Hmmm..They KISSed and Made Up??

I seem to remember saying this about Kiss and the Hall of Fame:

 Still, after saying all this, I can’t help but wonder whether this whole feud is nothing more than a publicity stunt that Simmons, Stanley, Frehley, and Criss are all in on.

After all I documented HERE, for them to just 'KISS' and make up seems kind of unlikely. So, what am I saying in this short blog post? Not much really. Just watch this video:

Was I right or was I right??

Kiss: All Hell's Breaking Loose

Play the damn show!

I like Kiss as well as anybody. I saw them in concert once way back in the old days…You know, when they did not wear makeup? I saw them on the Hot in the Shade tour with Danger Danger and Slaughter opening up. But, that doesn’t make me a diehard fan. I know several diehard fans that have been to MANY Kiss concerts, own every album, and have spent thousands of dollars on merchandise. I am not knocking them at all. I’ve spent thousands on Miami Dolphins merchandise, and have been to many of their games. There is no difference here, other than one being a football team, the other being a legendary rock band.

"old school" when they didn't wear makeup

Legendary, and there is now a legendary feud going on. You would think that their induction into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame would be cause to celebrate right?  Kiss fans have been demanding the induction for decades, and now its happening. So, what is the feud about? Here it is in a nutshell:

The HOF is only honoring the original Kiss members, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, and Ace Frehley, so that would require Gene and Paul doing a brief reunion with Ace and Peter if they were going to play at their induction. Gene and Paul don’t want to do that, so there will be no performance. This has started all sorts of bickering between the original members of the band. Ace and Peter want to do it, (who wouldn't) and Gene and Paul will not allow it.

Simmons, Carr, Stanley, Vincent

You would think that that they would do it for their fans if for no other reason at all. You know, the fans who have made them multi millionaires? But rather than to do that, Gene Simmons would rather exclude the original members from any ceremony, and are throwing childish insults back and forth. For example, Gene recently said that Ace and Peter are no longer worthy of wearing the makeup. (Using that logic, Thayer and Singer must NOT be worthy of having their own makeup and costumes like Vinnie Vincent and Eric Carr were.) He has also criticized Ace Frehley’s guitar playing, saying that it could have been much more. That’s funny, because speaking of Vinnie Vincent, he played very simple guitar riffs, and ultra basic solos while he was a member of Kiss…But after he left, he put together a band and 2 albums that established him as a guitar god, in every sense of the term. Things that make you go hmmmm…..

Eric Singer/ Tommy Thayer

Ace and Peter have fired back with comments and opinions, as well they should.  They are part of the lineup that founded Kiss, and are part of the lineup that is being inducted. Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer are not. And while the feud is getting Simmons and Stanley free advertising, and Ace and Peter back to the spotlight, the only people who are being hurt by this are the diehard fans…The Kiss Army who love this band so much.

Sadly, this whole feud is nothing more than a slap in the face to the fans, and also a lesson in ‘Be careful what you wish for…you just might get it.’ Finally, the HOF is allowing rock bands to be inducted, which is a relatively new concept for them, and you have one of the (if not THE) most iconic rock band in history bickering back and forth like school kids. Rather than to set aside their personal feelings and just play ONE damn show with the original lineup, they are proving to the world that they are spoiled brats, who want their fans money and loyalty, and in return…more crap for the fans to buy!!!

Needs to mobilize!

I have a message for Kiss…Either do the show, or kiss my ass! If I were a diehard fan, that’s exactly what I would be saying to them. They may be one of the most iconic bands in Rock, but they got there because of the fans. The Rock N Roll Hall of Fame is not just for the bands who are inducted. Its for the fans too, and Simmons/Stanley need to realize that. They may be the biggest band in the world, but they are NOT bigger than their amazing fans. If I were a diehard fan, I would refuse to spend one more dollar on them, unless they pull their heads out of their asses, and do the right thing. And, if they do, Ace and Peter need to  accept it, and do the show, and not make a spectacle of themselves.

Still, after saying all this, I can’t help but wonder whether this whole feud is nothing more than a publicity stunt that Simmons, Stanley, Frehley, and Criss are all in on.

Oh...In true Kiss fashion, let me take this opportunity to say that THIS IS MY 100'th BLOG POST!!! (actually, its about the 110'th. I lost 10 posts when the blog crashed last month) And, to do it on a post about Kiss? How fitting is that?

