GENE SIMMONS: “Do Your Art And Shut Up”

While Kiss bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons has been known to have an opinion on just about everything from questioning rap’s place in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, to proclaiming proclaiming rock & roll is dead, the 76-year-old would prefer politics stay out of art – at least when it comes to celebrities.

Speaking to TMZ (as captured by The PRP), the 76-year-old Kiss icon expressed frustration with performers publicly voicing their opinions: “Everybody in the world should listen to what actors and comedians say, because they’re so qualified.

“Basically shut the fuck up. Do your art and shut up. Nobody’s interested in your opinions, that includes me. Who I vote for, who I like. Who the fuck do you think you are?”

Which also goes the other way – who the hell is Gene Simmons to tell other artists to keep their politics to themselves? Not to mention art is an inherently political platform, but anyway. Simmons added a critique of celebrity activism: “People in America work hard for their living and they don’t wanna be lectured to by people who live in mansions and drive Rolls-Royces.”

Sorry, me again. Apparently people do want to be “lectured to by people who live in mansions and drive Rolls-Royces” because they voted for Donald Trump. Doubly so for Gene Simmons, who was presented with the Kennedy Center Honors – not really staying outta politics, eh Gene? Anyway.

“It’s time for everybody in the entertainment industry to shut their piehole and just do you art. Nobody cares what you think. I don’t. What will Mark Ruffalo – however the fuck he pronounces his name, Ruffalo, buffalo – what does Mark think about politics? I don’t care.”

None of this is surprising. Gene Simmons is a business guy, and clearly he’d rather not rock any boats with any opinions. Just cash the checks and trot out the “rock is dead” shit every now and again.