And if the dumbest members of the working class didn't have money, no one would come to your concerts and you'd be a homeless man with a giant head wearing face paint.

Impovershing Gene Simmons is the first good argument for massive income inequality I've ever heard.

I went over to my friends cousins house the other week and can confirm. He had a huge collection of Kiss stuff in the entry room, living room, and hallway, and I'm just like... uhhhhhh. You could have gone on vacation several times and still bought a huge nice glass framed poster of Kiss that would be somewhat tasteful in your house. But nope, just a bunch of shitty little plastic items encased in cardboard with plastic windows. I really can't take someone seriously in this situation. Jimmy I can give a pass since he actually gets expensive stuff, but that's still pushing it.

I don't give Jimmy a pass at all, I think his obsessions with Kiss and Sabbath are childish and incredibly creepy.

If you're out of college and still hanging band posters and buying the cheap merch at shows...you've got a problem.

If you're over 30 and going to Kiss concerts and "rocking out", you are a douche.

I've never owned a Kiss album or piece of merch. I've never cared for them as a band, or people. I've never understood their fame, reputation or success.

I get why he likes Sabbath. I'm not a huge fan but they have some good music. KISS...they're a fucking novelty band

listen to my nigga rottenseed and smoke the sweet leaf. fuck kiss

Yes but if I were an unmarried stand-up who does morning radio and had a shit load of disposable income, my house would be covered in things from my obsessions.

Yes, we all know Jimmy is pathetic, what"s your point here?

Pathetic? I don't think that's pathetic at all. That's the dream. Not having to deal with a relationship. Having money to do what I want.

College? For Kiss, the cutoff is middle school.

Suuuuuure, middle school is a good time fa kissin'.

I also think it's creepy, but I'm saying at least he's getting really nice merch and framing it, getting it signed, etc. I think the autograph thing in general is really creepy as well. However, at least he's not buying like bobbleheads and dolls and whatever else - although he might do that too, I'm not sure. I'm saying it's even more fucked up when people can't really afford the merch and it's part of their family budget, to buy shitty little cartoon dolls to display around your house, when you're a grown man. It's like being a 40 year old Juggallo.

We can more or less blame the existence of Juggalos on KISS as well, if we wanted to make this "fuck gene simmons" list a little longer.

Good call, I think I am now all in, any adult, including Jimmy, that owns any Kiss or Juggalo paraphernalia should, have their home flamethrowered by the Hoarders television show.

<Insert Bill Hicks routine about artists who whore themselves out>

They come to his concert because he provides them with something they want. It's the free market, capitalism. Nobody forces people to pay his tickets!

And then the good old government comes in and steals by force 80% of his money! And that's freedom! Come on..

Isn't that exactly the same speech Anthony has given on the air? Which is why he doesn't need my $6.

Agreed. I can't support a greasy savage wop like him anyway.

Alice Cooper beat him to the punch and then GWAR bested him. I don't know why anybody would listen to kiss in 2014.

They got a lot of loyal fans in the 70's. That's their entire fan base.

Never been a fan of Kiss so when a cover band came to my town not.long ago I tried to blow them off. But my sis was there with her little girls and I love them more than life so I stayed. And they were awesome. It was a great show and it was free. So they probably didnt make shit but dammit did I enjoy Kiss music that day. Pretty sure they were called dressed to kill.

Suuuuuuure, can't jus' leave a show early when ya spendin' time witcha loved ones and lit'le ones. Lit'le Jessica is gettin' too big though, I told her mom to stop feeding her so much or she's gonna go troo a groate spurt.

I knew it was a bad idea mentioning them here.

Gene Simmon's little assertion has been fact checked and proven to be wrong. Very wrong.

http://www.mediaite.com/online/wapo-fact-checker-gives-gene-simmons-1-comment-4-pinnochios/

Has it?

Gene Simmons is endlessly impressed with his own brilliance, but all he does is parrot already disproven right-wing talking points.

Like everyone on the right-wing.

I don't agree with Geno at all, I'm also not a right winger, but how is the left free and clear of acting like this?

Between Gene Simmons,Sting and Roger Waters I just about had enough of these uppity bassists.

Just sit in the back where you belong and we will all pretend that 90% of your efforts can't be duplicated by a 50 dollar octave pedal. That's why all the good players,like John Paul Jones,Bill Wyman or John Entwistle are all quiet geniuses.

Those last three were also awesome at plenty of different instruments too. I wouldnt consider gene as proficient at even the bass.

In terms of dollar amount, he's right, but for a guy earning $10-an-hour or less, losing 25-30% of his paycheck to taxes is a major blow.

To paraphrase Chris Rock, that's like kicking Monday and half of Tuesday in the ass.

Simmons' comments are the socioeconomic version of "Do you know who I am?" (unsurprisingly, Bill Maher's made the same exact comment). It's tasteless and tacky.

Not that I expect any better from a guy who sells a KISS coffin.

The man knows his audience... Old douche bags.

Gene Simmons is also a zionist

and he denies the Armenian Genocide

And he's well-known the world over as just generally being a cunt.

Fifty percent of the population of the U.S. pays no taxes.

I couldn't even begin to guess how someone could live a normal life without ever paying sales tax, let alone literally half the country doing so.

Is that factoring in the people who aren't old enough to pay taxes or 50 of taxpayers don't pay?

Unless you're in a jurisdiction without sales tax, which I guess five states might still fit into, you're likely starting to pay it as soon as you can buy your first piece of candy and not stopping until the nursing home.

