw that part of my comment, then. Thanks.
Wrong…the interview was from July and before the death of Robin Williams and if you read the complete interview his anger was more towards people who use drugs like his band members …..his wording was bad but I in all honesty don’t think it was directed to those who are truly suffering from bipolar or clinical depression.
Doesn’t anyone in this world forgive anyone any more or is only forgiveness warranted to a chosen few? Why is everyone so anxious to hate on people….everything is so black and white these days…..no gray areas. Quite sad actually.
Actually, it’s pretty clear he WAS talking about depressed people. Why else would he make that stupid comment about telling a disturbed person on a building to jump? It’s by and large not junkies on ledges. It’s people with mental illnesses (and note how he seems to acknowledge it as such when he says “he’s not that insane.”). No, he’s very obviously talking about mental illness.
Steph, you wrote was I was thinking. Wow people are so ready to jump on others. It’s as if they themselves are perfect and so easily offended.
Fine Sam….think what you wish…it is a free country…keep on fanning the flames of hate……I hope it works for you.
How is it hate to point out what Simmons said was terrible? It also bears pointing out that he’s contributing to the stigma around mental illness that is one of the largest contributors to suicide (and, let it be said) homicides in this country. What he said was truly hateful and ignorant. Should we, by your standard, become so tolerate that we must tolerate intolerence? Frankly, I would hope we never get to that point.
Steph, I misunderstood when his comments were made, and said so an hour before you posted your little self- righteous diatribe. Try reading the comments before you post.
I believe in forgiveness. My point is that you can’t just say vicious things things and then take them back by saying “I’m sorry.” Those words aren’t magic, especially when you don’t really own up to what you’ve done. How you can read his cruel, hateful, uninformed words about telling a depressed person or a person addicted to drugs and alcohol to kill themselves and call me hateful for objecting is a mystery to me. But go ahead, along with Mrs. McCubbins, who says it means I think I’m perfect, and “keep on fanning the flames of hate…I hope it works for you.”
Sam, Apparently, instant forgiveness is due to people who flood the airwaves with venom and misinformation, or the people who notice it are the hateful ones. I guess we just got the memo.
So it’s horrible and unforgiving to be angry that someone told people they should kill themselves, but not horrible to tell people they should kill themselves. Right, that makes sense.
Mrs McCubbins, This forum is created for people to criticize or support topics related to those who court public attention. It is not a forum for attacking other people for their views. Gene Simmons will never read the criticism on this gossip site, but the posters that you criticize do, and these are real flesh and blood people that you hurt with your snarky comments. You are the one setting up your own perfection by patronizing those who have differing opinions than your own. Focus on ideas, not posters, and then your ideas will be more appropriate (and friendly).
I am glad that he was called out on his remarks. But let’s not pretend that Nikki Sixx isn’t an *sshole too. He is a misogynist, racist pos.
Exactly! What he said was absolutely right, but he’s jumping on a bandwagon to look good. Motley Crue aren’t filled with the nicest people in general. Remember when Tommy wore an SS uniform on the cover of a magazine and called his manager a whore?
He can eat a bowl of dicks. For having said something so hateful in the first place and then following it up with a non-apology. Saying something is “perhaps politically incorrect” is just another way of phrasing “I’m sorry if YOU got offended”.
I’m more shocked and outraged that we’re calling Kiss, or anyone in Kiss, “Rock Gods”. Jim Morrison, rock god? Check.
Ha, I know. Have they ever been considered legit musicians, let alone “gods?” I don’t think so.
I thought they were a thrown together business with schtick that decided to go into rock instead of retail? Kind of like a Muppets or The New Kids on the Block interpretation of a rock band.
That was always my impression, too even when they were a thing in the 70s. But I guess I never cared enough to find out for sure.
No offense to Muppets.
@GoodNamesAllTaken, Indeed. No offense to retail either.
Also to ponder, as sad as it was that Morrison died so young, and was a drug and alcohol addict, the man was a true poet. But at least we aren’t suffering through a Jim Morrison reality show where we watch the old dude get a facelift, gah.
I watched the legacy show about him last night. He was f*ed up, but what an insanely good looking and talented guy.
Yeah, I always thought Kiss sucked too.
Yeah Lis. I wasn”t even a teenager in the mid-70s but I thought they were a cartoon band with all that gimmicky makeup. Didn’t know anyone who took them seriously…
Lol the music was good until Eric Carr died. Went down hill.
Dani, I agree it’s in incredibly poor taste. Somehow, someone ought to get through to him that everything is not about HIM. I’m sorry for the tragedy in his mother’s life, but everyone isn’t him & his Mom. To be so flippant about depression, to brag about how he would be the guy on the ground telling someone on a ledge to “Jump!” just re-inforced what we already know about him & his vile, arrogant personality.
