Gene Simmons, of KISS and bullshit reality TV shows, made headlines recently when he made some pretty insensitive comments about depressed people. In an interview with Songfacts, Simmons went on a rant about addiction and depression, ending with, “kill yourself.” Here’s the quote:
[…] 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-ck 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-ck you, then kill yourself.
He actually went on to add,
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 fuck up, have some dignity and jump! You’ve got the crowd.
Okay, so not like it’s ever a good time to make fun of people with clinical depression and tell them to kill themselves, but this is an especially bad time to make such statements. In fact, his statements got his music banned from major radio stations across the globe.
Now he’s apologizing. Here’s his apology, from Facebook:
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.
What do you think? Do we forgive him?
(Personally, I am so over Gene Simmons. So very over. He reminds me of the “edgy kid” in middle school. Everyone had an “edgy kid” in middle school.)
Hell no go away gene simmons you suck
I think he meant what he said in the first place or he wanted some media attention, I think he wanted the media attention
Who cares? He is totally irrelevant.
I totally agree with his original comments, as is, where is.
So, we have a world class narcissist busting on addicts and alcoholics… Pot meet kettle. Dude has pissed away the better part of his life chasing the almighty dollar & his family has paid the price, throw in the groupies and assorted bimbos then ask yourself who is the addict. Btw, KISS sucks green donkey dicks….always has, always will!
I think he should apologise for that wig.
I can forgive him but I don’t know if I can forgive his hair.
Gene Simmons SUX
Gene never fails to deliver his walking, talking and living Jewish stereotype! what a sorry shit bag….money grubbing $#@…………..
As far as his comments, in the first block: “I’m depressed” is a recorded statement by someone who is probably not clinically depressed. People often say “I’m depressed” about the state of the world. Similarly, “kill yourself” doesn’t always mean literally “kill yourself”, more like “drop dead”. His point being, your life is not so tough (e.g. in comparison to his mother’s), quit whining.
As for the second paragraph, making light of suicidal people is naturally inexcusable, but I think that somehow his addled brain went from “kill yourself” to an image of a jumper.That his reaction is “jump!”, naturally sounds horrible, although I think he was still speaking metaphorically (e.g. “drop dead”) of the “depressed” slacker.
Of course, if he really urges, even internally, suicidal people to follow through, then he is a real monster.
His “apology” is however unambiguous.
It follows the current form of making the “apology” only to those “who were offended by my comments”, which actually means: I’m not sorry for what I said, I’m sorry that I’m getting backlash from you overly sensitive, politically correct, etc., people.
Then he continues with the bald-faced ruse of: “I do not intend to defend myself here and now, by listing…”, wherein he obviously presents implied charity work as a defense.
All of which goes to show, that he is a publicity obsessed jerk, although not necessarily murderously dismissive of suicidal depressives.
GENE SIMMONS HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT
MONEY, ITS ALL HE CARES ABOUT NOTHING
ELSE. MAIN REASON HE WONT MARRY HIS
LONG TIME GIRLFRIEND AFRAID SHE WOULD
TAKE ALL HIS STUFF. A TYPICAL WACKY ROCK
STAR WHO CARES ONLY ABOUT HIS SELF.
IGNORE HIS THOUGHTS!!!!
Being a singer, bass player and one that made a lot of money doing it … Doesn’t give him any special intelligence when it comes to Empathy or anything else for that matter … Just shows what an ARROGANT ASS he is ….. and doesn’t deserve to have an opinion on the subject .. …