Gene Simmons, asshole bassist for KISS, a band most vocally championed by assholes, has come out in support of asshole Donald Sterling and his right to be an asshole. Simmons—an asshole who once titled his solo record Asshole and regularly threw himself “asshole parties”—has long been a firm believer in one’s right to be an asshole, whether it’s to your fans and fellow band members, or just making the sort of everyday racist comments Simmons believes everyone makes, but that the Los Angeles Clippers owner had the misfortune to be caught making on tape and also over the course of many years.
Though The Wall Street Journal notes that Simmons did call Sterling “heinous,” it’s possible he actually said “anus”—as again, he believes that everyone’s an asshole. “Everybody [says] jokes that are off- color, or when they’re drunk,” Simmons says. “And if, because you say an off-color joke or make a racist rant privately, that causes you to lose a job—nobody would have a job. Black people do it, Jews do it, Christians do it—everybody does it. It’s called America. Free speech. Even if free speech insults other people. Privately. Publicly, that’s different. I’m on the side of free speech in the privacy of your own home or privacy of the situation. Big Brother has finally crawled in bed with us.”
Previously, Simmons also discussed how he agrees that the Washington Redskins should have to change its team name, because “there’s sports, there’s business and then there are people.” Simmons then proceeded to break down the various social structures of being an asshole.
As a Jew, I wouldn’t be thrilled as “The Kikes.” And if you’re black, you wouldn’t be thrilled with a football team called “The Blacks.” I could use a worse word. Because “Redskins” was what the white man called them. So I understand if you’re a sports fan and if you’re white, you go “Hey, what’s the problem? We have a long history.” But if you’re an Indian, think about it. White dudes don’t have to worry about that stuff because [they] were always the majority in imperialist countries of the world. “Cracker” means nothing to white people. They had all the money and the power.
Though Simmons said he believes the Redskins has “got to make the change” because “you’re actually insulting an entire race of people,” he then went on to say the NBA should not have tried to get rid of Donald Sterling, just because he insulted an entire race of people. Simmons did not see these views as contradictory, because he is an asshole.
“I’m on Mel Gibson’s side,” Simmons added, in case it were not already clear he’s an asshole.
In his most recent, previous incident of being an asshole, Gene Simmons bragged that he is part of the 1 percent that is keeping the American economy alive and providing jobs for everyone else. “Try being nice to rich people. I don’t remember the last poor person who gave me a job,” said the asshole whose entire lifestyle is supported by primarily working-class people buying his asshole records.
[via Rolling Stone]