I’ve watched a grand total of about 10 minutes of “Gene Simmons Family Jewels,” a self-indulgent crap-trap of poor (and poorly staged) “reality TV cliches. On it, Gene brags about his Playmate wife and his virtual contempt for anyone who doesn’t live the rock star existence. It might as well be called “Lifestyles of the Nouveau Riche and Nauseating.” Point is, Gene is hardly one to talk about public image.
So I was pretty frickin’ irritated to read an interview with Gene where he gives career advice to Adam Lambert — and basically disses him for coming out:
He’s enormously talented, best talent ‘American Idol’ has had, but I think he killed his career because now the conversation is not about his talent but about his sexual preference [Gene’s word; emphasis mine]. He’s done. You’re forcing people to deal with issues they may not be interested in. Life is unfair, and the masses don’t all live in L.A. They live in Wisconsin and Nebraska, and you’re on crack if you think the same rules apply there. My advice is still the same, shut the f*** up, just sing and let people say whatever they want. But I do wish him the best because he’s got all the talent in the world. If only the world was not homophobic, but it is. I would be the first one to vote for equal rights for gay women and men, and get the church and the state to stop telling everybody how to lead their lives, but do I think he’s killed his career? Oh, in an instant. I hope I’m completely wrong. I hope he becomes the next Beatles and proves me wrong.
Now, let me get this straight — a word Gene would probably love. Lambert is THE MOST TALENTED SINGER EVER on “American Idol”… but his career is DEFINITELY OVER because he came out…. because middle America isn’t ready, in 2009, for a gay pop singer. This coming form a man who hasn’t had a top 100 hit since the Carter Administration… and got it by playing dress-up, wearing makeup and spitting blood. I guess Nebraska was ready for THAT 30 years ago, but not Adam today.
Forget K.D. Lang. Forget Melissa Etheridge. Or Tammy Baldwin (from Wisconsin, by the way, Gene). No, Gene Simmons, spokesman for family values, doesn’t thing Adam Lambert can get arrested in an airport Courtyard by Marriott because he came out.
Then Gene feeds us the usual bullshit — “It’s not ME who’s a bigot, it’s everyone else!” Please, Gene. You wouldn’t know a hit if you wrote one (which you haven’t since I was in grammar school), yet you offer career advice based on image? When you’re relevant again, let’s talk. I won’t wait up.
Gene Simmons?
Career advice based on image?
I just threw up.
Now, Arnold, to call Adam Lambert the best singer ever on American Idol just sounds like you haven’t been watching the show long. Sorry, buddy. Gay or not, Adam’s good. But let’s leave it there until his CD comes out. Remember that KD Lang and Melissa (and Pet Shop Boys and Elton John and George Michael, etc.) came out after their CDs spawned some hits. Hell, out gay pop/rock artists have a hard enough time being accepted [read: their CDs purchased] by the gay crowd.
Now, see how forgettable Gene Simmons is.
Gene Simmons is everything the reporter stated and much ‘less’. His show is rubbish and no one one it seems to be able to string two sentences together without making fools of themselves. I think he is just pissed cause Mr. Lambert showed him up on stage. Gene sounded like ground garbage while the kid sang circles around him. Just pass the tourch Gene and shut the heck up……………….
Again… people have to call someone homophobic because – holy fucking shit, are you ready for this? – THEY HAVE AN OPINION! Where I’m from (America) we are allowed to let our opinions be known, and people either accept it or forget about it. What country are you people living in? Obamerica? Where you can say what ever you want as long as everyone else agrees with it?
Jerry, I am not the one who called Adam the best ever — Gene is. But apparently, to him, BEING the best and being OUT are MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE. That’s bullshit.
And Phil, Gene can say whatever he wants, no matter how bigoted, closed-minded, ignorant and inane it is. And I can say what I want too. Like Gene Simmons is a moron who should stick to sleeping with Playmates and leave the music business to professional who have had a hit since Adam Lambert has been alive.
Umm and apparently he doesn’t know that Ellen is one of the world’s most beloved TV hosts and says ‘My wife Porche’ like 30 times a day on her show, and have you seen her audience? A more middle American audience can’t be found outside of Harpo studios.
