Jim was being facetious, not critical. KISS sells out for breakfast. If you read the thread, Gene $immon$ taste for moneymaking is well known and joked about with fond humor rather than any judgmental disdain.

Yeah, I shoulda used the smiley instead of the eye-roll. Thanks for backing me, Jay.

For the record, I have a hard time getting worked up over any pop song being used to sell product. In fact, I usually think "Hey! Cool choice!"

I used to get really worked up about songs being used in commercials. I remember seeing "Hot Blooded" used in a Burger King ad and getting pissed.

Now, it doesn't even register.

Hell, there's been one or two where I actually thought it worked.

I used to hate when they'd use a song in a commercial but change the words to shill the product, like the Golden Grahams "Happy Together" commercial and Devo singing "Swiff It".

Although as a kid I loved "When a Man Loves a Pizza".

Thanks for the clarification guys. My comment was made with no malice either. I like Kiss a lot and have no issues with the Simmons attitude. I find his public persona amusing and have no issue with his comments regarding $$$$. I actually find it refreshing. You know that there are many other artists out there who feel the same way. They just hide it for some reason. I guess the reason being that kiss takes a lot of abuse for being so open whereas other bands do not. It's just rock and roll and it's supposed to be fun! I think some people on some other forums forget that sometimes.

I enjoyed that "reality" show with Gene and his family, watching him brainstorm on every possible way to merchandise the KISS brand.

Still waiting on them Kiss urinals...

Craig Gass has told the story of Howard Stern springing him on Gene during an appearance. He said Gene didn't seem to be appreciative of the jokes, including the constant "...which you can buy on Kissonline.com..." schtick. Gass said after the appearance, Gene caught him in the hall and said it was funny stuff and he had a good time once he realized what was going on, then tried to pitch him on selling voice clips on Kissonline.com. Gass said his first thought was, "Did this guy not listen to what we just did for an hour?"

One thing about being a longtime KISS fan is that you develop a sense of humor towards the band and some of the things they do.

Gene is a goldmine with his quips and merchandise pitches, which have inspired virtually a cottage industry of Gene impressions and jokes.

Did this guy not know who he had on the show for the past hour?

If something is entertaining, it can be used to sell you something. I think at one point Levis or Coke was trying to get the rights to "Holiday In Cambodia" for use in one of their commercials. They sold cars with Iggy Pop's ode to kicking heroin addiction. They used a song recorded by a porn actress to sell burgers... More, More, More. Hell, Zima is probably kicking itself for pulling out of Austin Powers because they realized their product was being mocked... I'm sure many a proto-hipster would have been swigging Zima and saying "yeah baby".

They nailed the most embarrassing Gene Simmons lyric there. "I'm going to put my log in your fireplace" has been a go to for years, only eclipsed by Paul Stanley's "Love is sweet, so insane. Come on, lick my candy cane."

These are truly the masters of the single entendre.

I find it wildly entertaining that Paul's holding his hand up to the (surgically-constructed) ear that he's deaf in.

It's the American Sign Language sign for "I CAAAAAAN'T HEEEEEEAAARRR YOOOUUU!!!!"

Kiss hearing aids?

For people who love it loud!

PEOPLE!!

What?

Sorry. I'll shout it out loud.

For people who love it loud!

I love clouds too!

Paul almost certainly has one like this, with a titanium post screwed into his skull and sticking out through the skin, and then the sound processor snaps onto it. His hair hides it well.



I have something similar, with a magnet implanted, and the sound processor sticks to it magnetically. They didn't have that kind when Paul got his implant.

You can just barely make it out in this picture, behind my ear.

Shortly before my wife had her knee surgery, a pop into my usual B&M record store turned up something I wasn't quite prepared to find. It's one of those things that's sort of been a Grail for me, but not at just any price. I finally got back to the store last week and it was still there, so I did some minor research and decided to go for it. It seems to be as described, so I finally have...a copy of the first Kiss album without "Kissin' Time".

Just to be clear, I can't really justify buying it. I have the CD remaster. I have it on frigging 8-track as part of The Originals (I have that on vinyl as well). But I couldn't resist.

Justify? To us? Alannnnn!!!