Q: Then why stay with Shannon?
A: This is the hottest woman on earth. And she’s an alpha female. She doesn’t talk about whether the vacuum cleaner works or not. Doesn’t sweat the small stuff. Has a strong moral centre, no drugs, no booze. No whining. No bad hair days.
Q: Is it okay if she sleeps with other men?
A: People will do whatever they want to do. So it’s best to just relax and hope for the best. Get a hobby.
Q: It’s clear on the show that your kids love their mother very much. Does it bother them that you’re not monogamous?
A: Who said I’m not?
Q: Well, you do. Don’t you?
A: No, not necessarily. And I’m not sure Bill Clinton or anyone else should be talking about those areas to strangers. Aren’t you ever going to ask me about Kiss?
Q: Why are you stalling?
A: Look, it’s the 21st century, and the thing women have been clamouring for is finally upon us: you’re free. You’re no longer indentured slaves. You no longer have to be in the kitchen, or leave the smoking room so the men can talk. And the greatest asset Shannon has is that she’s a modern woman. Besides being stunning, six feet tall and, of course, a Newfie, I worship the ground she walks on. But part of the relationship is that it’s no-nonsense. We don’t call each other “honey” and “sweetheart” and all those clichés. That’s television talk, just a paint-by-numbers relationship. When I talk to her, it’s straight ahead, like an equal partner, and she to me.
Q: A tape surfaced on the Internet last year, of you having sex with another woman. Were your kids upset?
A: We talked about it a little bit, but they understand. It was made a long time ago, and not with my consent. But . . . move on. Why do people care?
Q: How do you talk to your daughter about all this?
A: Hopefully, the one thing I gave Sophie was the clear information that she should never define herself by men. Women’s magazines are ego-destroying, the worst piece of trash you can read. Here’s why: they feed the insecurities and weaknesses of women. There are always lists: “10 things he likes about you,” “10 things to look younger”—this endless self-torture. Men’s magazines never, ever talk about what women want. Men don’t care.
Q: So would it bother you if she said, “I’m going to be like you, Dad, and have thousands of sexual partners”?
A: Once Sophie becomes a mature woman, it doesn’t matter what we think or say, these will be decisions she has to make and live with. But of course there’s a double standard.
Q: Okay, Kiss: you have a new album out this week, a massive tour, and your own reality show is a hit. How many thousands of Kiss licences are there now?
A: More than 3,000. After Sonic Boom comes out, every Wal-Mart in North America, and soon the world, will have four Kiss corners, where you can buy T-shirts, Kiss Mr. Potato Heads, and of course Kiss M&Ms, with our faces on each M&M.
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WOMEN ROCK WHEN IT COMES TO ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS!
Of course they do. Unfortunately they just have to ask a lot of them before they get the right answer.
Gene is the best. He's a guy's guy. He's proud of his gender and will not be manipulated into watering down his beliefs. I think most people could learn a lesson from him. His attitude towards parenting is spot on. Anyone who criticizes him, doesn't understand him like he says. I understand him so I like and admire the man.
Thank god a women did this interview with this clown. great interview !!! i love kiss and have since i was a little kid in 1977. ace frehley was always my favorite.
as much of a clown he is i still dig him.
One word" swoon"
They should not devote 2 seconds to this jerk.
According to Gene, your reaction pegs you as being insecure….. Anyways, he gives very sound parenting advice in very concise terms. Too bad more people don't heed his advice. I've always found it stupefying that grown men and women allow their young children to argue and negotiate with them. If a parent thinks a 4-year old has a valid counter argument to their judgment, that parent might want to consider not having more children.
This was great fun to read. Never liked Kiss — it was always the guys who dug KISS — but I get a kick out of his family. The kids are gorgeous, and so is Shannon Tweed. Go Simmons Family!
Like Trump, has an ego. But like George Lucas, a marketing genius. If he were a philanthropist, like Bill Gates, then he'd be much more admirable.
I loved the interview and I am far from a KISS fan. But the guy obviously has his life under control. Excellent parenting advice – last night I watch Dancing with the Stars and heard Ozzy Osbourne give some advice to his injured daughter – it was common sense and so refreshing, unlike all the puffed up counsellors/therapists.