Gene Simmons of Kiss is in damage control after making obscene comments about depression in an interview and has cancelled his Twitter account after backlash from the statement.
In an interview with songfacts.com published on July 31 Simmons said, “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,” he said. “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 fuck 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.” Fuck you, then kill yourself.”
He added, “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.”
http://www.songfacts.com/blog/interviews/gene_simmons_of_kiss/
The comments have outraged people all over the world, especially following the news of the death of Robin Williams.
Mike Fitzpatrick, Content Director of Triple M, has pulled Kiss from the network’s national playlist. In a statement Fitzpatrick said, “Gene Simmons’ recent comments are misguided and insensitive. Depression and Suicide are not topics he should be using to further his notoriety or sell records. His desperation to use mental health issues to find relevancy in a modern age is sickening. I can only put it down to a brain fade on his part. The Triple M Network can’t and won’t be playing or supporting this dickhead’s music. I put the challenge out to other stations across Australia and North America to also drop any of this nudnik’s songs until such time as he reconsiders his thoughtless and insensitive position.”
Simmons has removed his Twitter account and posted the following statement at the official Kiss website, “I want to make this statement about my views on depression for the record and to clarify my prior remarks.
“To the extent my comments reported by the media speak of depression, 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”.
For help or information about Depression, call Lifeline, 131 114, or visit beyondblue.org.au.
