Fans of Dancing with the Stars are expressing their shock over Gene Simmons using his position as a guest judge to “sexualize women.”
The 75-year-old KISS frontman, known for his larger-than-life stage presence and persona, joined the show to critique the contestants on Hair Metal Night as they danced to iconic rock anthems from the 1980s.
But audiences are now demanding the network “issue an apology” for “putting a creep on the show,” and for providing him a platform to voice his “cringe-worthy” and “sexist” comments.
On the Tuesday, October 9 episode of Dancing with the Stars, KISS rocker Gene Simmons raised quite a few eyebrows with his controversial guest appearance.
As part of the show’s Hair Metal Night, Simmons joined regular judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli to critique the celebrity dancers.
Despite the high energy of the nostalgia-filled performance set to hits like Cherry Pie and Rock You Like a Hurricane, Simmons’ sexually suggestive remarks overshadowed the night for many fans.
While his rock persona has long been associated with pushing boundaries, many felt his behavior wasn’t suited for the lighthearted nature of the competition series.
Throughout the episode, Simmons, 75, made several remarks that focused less on the dancing and more on the female dancer’s looks, which many viewers call “creepy.”
After former NFL wide receiver Danny Amendola and Witney Carson hit the dance floor, “The Demon” said he couldn’t figure out who was more “hot hot hot.”
“Danny, I’m telling you, you’re right next to somebody – one of the most beautiful women on the planet. She makes you look good. Buddy, you gotta hit the gym. You gotta get in there,” added Simmons.
And then, referring to Emma Slater who was dancing with actor Reginald VelJohnson dancer, he said: “You’ve got a beautiful woman right beside you, who can twist it and turn it, and knows how to move it and, you know, all that.”
The rock legend also had words for VelJohnson. “I wanna tell you, as a guy that’s been on the stage for half a century around the world, I’m kind of a big deal, Reggie,” Simmons said. “It’s all in the attitude and you’ve got something in that beautiful face, they love you!”
Perhaps one of his cringiest remarks was directed to actor-singer Chandler Kinney. Explaining that her moves “fogged up” his glasses, Simmons removed his dark shades and said, “You moved me, not just with your gyrations and so on, but your beautiful face and how you were into the emotion of it – top to bottom.”
He did however offer one relevant opinion to Kinney when he praised her talents, noting that she has a “big future” ahead of her.
Social media quickly filled with backlash, with many expressing their discomfort and frustration. Some viewers even went as far as to call him the “worst guest judge” in the show’s 33-season run.
“I usually like Gene Simmons and think he’s funny. But that was not the case as a guest judge. Very inappropriate and just not helpful,” writes one cyber fan on the DWTS Facebook site.
A second shares, “It was uncomfortable for us watching, can’t even imagine how the women felt. And he wasn’t scoring dances, he was just giving out random numbers.”
Gene was a bust! His comments and feedback were inappropriate along with the scores.”
A third critic adds, “His comments on all the girls was cringe!”
Another user calls Simmons “vulgar” and says he’s “the worst judge ever
Meanwhile, other online citizens are calling out ABC and Disney+, suggesting the network and streaming service apologize to fans of DWTS.
“Y’all owe the biggest apology to your fanbase (which is primarily women) & the dancers for putting that creep on your show and allowing for him to sexualize them on live TV,” one netizen writes on Facebook.
A second pens, “They need to apologize for having Gene Simmons. It was cringe-worthy. His comments were sexist, and he was just awful.”
“But they had a felon on the show this season,” adds another user, who’s referring to Anna Delvey (Sorokin), the convicted fraudster who sparked a lot of controversy with her appearance on September 17, the first episode of the DWTS season.
What do you think of DWTS decision in having Simmons as a guest judge? Please let us know what you think and then share this story so we can hear what others have to say!
Barbara Eden, a beloved Hollywood icon, defies age and embraces life
Incredibly beautiful Barbara Eden is 92 and we can all agree that she looks like she hasn’t aged a day. The I Dream of Jeannie star is as stunning as ever and we couldn’t help but share her recent photos of her with you.
Barbara Eden was born Barbara Jean Morehead on August 23, 1931. Her first public performance was singing in the church choir which later led to her being part of different bands. She studies both singing and acting and turned to be very successful in both.
Her natural beauty brought her the title Miss San Francisco in 1951.
Her TV career started with The Johnny Carson Show in 1955 and continued with a number of series and movies. In I Dream of Jeannie, which is her most remarkable role, she played a genie set free from her bottle. The series aired for five years.
For her last birthday, an official Barbara Eden Instagram account shared a photo of her which left fans stunned by how she looks at that age.
It said, “We wish our favorite blonde, Rider of the Wild Surf, Voyager to the Bottom of the Sea, nemesis of the Harper Valley PTA and of course, the eternal Lady in the Bottle a very happy Birthday today!”
In 1988, Barbara received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to television.
In her memoir Jeannie Out of the Bottle, which was released in 2011, she speaks of her childhood, her fame in her 20’s, as well as her marriages and the tragedy of losing her son.
This year, the actress turned 92 and says she feels age is just a number. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, she says:“It’s like any other birthday, I’m just happy to be here.”
Barbara is still working and doesn’t plan to retire any time soon. “I was working up until the shutdown point last March,” she told the Hollywood Reporter.
She is happy she has been part of the showbiz. “I’m very happy that I lived during that time,” she told the Hollywood Reporter. “I’m happy that I had my beginnings then, but things change. What a wonderful time now, more actors are working than ever before with all of the companies like Netflix and Amazon, all of these movies and TV shows they are producing.”
“I feel young!” Barbara told Page 6, adding that she considered herself lucky. “I feel sorry for people like my poor father who had to work every day at something he didn’t like. I enjoy my work. I still work.”
Until a few years back, she kept going to the gym, participating in spin classes, and lifting weights. Nowadays, she works with a trainer at her home.
“I have a lot of friends,” the TV legend added. “I’m pretty active socially.”
Eden recently attended a red carpet event in Beverly Hills and completely astounded everyone in attendance with her youthful looks.
She wore a navy blue satin shirt and matching black leggings, a matching set of black and silver jewelry, as well as high shoes with a pointed toe.
In 2021, she explained how she managed to keep her looks.
“I’m very careful about [my] diet,” she mentioned..
“I’m a carnivore… I like steak. We eat a lot of pork, chicken, steak [and] vegetables.”
We all have to agree that Barbara looks awesome.
Leave a Reply