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!
‘Matilda’ Star Mara Wilson Reveals Her Surprising Reason for Quitting Hollywood
“Matilda” star Mara Wilson surprised many people when she left Hollywood at a young age because of the tough beauty standards in the industry. She shared her personal struggles, which included body dysmorphia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and the loss of her mother. Let’s see what Wilson is doing now and how her views have changed since she stepped away from the spotlight.
Many fans of fantasy-comedy films remember Mara Wilson as the charming young actress who captured hearts in movies like “Matilda” and “Mrs. Doubtfire.” She had great success on screen at an early age, but she made a surprising choice to leave Hollywood when she was still young.
Wilson faced difficulties with the strict beauty standards in the industry, which pushed her to step back from acting and live a more private life. Here’s what happened to the talented actress after she left the public eye.
Mara Wilson’s career started when she was only five years old. She was inspired by her oldest brother, Daniel Ben Wilson, who had begun acting in television commercials. Wanting to follow in his footsteps, young Wilson was eager to try acting herself.
At first, Mara’s parents were unsure and didn’t want her to pursue acting. However, her determination convinced them, and they eventually agreed to let her try it out.
Not long after, Wilson started appearing in various commercials, including ones for Texaco and Bank of America, which marked the start of her journey in show business.
Like her mother, Wilson faced struggles in her life, especially as a child star. She shared that even though she was popular, she often felt very lonely.
When she hit puberty, she no longer wanted to be famous and sometimes wished she could just escape from all the attention and publicity.
The actress often faced harsh comments about her appearance, including her weight and looks, which she found upsetting. Wilson recalled that people would call her “ugly” and say she was “useless now” and that she wasn’t cute anymore. She mentioned, “They said cruel and sexualized things about my body too.”
At 29, Mara Wilson felt sad when people seemed disappointed that she didn’t look the way they expected her to. She felt rejected, even though she was exhausted from acting and Hollywood had moved on without her. This experience led to a long struggle with body dysmorphia and an unhealthy obsession with her appearance.
She explained, “You think, ‘I’m ugly, I’m fat’ – and there were actual websites and newspapers and movie reviewers saying that about me.” This negativity affected her deeply, making it hard for her to see herself in a positive light.
Mara Wilson later attended New York University, where she wrote about her mother’s death for the first time. While working as a barista and a nanny, she often feared being recognized and ending up in a “where-are-they-now?” article.
She thought about taking a job in Los Angeles but decided against it, worrying that people would recognize her. Wilson wanted to move past being seen as someone to pity, but she still wondered if others would feel sorry for her because of her past.
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