GENE SIMMONS On Women, ADAM LAMBERT

AOL Television's Inside TV blog recently conducted an interview with KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons about his "reality TV" show "Gene Simmons Family Jewels". A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Inside TV: Do you mind if women are interested in you just because of your wealth and status?

Simmons: Well, you just have to understand where the minefield is. I'm aware that if I didn't earn a lot of money and have a certain stature then I'm less appealing to women. Period. Shannon [Tweed, Gene's longtime girlfriend] included. Tell me if this is true: Two guys are talking, two girls are talking. The guy says to his friend, "I've got a blind date for you." The friend replies, "What does she look like?" Two girls are talking: "I've got a blind date for you." "Really? What does he do?" A guy pulls up in a Volkswagen from the 1960s and says, "Let's go on a date and eat beans and franks." Next day, same guy pulls up in a Rolls Royce and says, "I'm taking you to Paris" — which one do you want? But men don't care if you have a job, a dime or a car. We just don't care as long as you look good.

Inside TV: Adam Lambert's performance with KISS on "American Idol" was amazing. But I'm a little bummed you've been talking smack about him...

Simmons: I don't think I've been talking smack at all. In fact, if anything, I've been soft-peddling. He's enormously talented, best talent "American Idol" has had, but I think he killed his career because now the conversation is not about his talent but about his sexual preference. He's done. You're forcing people to deal with issues they may not be interested in. Life is unfair, and the masses don't all live in L.A. They live in Wisconsin and Nebraska, and you're on crack if you think the same rules apply there. My advice is still the same, shut the fuck up, just sing and let people say whatever they want. But I do wish him the best because he's got all the talent in the world. If only the world was not homophobic, but it is. I would be the first one to vote for equal rights for gay women and men, and get the church and the state to stop telling everybody how to lead their lives, but do I think he's killed his career? Oh, in an instant. I hope I'm completely wrong. I hope he becomes the next BEATLES and proves me wrong.

Read the entire interview from Inside TV.