The really terrible thing is that there were a lot of Holocaust survivors who didn’t manage, like Simmons’ mom, to recover. A lot of them did take their own lives, or descended into depressions or mental illnesses. A lot of them struggled and lost. Are those people less than his mother, in his eyes, because she managed to emerge on the other side okay and they did not? Once you really start to think about what he said, it becomes worse and worse and worse.
Lots of back peddling after senseless remarks.
He was supposed to appear at my daughter’s new shop a few months ago but was a no-show at the last minute due to other commitments. She could have used the publicity for her shop, but she reacted like a grown-up…something he might consider before spewing such vile comments.
Gene Simmons is nothing but a big ball of negative energy with a bad @ss weave. That hair on his head looks like rat fur. Akin to the orange -slurpee -world -wind on Trump’s head.He doesn’t deserve anyone’s sympathy. Piece of trash with a mouth. Maybe you should leave your mouth agape with your tongue sticking out Gene. That way, at least we didn’t have to hear you speak, nut job. If he’s bad enough to be so judgmental and hateful then he deserves any backlash that may come his way. This isn’t the first time he’s said a bunch of hateful crap. I look forward to ignoring him on Fox news. When is garbage day coming? Looks like somebody forgot to take the trash out.
Hee hee I’m picturing this as said by Leaflet: Righter of Wrongs, doling out celebrity justice to the bad rugs that have it coming.
Say your prayers, Simmons. It’s time to take out the trash. *weedle weedle whabowwww* *Leaflet shakes open a trash bag*
@JUST CHRISTY,
Haha.
Well, clearly he has no idea that mental illness is a disease that needs treatment and not a lifestyle choice. WTF, dude? Yes, there are some people who wallow in their drama and need attention-those are drama queens, NOT someone who is genuinely suffering from an illness. Clinical depression is real, schizophrenia is real, BP is real….ugh, he needs to better educate himself.
I think maybe he’s more familiar with the spectrum of personality disorder characteristics, most specifically narcissism.
Why do people always compare things to the Holocaust? As a Jew, it’s in such poor taste. Just because you suffered a certain amount, doesn’t mean anyone who is or has suffered less, isn’t suffering. There is no right or wrong way to suffer.
Also, they all wear wigs right?? There’s no way they have that kind of hair, still?
@Dani, I don’t think you ever hear this argument about tiered levels of suffering from people who actually survived the Holocaust.
And worst wigs ever.
That’s true. It’s always the person who knows someone who suffered through it that makes the comparison.
I agree. Where does it end? Does the black man from Rwanda on my block who was captured and tortured for his tribal affiliation get to tell the old Jewish people that lost loved ones in the Holocaust that they should sit down and shut up because his suffering was worse? Or does the quadapalegic a few blocks over have them both beat? Or the schizophrenic man around the corner? How exactly does Gene prioritize suffering? Frankly, it seems like he’s more concerned with people knowing how virtuous his own family is and less about what others are going through.
+1
When I’ve been in severe emotional pain, I lie and imagine that I am suffering with the rest of humanity, that is suffering in that point of time. Aligning myself with those others, inspires a compassion, both for the world, and for myself.
Bag of hot air.
With a bag of bad hair 😉
From far a sincere apology. This is the same man who’s in a round about way, admitted he cheated on his long term partner on the television Gene’s Family Jewels. I watched a bit of the show, any guy bragging about banging over 1000 and then some women, is only an attention seeking whore, and egotistical a-hole. He’s just a more talented Kim Kardashian.
His son is not much better, boy plagrized a comic book show, got caught, covered his bum by saying it was a tribute. No, boy, you didn’t want to get sued. His daughter seems genuine, she went in, if I remember correctly, America’s Got Talent, and didn’t want people to know who her parents were. She could sing, but she wasn’t passed through.
She was on the Simon Cowell show that I can’t remember the name of.
Simmons is a misogynist creep and a prick. I do not think much of Tweed either. She stood by and watched him have multiple affairs and claimed she was obligated to the kids, when he had been repeatedly unfaithful before they ever had children. She decides on their second or third to the last season of their show to “leave him” giving them a cliffhanger and additional seasons. He too her he cheated and this woman STILL marries him. That also, to me, at least, says a lot about her. She loved her lifestyle too much to give it up and married a pig who has cheated on her their entire 30yr history together.
Agreed Eliza! Some people are just…yeah.
Agreed. He is a piece of human garbage, always has been, but she is just crazy to put up with him!
Gene Simmons. asshat. always.
Please, he’s not sorry. He also needs to put down the box of shoe polish black hair dye and get himself some Moroccanoil. Homely SOB.
That’s funny. I always called his hair the “shoe polish helmet.” He looks ridiculous. How Shannon Tweed can tolerate sleeping with him is a forever mystery to me.