I really don’t see what’s homophobic about Simmon’s comment. He said Lambert has an amazing talent, and he may have hurt his career by coming out. He just stated his opinion and acknowledged that lots of people still have a problems with gays. I’ve heard lots of people say what Simmons said. People are not homophobic just because they something that’s not 100% gay positive and all gays are in agreement with. The term homophoic is getting thrown around way too loosley these days.
Ellen is married to a car? I thought her name was Portia………..
I thought Gene Simmons was a clown with a local kiddie show in Pittsburgh and did chidlren’s face painting on weekends. I didn’t know he could sing..
I agree with Vince. Simmons is throwing his opinion out there about Lambert’s career more so than his opinion about Lambert being gay. Not homophobic, just realistic. If it were all hearts and flowers in the world/America/Texas/Dallas, we wouldn’t have spent Sunday afternoon in the Million Melting Gay March to make our desire for equal rights heard.
Yes Paul it’s a little known fact that Ellen is a AudiSexual. That’s where you marry cars, but only German cars. I didn’t mean to out her like that, but there you have it.
Vince nailed it!
I admit to a guilty pleasure of getting a few hoots out of Gene Simmon’s Family Jewels. But in perspective who really gives a flip about Gene’s thoughts on this or anything else in the universe.
Yeah, let Gene say whatever he wants. He is just trying to get publicity for his show; which I have no interest in seeing at all. Gene makes a valid point though. Hell, I’m gay and I can’t even feel comfortable discussing gay issues with my own family. I wish America was at a point where no one from any state had any problems with gays. We still have some work to do to gain full acceptance. Until then, who cares what people like Gene say. Just ignore them and they’ll go away hopefully.
I’m going to have to agree with some of the comments above, I don’t see Simmons’ remarks as rabidly homophobic. In fact, I see it more of a criticism of homophobia. He basically says that not everyone lives in LA (meaning progressive, used to it, or okay with it), and that coming out would very likely hurt his career. And that is possible in some areas. There are parents out there who won’t let their kids listen to him now that they know he’s gay. And there are some who won’t care or won’t know.
If anything, his remarks could be seen (by some) as out of touch or not really in tune with modern America, and I think his prediction that he has “ruined” his career is a bit extreme (and not likely, per Ellen Degeneres phenomenon), but we all know that there is that potential in many career choices. Who hasn’t experienced some discrimination even in this day and age? Just look at what happened at the Rainbow Lounge? Hard to believe in the 21st C. But there you go!
I think Arnold Jones is getting worked up over nothing.
Well said Verity.
As usual – completely off base here. Simmons’ comments are not in the least homophobic – but accurate. This is why nobody takes our movement seriously. Because we often distort people’s words and thoughts, take comments out of context, and refuse to seek and understand what other people outside of our bubble really feel and believe.
Geesh…. there’s nothing homophobic in what Gene Simmons said. All he’s doing is giving his opinion based on what’s the reality is.
Have you forgotten what just happened in Fort Worth??!?!?!? It pretty much just proves his point.
Sean said: This is why nobody takes our movement seriously. Because we often distort people’s words and thoughts, take comments out of context, and refuse to seek and understand what other people outside of our bubble really feel and believe.
Sean, I agree with you, but our side isn’t the only one guilty of this. Those who are against us do this all the time. It is not a good idea in any situation, but it does happen. Not sure what to do about it though.
Weren’t posters on these very pages questioning whether or not Adam Lambert’s then-unconfimred homosexuality cost him the victory on American Idol just a few weeks ago? Now, Gene Simmons has basically said that the same thing could happen to Adam Lambert throughout the rest of his career and the same posters are ready to label Gene Simmons a homophobe.
All of you who are making way too much out of what Gene Simmons said have conveniently glossed over the part where he said “I would be the first one to vote for equal rights for gay women and men, and get the church and the state to stop telling everybody how to lead their lives.”
When any person, famous or not, expresses the opinion that people will have a more difficult time in life because of their sexual orientation (I will admit that Gene used the politically incorrect term there), it does not automatically make that person a homophobe. Most of the people who post to this blog spend all of their time doing that very thing.