Kiss frontman Gene Simmons has shared his thoughts on the Kardashians as he heaped praise on the famous family, who he thinks have more power than politicians
Gene Simmons has sent a word of caution to politicos – don’t underestimate the Kardashians!
The rockstar was all admiration for their skyrocketing stardom, at a time when celebrity influence in politics is gaining attention.
As Taylor Swift threw her weight behind Kamala Harris amidst the US election fray, ex-President Donald Trump was quick to retaliate with a scorching critique: “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT! ” Yet, Kiss frontman Gene, age 75, suggests it’s the stars who might tip the scales when it comes to votes.
Chatting exclusively with the Mirror, Gene couldn’t help but commend the Kardashian-Jenner troops. With a nod to his hit reality TV show “Gene Simmons Family Jewels,” he likened his and the celebrated clan’s self-promotion to brilliance.
He revealed to us: “In terms of brand, you have to understand they are self invented. They created their own brand. Over the top bling, bling, bling and lifestyle. Nobody works for a living. It’s not 9-5. But don’t kid yourself, it’s genius. The Kardashians brand started a long time ago before influencers became a thing. The socio-economic people in the business world woke up and saw influences make an enormous impact on people’s view points politically, economically, and all of those things,” reports the Mirror.
“The Kardashians have a bigger impact than politicians do,” Gene said ( Image: E!)
In a tone of disbelief, he remarked: “And it’s worth noting too that TWO Kardashian women are billionaires. TWO! Did they go to business school? Nope. It’s ‘oh my God, Kylie has a new lip gloss! Quick, buy it! ‘ That only happens if you expand your brand to know who you are, what you need and how you communicate with your fan base. The Kardashians have a bigger impact than politicians do. The only thing bigger probably is Taylor. She could tip the election if she said ‘I’m for so and so’. It’s the cult of personality. And by the way, all power to her! There’s well, and then there’s Taylor Swift!”
The music maestro certainly has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to building a brand. Kiss has become an iconic symbol, thanks to the face paint they’ve been wearing since their debut in the 70s.
Gene confesses that it all began with a visit to a “one-stop” shop before their first gig.
He detailed how he, along with original band members Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss “decided, for some strange reason, that all of us would buy clown make-up; black lipstick and red lipstick and cheap mirrors for $15>”
Gene continued: “We questioned, ‘What would we look like in make-up? ‘ The make-up we put on that afternoon in New York City is pretty much the makeup we wore, except for slight changes. But you’d recognize it right away.”
The style has been emulated numerous times, with Swift being one of the most notable copycats. He quipped: “Have you heard of Mount Rushmore. Yes? But could you name who was on it? These are monuments that have been around for hundreds of years. Everybody knows them [but can’t name them] – and everybody knows what Kiss’s faces look like, too.”
“Even if you hate the band, people will go, ‘Oh yeah, the guy with the tongue’. Anywhere you go.”