What an eloquent moron he is. Gene Simmons is as low on the sub-creature spectrum as it gets. No, he’s not sorry. Did he claim he was mis-quoted, his intent was honorable, & his comments were “misconstrued”? Because that’s what dumb, self-obsessed idiots like him usually do.
He is only sorry he got caught being despicable. If there’s a backlash against him & Kiss, that might translate into lost revenue for him, & money is all Gene Simmons cares about.
Lewis Black, a good friend of Robin Williams, had some perfectly placed words for Gene Simmons a few days ago. He said “Don’t you ever say that about another human being. You disgust me.” And I say Bravo to Mr. Black.
I think his comments are telling – especially that “people from Seattle” remark. Gene is mightly pissed at Kurt Cobain, it seems. Let’s face it – his brand of glam rock took a major hit once grunge became big and it seems like he’s still smarting from it. But if he’s pissed at grunge, why make such a huge stink this way? Somewhere deep done in the crap maybe there’s some valid point about the commercialization of depression by SOME singers (coughLanaDelRaycough) but Gene Simmons isn’t the right person to call that crap out. His biggest mistake is presuming that anyone wants to hear him speak.
Encouraging a jumper to jump
wow, guess he doesn’t want any fans left
As someone who suffers from a very real disease called bipolar I was deeply disappointed in Gene for making insensitive and in my view uneducated remarks about depression AND addiction. Addiction is often a large part of suffering from bipolar when one is driven to self medicate. Addiction is a very real disease with scientific proof to back up that claim. It is not merely a matter of moral failure or weakness. There are times when someone in his position mouths off (ie Tom Cruise) about very real afflictions simply from a point of misunderstanding and IMO this is reckless and irresponsible especially when he is seemingly encouraging people to commit suicide. I’ve lost two wonderful friends to depression/addiction and bipolar through suicide. This is no joke! I will accept Genes apology but I hope he takes the time to actually educate himself a little more on these very serious topics before he opens his mouth again. Until that happens I’m giving the side eye to Gene and to Kiss.
Fellow bipolar roller here his apology is balls.
Thank you Ginger, for speaking to my experience as well.
I don’t dislike Gene Simmons. I despise his narcissism and the hurtful things all that disorder has done over the years to many, many people….especially to his family. I, however, try to remember that Gene most likely has a personality disorder and for that, he has my empathy.
Rest in peace, Robin Williams…thank you for your generosity, compassion and hard work in helping others.
I don’t agree with him, but I have known people who talk about killing themselves solely for attention and not because they’re depressed or need help. It can be difficult to tell the difference between a drama queen and someone who’s actually suffering (or is a drama queen because they’re suffering). The way I originally read his interview was that he’s also met a lot of “fake woe” complainers and he feels that if that woe is real, they’ll do something about it (good or bad) instead of whining about it. All that complaining has made him tone deaf to the point that he doesn’t get that sometimes there’s a wolf and sometimes the sky is really falling…which means he’ll get knocked out and the wolf will eat him while I run for cover.
V, that’s how I read his comments as well. He has been adamantly anti-drug for his entire career so I’m not surprised by his comments nor the callous way in which he presented them. His apparent lack of sympathy or compassion for addiction are probably because he has had to deal with drug and alcohol problems within his band but he himself has never had an addiction problem. Unless you count sex with groupies, of course.
*Sigh* As someone who has faced depression so severe this year that I was put in a treatment center, people like this really just don’t understand. I’m barely offended by his comments, he is simply just ignorant and like some (is it fair to say older men), he doesn’t understand or put any stock into mental health issues. You don’t need to have been in a concentration camp or have had any sort of traumatic life event to face severe depression or other mental health issues.
I have to point out you top picture is wrong that is Eric singer. Eric Carr died in 95 or 96
Actually he died in 1991. So the real story here is that Eric Carr has dramatically returned from the dead. Can’t understand why they ran with the other headline. Seems trite in comparison.
To Gene’s mom…kudos to you for going through life with the greatest of attitudes, but shame on you for raising such a douche nozzle of a son. He has zero understanding of the disease of depression or addiction. So many people tend to believe that sufferers somehow choose to be depressed or addicted, which perpetuates the stigma. Typically I firmly believe in people being allowed to state their opinions without an expectation of having to apologize for said opinions, no matter how ignorant they are…but these types of offensive and judgemental remarks can be dangerous because they could push someone ( say, a fan who feels like he/she is a big loser at life and Gene Simmons just confirmed it) just another step toward that ledge.
Not sincere at all. It’s too little too late. He’s only apologizing now, because radio stations are refusing to play his music. He is a moron. He really should be ashamed of himself for the stupid comment he made, and I have no doubt that he meant every word of it!