After KISS member Gene Simmons made negative remarks about depression, bosses at Australian Triple M radio station have banned the KISS music from being played.
Gene Simmons was quoted by SongFacts.com saying he does not understand or respect people with alcohol or drug dependencies because they are depressed.
"My mother was in a concentration camp in Nazi Germany. I don't want to hear f**k-all about 'the world is a harsh place'. She gets up every day, smells the roses and loves life. And for a putz, 20-year-old kid to say, 'I'm depressed, I live in Seattle'. F*** you, then kill yourself."
The Internet has responded negatively to Simmons’ remarks, and network head Mike Fitzpatrick of Triple M radio in Australia is rallying to take action, according to http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/kiss-music-banned-from-aust-airwaves/story-fni0xqi4-1227026443287?nk=ad2f589f2fb95744936a165328b9d50e>Herald Sun.
"Depression and suicide are not topics he should be using to further his notoriety or sell records,” said Fitzgerald. “His desperation to use mental health issues to find relevancy in a modern age is sickening. I can only put it down to a brain fade on his part.”
Fitzgerald went on to say his station would no longer be playing KISS’s music, and he challenges other stations in Australia and North America to follow suit.
Since the negative reactions from the public, Simmons has turned to Facebook to try to explain himself.
“I recognize that depression is very serious and very sad when it happens to anyone, especially loved ones. I deeply support and am empathetic to anyone suffering from any disease, especially depression,” Simmons wrote in a status.
“I simply want to be clear that my heart goes out to anyone suffering from depression and I deeply regret any offhand remarks in the heat of an interview that might have suggested otherwise.”
There has been no word yet if Triple M is lifting their ban on KISS music.
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