Triple M ban KISS

[thorson1987]

http://www.triplem.com.au/sydney/music/news/2014/8/kiss-gene-simmons-tells-depression-sufferers-f-you-kill-yourself/

Kiss’ Gene Simmons Tells Depression Sufferers: ‘F*** You! Kill Yourself’
Head of Triple M has reacted by removing all Kiss tracks nationwide from its playlist.



[Update] Triple M bans Kiss nationwide.
Mike Fitzpatrick, Triple M's Network head, has just pulled all Kiss tracks from playlists countrywide on the back of this story.

"Gene Simmons' recent comments are misguided and insensitive," Mike said. "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."

Gene Simmons has been widely criticised for making insensitive comments about depression and suicide after he told sufferers 'f*** you, then kill yourself’.

The Kiss bassist dismissed depression as a mental disorder in an article with Songfacts.com. One in eight Australian men experience depression and mental health issues have been particularly highlighted this week in the aftermath of Robin Williams' tragic death.

In the candid interview recently, the 64-year-old said: "f**k you, then kill yourself. I never understand, because 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 f**k up, have some dignity and jump! You've got the crowd.”

"By the way, you walk up to the same guy on a ledge who threatens to jump and put a gun to his head (and say) 'I'm going to blow your f**kin' head off', he'll go, 'please don't’. It's true. He's not that insane," Simmons said.

However, the rock star’s comments have been widely criticised.

Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx announced on his Sixx Sense radio show: “It’s pretty moronic … There is a 20-year-old kid out there who is a Kiss fan and reads this and goes, 'You know what? He's right. I should just kill myself’."

Simmons has also been labelled a hypocrite after he tweeted, ‘R.I.P. Robin Williams. A kind and generous man’, in the wake of the actor’s tragic death this week.


Kiss is celebrating its 40th year in rock and were recently inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame.

Australia has a tragically high suicide rate, with suicide killing three times more Australian males aged between 15 and 45 than all car accidents combined.

 

[Generalzod]

I like Gene, surely he was taken out of context.

 

[gUt]

Not before time, most overrated merkin of a band ever.

 

[veggiepatch1959]

Not before time, most overrated merkin of a band ever.

Totally agree. How these beerhunters ever got a recording contract in the first place is beyond comprehension.

ADDN: What the hell is a beerhunter when I typed corksucker?

 

[hineyrulz]

Not before time, most overrated merkin of a band ever.

Yep, couldn't agree more. Had a few good songs but could never understand the hype.

 

[roofromoz]

Agree that the band is horribly overrated. However, I thought Detroit Rock City was a great movie.

 

[azzah72]

Kiss are ok, I'd like to hear the interview to try and get an understanding of the context. Just seems like a ridiculous thing to say in relation to what happened.

Especially since he was one of the first to pay tribute.

 

[Red Bear]

He said it before Williams death. ABout two weeks beforehand. Obviously in the wake of Robin Williams dying it got blown up from there.

Pretty horrible thing to say

 

[umina panther]

Triple M's ban of Frenzal Rhomb is the real issue

 

[bileduct]

Gene Simmons comments are from an interview that was published on the 31st of July.

http://www.songfacts.com/blog/interviews/gene_simmons_of_kiss/

Here is the relevant portion of the interview:

Songfacts: Do you still get along with the original guys?

Gene: No, 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. 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 f**k 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." f**k you, then kill yourself.

I never understand, because 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 f**k up, have some dignity and jump! You've got the crowd.

By the way, you walk up to the same guy on a ledge who threatens to jump and put a gun to his head, "I'm going to blow your f**kin' head off!" He'll go, "Please don't!" It's true. He's not that insane.

He seems to be making more of a comment about people who use their depression, whether real or not, as a means of drawing attention to themselves.

 

[bileduct]

He also issued an apology for his remarks.

https://www.facebook.com/officialgenesimmons

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.

 

[Apey]

He was definitely taken out of context. Originally articles were giving the impression that the comments had been made after Robin William's death and he just being a merkin about current events. With his statement in mind it's also pretty obvious he was aiming his remarks at alcoholics and druggos and not depression sufferers in general. The target of his comments got a bit lost in his little tirade.

Still it was dumb and insensitive either way you look at it.

Had to laugh at this bit:

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.

But I'll just casually mention it anyway.

 

[some11]

Basically he's aiming those original comments at Criss and Frehley.

Simmons and Stanley get on their high horse whenever possible to berate them for being addicts in the past, I'd probably feel the same way watching a money making machine that was the original line-up fall apart.

 

[fightingirish69]

Not before time, most overrated merkin of a band ever.

Totally agree... The guy has always been a wanker

 

[Flapper]

Triple M's ban of Frenzal Rhomb is the real issue

Jay's dismantling of Kyle & Jackie O over that was f**king brilliant.

As for KISS, I only ever liked Sure Know Something, that was great.

 

[TimmyB]

Alcoholism is if anything symptomatic of mental illness in a lot of cases. There's a pretty strong correlation between alcoholism, drug addiction and mood disorder and other forms of mental illness. Still a pretty shitty thing to say in my opinion.