Gene Simmons blasts people who are sceptical of wearing face masks

Gene Simmons has a bee in his bonnet again, but this time, he may actually have a point.

Taking to Twitter earlier today (March 20) the often outspoken KISS bassist blasted people who are sceptical of mask-wearing during the coronavirus pandemic, saying they pose a risk to themselves and those around them.

The musician likened his argument to traffic laws, saying in his initial post, “You must stop at a red light, and you must put on your seatbelt, and you can’t drive over the speed limit. Your rights stop if you effect others. So why should you have a say in not wearing a mask in public?”.

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A few hours later, Simmons made a comparison with why surgeons wear masks in operating rooms, saying, “Why is it ALL surgeons, without exception…anywhere in the world, wear masks during surgery!!! Do you think they do that for political reasons, or could it be you are delusional and are hanging out with losers”.

Simmons’ comments sparked debate among his followers, some agreeing with his opinion, with tweets such as; “people think having to wear a mask for 30 mins to go to the grocery store is infringing on their constitutional right”, and “I’ve never liked you more than I do right now!”.

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Others argued that Simmons’ comparison was moot, saying, “I’m not sure that being required to wear a mask in a sterile environment is the same as wearing one in public” and “this is a bad argument”.

It’s not the first time Simmons has criticised people for not adhering to the mask-wearing recommendations in America.

Last December, Simmons appealed to everyone to wear a face mask, sharing a photo of KISS donning masks ahead of a virtual concert.

“Wear your masks. Even if it’s only as a courtesy,” he said. “If you yawn, or sneeze, you don’t think twice about covering your mouth. Do the rest of us a favor! Mask Up! … Besides, it looks cool.”

Simmons’ bandmate, Paul Stanley, had previously also urged people to wear masks, tweeting last July, “Don’t listen to conspiracy theorists or graduates of The Internet University Of Medicine”.






Recently Simmons was slammed for his comments accusing young fans of being the culprits for “the death of rock”. Blaming, among other things, streaming and digital downloads, he said, “You killed the thing you love”.

Legendary shock-rocker Alice Cooper hit back shortly after, arguing that “Kids are learning hard rock right now”.

Cooper defiantly told NME in a recent interview that a new generation of rock stars are preparing for greatness in their homes right now.

“Gene Simmons – I would like him to do my taxes because he’s a businessman and that’s valid, but I guarantee you right now that in London somewhere, in garages, they’re learning Aerosmith and Guns ‘N’ Roses,” he said.

“There’s a bunch of 18-year-kids in there with guitars and drums and they’re learning hard rock. It’s the same with the United States: there’s all these young bands that want to resurge that whole area of hard rock.”