Archive 99

Hi Gene,

My cousin in Hungary says she saw you speaking Hungarian in an television interview years ago. Is this true? Do you speak Hungarian?

John.

Response from Gene:

Yes. Fluently.

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Dear Gene,

I was just wondering if you believe in objective moral values (ie. is there an such thing as intrinsic good or evil?), and if so where do you get them from?

Just curious

Julia

Response from Gene:

Whether there is intrinsic good and evil or not may not be the point. You are simply not allowed to hurt anyone else. Period. If you want to torture yourself, it's your business. If a guy runs you over with a truck, he may say: "Sorry, didn't mean it." Or, "I'm evil. I wanted to run you over. " Either way, what's the difference? You've been run over. Point is, whether you're evil or not, try not to run anyone over.

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Someone wrote to you asking if you read any spiritual books and what books you would recommend. You responded by saying, " Stop reading spiritual books for a while and try the N.Y.Times daily. " Is it safe to say you don't find yourself to be a spiritual person or at least one who has any spiritual practice in your life. Like performing yoga or meditation ? You didn't seem to take the person's letter seriously. It seemed abrupt and insincere. I get the feeling you speak more from your mind then your heart.

Response from Gene:

Heart. Schmeart. Become educated first. Stop posing the eternal "heart vs mind" nonsense people throw around. Whether we like it or not, there are facts. Yes, even if we don't believe in them. That's called science. Go to the library.

Spirituality. Religion. Astrology. Numerology. Voodoo dolls. Ad infinitum. That stuff is neither good nor bad. It is simply not scientific fact. Not yet, anyway.

Read the New York Times. You will learn things.

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I always thought your "hand sign" meant I LOVE YOU. Isn't that "I love you" in sign language?


David Roberts

Response from Gene:

Yes.

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Gene,

Thanks for taking the time to stop and chat and sign an autograph for a fan. I met you at CTV studios in Ontario when you were shooting an episode of Off The Record. It meant a lot to me that you actually took the time to stop and chat with me as well as sign my McFarlane figure of you(I will treasure it always, it is on permanent display in my living room). You even posed for a picture with me but unfortunately the camera was out of film, lol. That's ok because I will never forget you turning to me and saying, "Isn't this beautiful...Two grown men hugging!". Anyways as a long time fan (I've seen you in concert 4 times in Ontario) I would like to thank you for taking some time to talk to me and would just like to let everyone know what a truly decent guy you are to your fans.

Thanks for the memories Gene,

Matt Courtney

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Gene-

I have been a big fan for 25 years, and now I am a High School Biology Teacher. I just wanted to say how pleased I am with your statements about evolution. I often talk about Kiss in class (usually my students are shocked, I guess teachers aren't supposed to like stuff like that). It would be great if I could quote some of what you have said here.

David.

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Dear Gene:

Back in 1988 you got hooked up with an organization called "The Starlight Foundation". An organization that hooks sick kids up with "wishes". Back in 1988, I was one of those sick kids and my wish was to meet KISS. Me and my Mom and best friend spent an afternoon with you and Paul at your Avenue Of The Americas office. It's a day I'll never forget. You guys were the best. My Mom till this day still talks about how cool you were. The picture we took of you, me and Paul still hangs proudly in my living room. I had bacterial meningitis back in 1988 and almost died. I came to your office using canes to walk and told you how I was learning to play the drums with my new artificial legs. I also lost the better part of all of my fingers. You and Paul both encouraged me to stick with it and do my best. I was 18 when I met you. I am now 32 and have been playing drums for almost 14 years now. I'm in a Punk band and have played all over Manhattan including CBGBs my favorite. No one ever notices my disability and I am very lucky to actually be able to play quite well. All these years I have always wanted to thank you for the inspiration you gave me that day and for all the music that I still cherish and have since I was 5 years old. I have always told myself that somehow you might remember that day in Manhattan when you guys first moved in and there were boxes of unpacked stuff all over. Paul showed us that silly rhinestone pilots hat that someone made for him and got a phone call while we were there from "Miss Bolivia". We had a blast. Anyway, you may not remember that day but weather you do or not, I wanna say thank you again. And thanks for helping a nobody kid from Jersey feel like something special.

Take care brother.

Marc A. Weakland

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Dear Gene and all who write about rock:

Here's the skinny on what I believe Gene is trying to say about the Seattle bands killing rock n roll. The fact is Seattle bands didnt kill rock 'n Roll music per say. What they did do was kill the rock 'n roll attitude. In other words since Elvis Presley what rock 'n roll signified was a confident attitude of masculinity strutting its stuff and being confident and basically saying I am it! I have talent and I am rocking your world both musically and sexually! This was evident in the attitude of Hendrix and Morrison and the Beatles and Stones in the 60's. Kiss, Aerosmith and Ted Nugent in the 70's. And Guns N Roses and Motley Crue in the 80's, just to name a few. What the Seattle bands did was write great music but instead of portraying an attitude they were introverted with their own pretentious suffering of either non acceptance or drug addiction, they dressed like street people and portrayed self loathing. This went against what was originally like I said the atiitude of rock 'n roll. So what I am interpretting Gene as saying is that Seattle killed the rock 'n roll attitude not the rock 'n roll music. And rap music kind of took over with attitude by being cocky and having girls in the videos etc. So to answer this question, Yes Seattle(even though the music was great) killed rock n roll as we knew it. Gene is right.