That's about 7.8% tax on many goods, and 10.7% on prepared foods around where I'm at. If you happen to be a smoker, use a phone or cable, drink or drive (but hopefully not both at the same time lololol) you're also paying a pretty significant tax on your activities.

Definitely under half of what I'm paying out in income tax, yet definitely greater than "no taxes", especially to some poor bastard trying to get by on disability or social security. Gene's line is probably specifically regarding federal income tax, but the "no taxes" sentiment has been called-out bullshit for long enough that there's really no excuse for anyone public to make this mistake anymore.

No taxes just means no federal income. Also if they are on SNAP no sales tax on food goods either.

that's just, like, his opinion man

Um, Ant would totally agree with him. Congrats on bringing Gene and Ant together.

I love how they always say 50% don't pay taxes. Everyone who works pays payroll taxes. And you can piss on the guy making 40 grand that he doesn't pay as much, but they don't make as much. And it isn't the 1% providing all the jobs it's the average small business operators. The system is designed in a way to trick people. It makes some yokel in Bugtussle Alabama think he's the 1%. It makes Ant think that, even Gene Simmons. The truly upper echelon rich just make money off of money. It's inherited and passed down. Old money families. Rothschilds, Rockefellers, etc. The United States economy rests in the average worker and the ones bold enough to start small businesses.

Couldn't say it better or agree more. You're awesome.

Public works projects?! Helping the unemployed? Get that socialism bullshit outta here! Dis is 'Murica!

I didn't wake up today thinking that the economic problems in america were going to be put in perspective for me.

I don't want a goddamn thing from the government except for them to leave me the fuck alone.

Well aren't you special

http://money.howstuffworks.com/only-53-percent-pay-income-tax.htm

I also hated his stupid assumption that he'd just be able to trademark a dollar sign bag and then Monopoly/Parker Bros. would have to pay to use it in their game. Such a stupid misunderstanding of Trademark Law and if a lawyer told him he could do that he should be immediately disbarred.

He has a trademark that looks similar to a dollar sign bag but only in connection with his stupid Gene Simmons merchandise. He's got this http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=doc&amp;state=4809:nmjxwh.3.66

and a similar one for Simmons Books and they are Trademarks only in conjunction with the goods/services listed in the registration. That doesn't fucking mean you can just sue everyone that uses a dollar sign bag anywhere. And guess what, Monopoly already has their board trademarked which contains a dollar sign bag on it and they are the senior user/senior filer so fuck you Gene

Fucking entitled self-righteous idiot.

Don't worry, he'll be dead soon.

1 % has to be Jews to be okay in that racist fuck book.

This is the same guy who said Cleaning cars is for goyims ( non Jews). Fuck you Geeeeneee

I personally loved Anthony describing him in his sex tape as "a mangy old puma."

He will be missed.

He's outrageous.

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Norton is such a quick guy. I don't get his love for that shite band.

Cumia has said the same thing and he brags about his wealth more than Gene does

Why did anyone like men in clown makeup to begin with? Especially one with that giant tongue thing he did. Can anyone explain how they could look past that gimmicky shit?

Don't like the fee for being a rich person in the United States, then try becoming a rich person in another country. Report back on how that worked out for you.

Well duh... I've known he's a douche for ages.

As much as I hate Gene Simmons, can't quite disagree with him. Gene's real name is Chaim Witz; That name STINKS.

of course he's a jew

He's a retired Jew, living on a pension....

How fucking sexy was that wife/care-giver of his who turned down the tv?

You never saw her upper body, and you didn't need to, to know she was a honey of a dish.

That was a great piece of cinematic cinema, right there.

"Turn this down, you're gonna break your EAR drums..."

I heard he was a retired investor that had to come home to vote in the Presidential Election because they wouldn't give him an absentee ballot...

(Laughs)

Yeah he's not wrong on any particular thing that says, he's just a dick. But so are half of us so who gives a shit.

He trolled NPR like a master though

By trolled you mean made an ass out of himself.

Terry Gross is so uptight, I'd consider it successful trolling. Gene is usually just an ass though.

Trolling requires some form of joke. Gene Simmons was not joking.

Yeah but he was exaggerating himself. Choosing to do it in a way that specifically get at Terry

I don't like him either, but he's closer to being right than he is to being wrong. He did leave out the fact that the US Government (whose motto should be "to employ the unemployable") provides a fuckton of jobs as well.

All western governments provide a fuckton of jobs. I guess there's just a lot of unemployable people in the world.

Well, unfortunately we can't all be shitty bass players for cock rock bands that cater to 13 year olds and Jim Norton.

Uh...he's got a point.

in a very cunty way

of course he's a jew

Yes but if I were an unmarried stand-up who does morning radio and had a shit load of disposable income, my house would be covered in things from my obsessions.

I get why he likes Sabbath. I'm not a huge fan but they have some good music. KISS...they're a fucking novelty band

College? For Kiss, the cutoff is middle school.

I also think it's creepy, but I'm saying at least he's getting really nice merch and framing it, getting it signed, etc. I think the autograph thing in general is really creepy as well. However, at least he's not buying like bobbleheads and dolls and whatever else - although he might do that too, I'm not sure. I'm saying it's even more fucked up when people can't really afford the merch and it's part of their family budget, to buy shitty little cartoon dolls to display around your house, when you're a grown man. It's like being a 40 year old Juggallo.

Those last three were also awesome at plenty of different instruments too. I wouldnt consider gene as proficient at even the bass.

Yeah he's not wrong on any particular thing that says, he's just a dick. But so are half of us so who gives a shit.