Here at HiFi Central we often turn away from gossipy trash regarding the music industry, but recent developments with Gene Simmons have been all the buzz around the water cooler.
For years Gene Simmons has been the poster boy of living the Rock and Roll sex lifestyle to excess; with a claim of sleeping with more than 5,000 women (I think this puts in him in second place since Julius “Dr. J” Irving who claimed to have been with 10,000 women; while porn dork extrodinaire Ron “The Hedgehog” Jeremy takes third place with a claim of only 3,000) apparently has caught up with him and his partner of 28 years, soft-core, b-rated, self-proclaimed successful movie actress Shannon Tweed. Ms. Tweed made a public spectacle of her displeasure of his continued practice of enjoying women of ill repute on the nationally broadcast Joy Behar Show this week. It was in my opinion, probably the most uncomfortable interview of all time.
As I watched in disbelief all I could think was “Wow, this is Gene Simmons getting busted on national television and the guy just keeps his composure the whole time”, it’s beyond me how this guy doesn’t snap and punch Tweed in the face.
Sadly, the display between Simmons and Tweed is just a classic example of how the Rock and Roll lifestyle eventually can turn ugly and contribute to a disfunctional relationship. Whether sex, drugs, booze or all three mixed together clearly reflect the inevitability towards self-destructive behavior in the entertainment industry. The strange thing about Simmons is that he’s always had the “too cool for school” type attitude, and his business sense building the KISS empire I’m sure has contributed to his feeling of doing as he pleases, when he pleases, (and with throngs of women throwing themselves at him after nearly 40 years in music) with whom he pleases. Being damn near 70, I’m sure young little 20-somethings are difficult for him to turn down, and clearly he has not taken that path.
Regardless, it’s sad and pathetic to see this rock god wittled down to what appears to be a sleezy old man who doesn’t seem to acknowledge that his personal behaviors have severly impacted his spouse to a the point of no return. To add insult to injury, having it spewed on national television is just so degrading, but America’s thirst for reality entertainment doesn’t make this a bizarre event as it would have a decade ago.
I’ve provided a link to the interview and it’s worth watching, but again, get ready to squirm at both the uneasy climate between the two. I’m not sure what is more uneasy, Gene’s composure while Tweed’s clear disdain for his behavior clearly is on display for the world to see, or his one liners that fall flat and just add fuel to Tweeds burning rage.
Check it out by clicking here. Let us know if you think Tweed is being too hard on a guy she clearly knew prior lived the rock and roll lifestyle to excess when she met him and therefore should have accepted it no matter what, right? Well, whether a stunt by Simmon’s and Tweed to self-premote their vile reality show at the beginning of a new season or true disfunctional puke about their cheezy-corny-plastic surgery-lame relationship it’s troubling.
Hi Fi and Low Expectations 