Music

Watch Black Lips call out Gene Simmons for being a misogynist

by Mark Teo

KISS fans as we may be, we can’t deny it—Gene Simmons is descending into a pit of insanity. And it’s been sad to witness, except for the fact that’s he’s emerging as a reprehensible badman, and a belligerent one at that: After proudly declaring himself as a member of the 1%, he argued that folks need to start being nicer to rich people. Next, he defended notable racist Donald Sterling using a questionable understanding of the First Amendment, arguing that “[if] you say an off-color joke or make a racist rant privately [and] that causes you to lose a job [then] nobody would have a job.” Next, he called young people stupid because they’re young.

Of course, KISS fans have long-known that Simmons was losing his mind—take, for example, his greasy, humiliating cover of the Prodigy’s “Firestarter.”

Keith Flint is pissed. Rightly so.

And so, too, are Atlanta-based garage-punk icons Black Lips. When Simmons was interview by the Huffington Post, the trio left him a message, demanding that the KISS army surrender. Here’s what Jack Hines yelled, which, Pitchfork notes, sounded like an old-fashioned pro-wrestling call-out.

Hines stops just short of calling Simmons a jabroni—which, quite frankly, is a fitting title. Simmons, clearly unaware of who the Black Lips are, then makes fun of their “mom’s basement,” before inexplicably telling them to “learn to speak English,” and mocking their academic credentials.

Simmons does find out who the band’s name, he retorts with: “They’re not black. Are they racist? Why are they calling themselves black?” Ugh. Can someone fetch Gene his meds already?

Of course, the Black Lips aren’t simply slandering Simmons—he’s been labelled as a misogynist for years. He is, after all, the man who claims he’s slept with nearly 5,000 women. (His advice? To tell women that “I would be so honoured if you shared my bed tonight—but I also find your sister and your mommy attractive, too.”) He’s made arguments over so-called benevolent sexism, claiming that women should want to have doors opened for them. And, in a famed interview with NPR’s Terry Gross, he told her that “if you want to welcome me with open arms, I’m afraid you’re also going to have to welcome me with open legs.”

So no, the Black Lips aren’t just shit talking. Watch them interrupt Simmons’ interview below.