This is old news but if you’ve never heard it, it is a must hear. And for someone like myself who dressed up as Gene Simmons two Halloweens in a row, this is golden.
Gene Simmons- the hedonist, rockstar, family(ish) man, money lover vs. Terry Gross –the bookwormish, pseudo-intellectual snob.
Oh Lord, it’s a match made in heaven.
What I love about this interview is they both have valid points in their perceptions, accusations and judgments of each other. Yes Terry, Gene is obnoxious but you are a snob. Yes Gene, Terry is a snob but you are arrogant.
It is priceless to her Gross’s genuine laughter (Simmons can be quite funny) turn into nervous, uncomfortable laughter. My favorite part is at the end when Simmons turns her oh-so-righteous ‘question’ right back on her-
Gross: “I’d like to think that the personality that you’ve presented on our show today is a persona that you’ve affected as a member of KISS, something that you do on stage and before a microphone but you’re not nearly as obnoxious in the privacy of your own home or when you’re having dinner with friends.”
Simmons: “Fair enough. And I’d like to think that the boring lady that’s talking to me now is a lot sexier and more interesting than the one who’s doing NPR –all studious and reserved…I bet you’re a lot of fun at a party.”
Some other killer quotes-
Gross: How would you describe the ‘pattern’ [oh please…] on your face?
Simmons: “A banker’s pattern –when you see it you say, “Boy that guy has a lot of money…”
***
Simmons: “I was going to suggest that you get outside of the musty place where you can count the dust particles falling around you, and get out in the world and see what everybody else is doing.”
Gross: “Having sex with you?”
Simmons: “Well, if you chose, but you’d have to stand in line…”
***
Gross: “One of the things you’ve done onstage is your fire eating, how and why did you start doing that?”
Simmons: “So that people could say, “Wow, look at him fire breathe!”
It’s about 25 minutes long but well worth the listen. Check it out.
I love it when pretentious Bohemian Bourgeoisies meet irreverent, sex-addicted, aging rock stars. Classic dialogue…
HAHA! “pretentious Bohemian Bourgeoisies”… Too funny…
I love Gene, he’s truthful and arrogant.
I feel bad for Terry, ouch, how can you argue with one of those guys who knows it all? haha
I don’t know how you could listen to this interview and think Gene Simmons came off well, or that Terry Gross did not. In a welcoming, good natured way she tried to ask him honest questions about his band –nothing pretentious or pseudo-intellectual– and he was a jackass who embarrassed the shit out of himself. No wonder he tried to stifle this interview, it’s pathetic.
Read the post again Jimbo, I said Terry was snob AND Gene was arrogant. I also said they BOTH had validity in their perspectives and viewpoints. If you don’t think Terry Gross is snobbish here and you can’t see the humor in their duel I don’t know what to tell you. It’s hilarious dude. I think if Gross lightened the hell up and threw it right back at Simmons instead of getting all touchy and offended he would have been like,”Oh…touche.” And it would have been a bit more fun…
Dear Keith,
I disagree with you. If you listen again, just a leeeetle more closely, you may realize that Terry Gross was in fact quite warm and friendly toward her guest for a while, taking his bizarre comments and unprovoked attacks/criticisms in stride. She’s not a comedian, she’s an interviewer –I doubt Charlie Rose or Bill Moyer would’ve handled it any differently. (Although a good comic –Louis CK or Stephen Colbert for instance– would’ve ripped Simmons a new star-shaped asshole.) On the other hand, I think you’re also wrong about Simmons in this interview: he wasn’t so much arrogant as outright pathetic, bouncing between offense and defense in a situation that begged neither. If he was already so disgusted by the format of NPR and Gross’s show, why accept the interview? Didn’t the “rock star” have something better to do than get embarrassed on National Public Radio by a nice, little old lady? I suppose not.
Jimbo, I must admit, I probably am biased since I dressed up as Gene Simmons two years in a row. Maybe you are biased as well, dressing as Terry Gross and all.
Well Keith,
I’m disappointed. You’ve ultimately failed to articulate a reasonable point of view. Furthermore, you fall back on the simple-minded notion that both sides must be “biased” because you’re unable to back up your opinion. I’m not even a debater or anything, I just know that in this case the situation is obvious, and that you’re a dummy who dresses like a member of the gayest fake rock band ever KISS. I would never dress up as Terry Gross anyway, she is way too understated and tastefully nuanced for me to properly emulate.
I just want to say also that somewhere deep down, I love you.
-Jimbo
But godDAMN do I respect you.
jimbo