Tebowing in the KI$$ Army?

 

One thing you can say about Kiss is that everything they touch turns to gold for the most part. They are marketing geniuses. Every project they set out on is given the heaviest promotion known to man. Their latest venture is to bring an Arena Football team to Los Angeles. The team, to start next season will of course be called The LA Kiss. And, you can bet that there will be a swarm of brand new fans to the league because of it. Alot will likely be fans who never knew the league even existed, which is awesome in its self because the league has a chance to take the spotlight.

So, what would Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley do to draw the most attention to their new franchise? You would think they would want to start at the most glamorous position, the quarterback, right? You know it. So, they would try to get a big name QB from the ranks of the NFL. But, name me an NFL QB that would risk injury. They need to get a QB, but since getting Aaron Rogers or Peyton Manning to come aboard is not going to happen, what do they do then? Bringing in an AJ Feeley or another QB who has played and lost his job for just about every NFL team is not an option, so what do you do?

You bring in Tim Tebow. And that is exactly what Simmons and Stanley are trying to do. They have reached out to Tim Tebow. Lets look at what the relationship will bring for both parties, shall we? The LA Kiss get a good quarterback that HAS won a playoff game in the NFL, yet for some reason is an outcast. They get a polarizing figure who will instantly bring all of the adoring Tebow fans who follow the man's every move. They will also get all of the people who hate him, and want to see him fail. Then, they will get the fans who like the guy because everyone likes an underdog. They will get the uber religious fans because Tebow is a devout Christian. There are 5 groups of people who will buy tickets to see Tebow in action.

Plus, the LA Kiss will be all over the news. ESPN will be running stories every hour to let the world know how Tebow is doing. The beauty of this is that the Arena Football season begins a week after the Super Bowl, during the longest off season in sports. Tebow Time will be alive and well, and so will the Arena Football League.

So, let's recap. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley wanting to bring Tim Tebow in to play QB for the LA Kiss will be good for:

• Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley
• The LA Kiss
• The Arena Football League
• ESPN and all other media
• The TV networks who cover the games

But, will it be good for Tim Tebow? Let's look at how this would benefit him. He gets:

• A fresh start in a new environment. And what I mean is that the stories and stigma about him not being able to cut it will be gone. He will be able to call his own shots.
• He wants to show his stuff, this will be a good format for him to do it in. He gets to take charge of a brand new organization and make it or break it. If he is able to raise that franchise and turn it into a winner quickly, then he will have a very impressive mark on his resume when it comes to making a return to the NFL. See: Kurt Warner. 
• Most of all, a chance to silence his critics.

I am a fan of Tebow because he does have talent, and he is an underdog. (However, as a Dolphins fan, I hated seeing him go to the Jets and Patriots.) I do want him to succeed in the NFL, and I honestly think that Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley while wanting the best possible fit to bring in viewers for their team do want Tebow to succeed as well. They are business men. They know that if Tebow tears it up as the LA Kiss's QB, he will be looking for the doorway back to the NFL. They know that if Tebow does agree to come there, it will be a short term deal. But, bringing in Tebow will bring in fans that will stay with the team after he has gone back to the NFL. And, I am sure that if Tebow plays a couple seasons with the LA Kiss, then goes back to the NFL, his 2 biggest fans will be both Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons.

Keep in mind how Gene came to his defense lately. In response to all this garbage about Tebow's Christianity, Simmons had this to say:

 “He’s got a religious passion, as well he should, we’re in America. He’s proud to be a Christian, what’s wrong with that? And yet, with sports media and pop culture media, they make fun of his religion. Really? In America? If he was wearing a burqa, they wouldn’t dare say anything. But if you’re a Christian, you get to be picked on? What the hell? The guy’s got family values. I never saw the media picking on Michael Vick for torturing dogs. Or this other football player, who’s alleged to have killed, committed murder.  That’s ‘cool.’ But a guy who’s religious and has got family values isn’t ‘cool?’ He’s cool to me.”

This is more than buttering up to Tebow. This is Gene being genuine in my opinion.

So, to Tim Tebow, I would say DO IT!!! Go play for the LA Kiss, tear the Arena Football League a new one, and have fun while you do it. Plus, you get to throw all this negativity back at all the hypocrites in the media. Its a job, and you have 2 owners who want YOU. Sounds like a win/win situation to me! So, once again...Tim,