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May 30, 2007
"It's about America, it's about God and Country!" ~ Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons Military Tribute
Gene Simmons is the kind of guy who does and says whatever he wants, whenever he wants. Schedule an interview with him on Monday afternoon, and he'll call you at 10 p.m. on Sunday. And when the legendary KISS front man is ready to go, you'd better have your recorder handy, because he's always got something incendiary to say.
The "king of all beasts" (his words) cannot be tamed—at least not by anyone other than longtime girlfriend, former Playmate Shannon Tweed, and their two children, Sophie, 14, and Nick, 18. Their efforts are chronicled in the A&E reality series Gene Simmons Family Jewels, currently in its second season. In honor of Memorial Day, Simmons recently taped a special one-hour episode in which he and daughter Sophie get a taste for basic training at Camp Pendleton in San Diego, then visit wounded soldiers at a veterans hospital in Long Beach. The experience inspired him to put on a subsequent concert for troops about to ship off to Iraq.
On the phone to Radar from L.A., Simmons exercised his oversize tongue on a range of issues, including the Iraq war, the need for racial profiling, and the "enemy of Western civilization," Sean Penn.
RADAR: You seemed to have a deep respect for the soldiers you met at Camp Pendleton. What did you come away with?GENE SIMMONS: It is embarrassing what’s happening to America nowadays. I’m embarrassed. The same thing happened in Vietnam, and I lived through that era. It was unbelievable. The answer seems to be, from some political experts, just get up and leave and the bad guys will decide, “Hey let’s disarm and everything’s going to be okay.” I’m so fucking sick and tired of such idiotic behavior.
It’s not the policies and the bills; it’s how we treat our military. It’s how we treat our young men or women who go out there, at 18 years old, and risk their lives. There’s no fame, they’re certainly not getting rich, and a lot of them are dying, simply for something they believe.
By the way, it’s a volunteer army, all volunteer. The fact that anybody would have a fucking thing to say about that is astonishing. And the VA hospital that Sophie and I went to, it’s about an hour and a half down the road from Malibu. These morons can’t get up off their asses and out of their $10 million homes, get into their SUVs, and drive down to the VA hospital just to say, “Hey, what you do matters.” Doesn’t matter what they think of President Bush. It matters that 18-year-olds are getting out there and risking their lives. I didn’t see a single person there. That’s the most embarrassing thing. I’m furious at Hollywood.
RADAR: No visitors at all?
GENE SIMMONS: No. Of course, if it means getting on a jet and going to Washington, D.C., to get in front of media, they’re all there. But they won’t get into a car where there’s no media and just go and shake the hand of a vet. And we met, as you know, Vietnam vets and Korean vets and Iraqi vets, and it just breaks your heart.
RADAR: Do you think the troops in Iraq don't get the respect they deserve?GENE SIMMONS: I think it's worse than ever. Because it's never talked about. It's just never talked about. We used to have a dialogue. I mean, there were peace marches, and people forget this, but the Vietnam vets that came back were spat at. Now, it's just apathy.
RADAR: But it seems like these people are protesting the war, not protesting the troops.
GENE SIMMONS: I don't see the difference. Aid and comfort to the enemy is when you do it through media and there are big headlines like "We've Lost the War" and things like that. What makes you think that any graduate of any madrassa in the Middle East doesn't blow that up? In other words, make a big copy of it and show it to everybody.
RADAR: So you have no problem with profiling? If you were at the airport, you wouldn't mind being searched?
GENE SIMMONS: I'm volunteering. I'm volunteering to have less rights. This whole notion that you can have all the rights in the world while there's an emergency is nonsense. That's why there are emergency hours that are given to law enforcement during times of war. And if the cop tells you to move and you don't move, he'll bat you over the head. That's the way it should be.
RADAR: So someone like Sean Penn for instance ... you don't support what he's doing?
GENE SIMMONS: Oh, I think he's the enemy of Western civilization. I think he's a terrific actor, but a political knucklehead.
Wild Thing's comment...............
I have only met Gene Simmons somewhere between 40 to 50 times that is a lot I guess, but not that many times compared to over the years in showbiz.
Each time he was very polite and easy to talk to. I was friends with his girlfriend of some 25 years now, Shannon Tweed, and as far as I know Gene has always been a huge supporter of our troops, America and like he said God and Country.
It is always such a pleasure and makes my heart smile to be able to post about not only someone I know, but also someone that is a big supporter of our troops and realizes why we must fight the terrorists to keep our country safe and free.
This is a great video of a concert that Gene Simmons did for our troops. Turn the the volume and sing along, it is a great medley of military songs.
Posted by Wild Thing at May 30, 2007 12:55 AM
Comments
Another star to add to our growing population of "We respect and admire the troops" city.
He's right--the rich and famous NEED to get off their asses and go visit these vets. Those vets made the world a safer place for them and they aren't doing one thing to Thank them.
Thank God Cindy Sheehan is retiring--one less Jane Fonda to worry about.
Oh, and these troopers don't have anything contagious. They need love, just like everybody else.
Posted by: Lynn at May 30, 2007 06:24 AM
MAN!!! That tribute is something else.
Posted by: BobF at May 30, 2007 10:59 AM
I would have never suspected Simmons was such a patriot, what a great tribute. Thanks WT.
Posted by: Jack at May 30, 2007 01:01 PM
This guy is great. Wow, a rock star with unabashed patriotism. And instilling that patriotism in his daughter. Thank you Gene Simmons for giving me some optimis.
Posted by: TomR at May 31, 2007 12:46 AM
Lynn, isn't that something about Sheehan, she now has not only us mad at her but the lefties too. hahahhahahahahhaa
Posted by: Wild Thing at May 31, 2007 01:02 AM
I am so glad you all got to see it. I thought it was a great tribute too. I loved the music so much.
Posted by: Wild Thing at May 31, 2007 01:03 AM
