Back in October Gene Simmons received backlash over his controversial appearance on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, and he continues to defend his actions.
The KISS founder was a guest judge on the show’s hair metal episode, and was criticized by the public over what some argued were “creepy” comments that focused on the dancers’ appearances and looks rather than their performances.
During a recent appearance on the Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast, Simmons argued that not bringing up a person’s looks is “not how life is.”
“Welcome to planet Earth, you will be judged by what you look like,” he said. “I didn’t make the rules, I’m just aware of them, which is why women wear makeup and high heels and all that.”
Simmons argued that the “sad” and “wonderful” truth is “the more beautiful you are, the more in shape, and all that stuff, the better the response is going to be.”
Simmons says he stands by “every word” he said on the show and blamed the criticism on too much political correctness.
“It really has come to the point, and that’s why politics are mirroring the idea of, we, the people, are really sick and tired of this,” he said. “It’s time to just get over yourself. Words — either we’re allowed to compliment you or not.” He added, “We worship the ground you walk on. If you have a problem with that, it’s easy to stop. It’s less work for us. You don’t wanna be complimented, respectfully, we’ll stop. Not a problem.”
Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.