Thanks john Connolly

Response from Gene:

Seattle killed rock and roll.

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Hi there, Gene --

What's your take on this new "The Very Best of KISS" album being released by Universal? Do you have a hand in the production or a say in the decision to create it? Do we really need ANOTHER greatest hits KISS album?

With respect & sincerity,
Tim Young
Philadelphia, PA

PS: I just wanted to say that this is the first time I wrote you, and that I've been a KISS fan for about 24 years now, since I was 9 years old; my first KISS album being your Gene Simmons solo record. Thanks for all the great music and theatrics that the band has provided us; it really was a fun time growing up while KISS was popular. While I don't always agree with some of the things you or the band do, I appreciate all the fun and effort provided to us.

Response from Gene:

This is a decision by Universal. They have a contractual right to do this and nothing you say will change their mind.

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we made a special tribute comic that features Gene Simmons, you can see it at

http://www.stickmancomics.com/extras/simmons.htm

Just thought you might like to know! thanks.

-joe

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Hello Gene,

I am responding to the letter regarding "Ebonics." I agree with you! I often stress to my children and their friends the importance of using proper English. For society to even come up with the term "Ebonics" infuriates me. By doing so, society made it okay to use words like "wassupp", and made it easier for the school systems to accept less than stellar effort. Today's youth find it hard to believe that there are few employers out there willing to tolerate "Ebonics." The whole "accept me as I am philosophy" just doesn't cut it; and too often may young adults (black and white) learn the hard way. I do, however, feel for children who grow up knowing little else than "Ebonics." But, we must consider the source. Children are born empty vessels; we their parents fill them up. It all starts at home.

Oh! By the way, I'm your #1 Ebony female fan. Hope to see you again soon.

P.S. I cherish the white silk blouse you signed for me in Pittsburgh at the KISS Convention '95.

With Best Regards,
Ann S., Pittsburgh, PA

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Just saw a rerun of NYPD Blue yesterday (one of the Rick Schroder episodes) and they zoomed in on a KISS Destroyer mural painted on the side of a building in what seemed like the East Village. Also, a SNL rerun where Ana Gasteyer did a sit in on their "Weekend Update" segment as "Mrs. Bob Dole" and they did a mock up of her "partying" with those tame guys in KISS circa 1996...

Also, your buddy Ed Trunk is hosting his own birthday bash here in NYC at Don Hill's and the band that will play is Ace...at $125 a head to get in. Now, for those in the rest of the world, Don Hills nightclub is the size of a shoebox. And Mr. Frehley brags about how he gets Gene and Paul to beg him to do another tour?

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Dear Gene,

Sorry to bother you again like a week old craw fish Po- Boy left in the sun. However I feel that his entire debate that has been left on your web-ste as of late (concerning the theory of evolution and creationism) can be ended with this simple statement. There was a debate on radio that was dealing with the evolutionists theory of the tale in the bible concerning Noah's Ark versus the creationism theory of the Noah's Ark tale. The quote listed below is from Frank Zindler, A former professor of Geology and Biology:

"(At the time of creation) Mt. Ararat was only about ten to twelve thousand feet high. Now if all the water came down in forty days and drowned all the mountains of the world, that would require the rain to come down at about eleven and a half feet per hour. John (the creationism), that's not rain, that's hydraulic mining! Everything would have been swept off the surface of the continents. The continents would be absolutely denuded down to crystalline rocks. All the sedimentary rocks would have been deposited in the ocean basins. Now clearly, that's not the pattern that we see. . .and it would certainly imply. . .that does away with Noah's flood!"

"As I pointed out, we would have had so much water come down in forty days in order to raise sea level almost two miles... that we would have had ten, eleven and a half feet of water coming down per hour. This would have scoured off the surface of all the continents. All the sedimentary rocks would have been laid down in the ocean basins in one great, jumbled mass. That is not what we find. The fossil record, the rock record, shows many cases of rock...things that had to have been formed very slowly and gently. For example, the Chalk Cliffs of Dover, the chalk deposits. These rocks are made entirely of the remains of fossil, microscopic organisms. You couldn't possibly form a deposit like that in one year's time, let alone in the jumbled mess of Noah's flood. How could you get the chalk deposits in one year?"

There you go. Use it as you need, enjoy.

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Gene,

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