During an interview with HuffPost Live yesterday, Kiss frontman Gene Simmons was confronted by Atlanta punk band Black Lips with accusations of misogyny and sexism. After answering some questions submitted by fans through online videos, Simmons was shown one last video, featuring the Black Lips' Cole Alexander, Jared Swilley, and Jack Hines in Kiss make-up, calling for the "surrender of the Kiss Army."
"Mr. Simmons, we're here to tell you that the day of misogynistic, sexist rock and roll is over!" Hines declares. "We call for the complete and utter surrender of the Kiss Army. Lay down your guitars! Do you accept out terms of surrender?!"
Since this probably isn't the first time that Gene Simmons has been called out for misogyny, he didn't seem too phased by the question, responding calmly, "Yes, I surrender entirely, and I wanted to compliment your mom for the wonderful way that she designed the decoration on the basement that she lets you live in, I think it's very attractive. I hope you get to leave your mom's basement soon."
When host Ricky Camilleri points out that the video was submitted by the Black Lips, "a very successful rock band," Simmons quickly fires back with accusations of racism. "They're not black. What are they, racist? Why are the calling themselves black?" he asks, perhaps not understanding that "black" doesn't always mean "African-American."
Of course, Simmons recently found himself in some racially charged controversy when he defended L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who was fired after he was caught on tape making racist remarks. "I'm on...Don Sterling's side and anybody who has a racist or expletive rant privately," Simmons said.
You can check out the complete interview right here. The Black Lips come in at about 32:00.
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