Gene Simmons - Family Jewels on A&E
 

Let me preface this by saying that I'm really not into the whole reality show fad that's been dominating television for the past 5 years or so. However, a couple of recent shows have piqued my interest.

The newest one is Gene Simmons - Family Jewels, which debuted last night on A & E. They showed 2 episodes back to back. I didn't think I'd be that interested when I first saw the previews, but I gotta say that I enjoyed it. Simmons is a character. And his family seems like a typical family (other than the being rich and famous part). This isn't like Ozzy's show where everyone watched it because people can't help but watch a disaster(the Osbournes is/was like watching a car wreck).

I watched both episodes and liked it,of course with it being on Monday I'll have to record it if I plan to keep up,no way is MNF Countdown and the like getting bumped for it.

This show kix Ozzy's @$$

I didn't watch this show when it first came out, but I've been recording it on A&E recently which is showing several shows per week. Much better than Ozzy and his kids seem to be fairly normal and pretty funny. Gene's alot different than what I envisioned.

I've watched this show for a while. Gene is pretty much a smart Ozzy. He's great at business but just as clueless as Ozzy when it comes to family.

It's been a fairly lighthearted show throughout, with the darker undertone of Gene and Shannon's unusual relationship. That has come to the forefront as their relationship is either crumbling or strengthening, depending on how it goes. I think the teaser for the next (and IIRC final) episode of the season makes it looks like he finally proposes; I just wonder, after all the years of suffering silently, if Shannon hasn't had enough, 'cause it would be tragically funny if she says no (after years of waiting for him to ask).

It needed a ratings boost, apparently.

This show should have ended before this. It was fun seeing Gene & Fam doing their thing, but now the kids have moved on and Gene's therapy stuff is just depressing. It's no longer something I want to see. Some things should be private- however, this may be the most scripted reality show I've watched.

I'd watched several episodes over the years but nothing that could be called 'regular viewing', tho i've recently started watching again when i can & i gotta say i really do enjoy it because they are by far the most down to earth, realistic reality family i've ever watched.

The ones i've been into lately are all about the possible divorce & i honestly dont see any fakery for ratings, all i see is a real family in turmoil & God knows i've seen enough turmoil to spot a fake when i see it.

They've done a killer job raising their kids, i really like both of them, they are as unpretentious & cool as any kids that rich & famous can be... very Un-Hollywood in so many ways.

I totally disagree, and I don't know what you see that makes you think it's scripted.

In fact, in the most recent episodes the daughter Sophie clearly didn't want to talk about family issues in front of the camera because she didn't think it was the place for it. Her mom Shannon basically said, "Well, this IS a reality show...". Which I found cool of her. Yeah, it's voyeuristic to watch people's dirty laundry being aired; on the other hand, if you can take the big paychecks from the cable network for showing fluff-filled half-hours of your life, then you can sack up and earn the money when things don't go so rosy and you have to show some of the seamier side.

Oh, and, for the record, she's putting on some early 20s chub as she adjusts to college, but... I'd still **** Sophie five ways to Sunday.

I saw the shows where gene went to Israel and visited his dads grave. No way that was fake, he's not that good of an actor. Pretty damn good tv.

LOL at everybody praising Gene over Ozzy based on enunciation and family values. Gene wasn't the druggie Ozzy was, no, but Ozzy wasn't the Pussy Hound Gene was.

Ozzy had, still has, and always will have (at least 'til he dies) more musical talent than Gene.

Black Sabbath > Kiss

Ozzy > Gene

i enjoy it although i liked it better when the kids were a bigger part of the show.

What the **** are you babbling about? Where did anyone "praise Gene over Ozzy based on enunciation and family values"? And what does either show have to do with their musical abilities?

I love Ozzy & they were also very 'real' for a reality show. As far as how normal their kids are? theres really no question, is there?

Also, lets not forget that Sabbath opened for KISS... not the other way around. Not that Sabbath isnt made of pure awesome, but one opened for the other.

Uh, gonna need a link on that.

This is utterly off-topic, but regardless, Ozzy was (and I stress was, considering the garbage he has put out for the last 15 years) an overrated musician. His greatest asset has been in being surrounded by great musicians. Black Sabbath was Tony Iommi, plain and simple.

Several people said Gene did a better job raising his kids than Ozzy did (I can't disagree).

Nothing. Just sayin'.

I notice you didn't disagree when I said he was more musically gifted than Gene....

You're right about Tomy Iommi was Black Sabbath, but Ozzy's greatest asset has always been his voice. His supporting cast has always been good, but no one has ever sounded like Ozzy, especially in the 70's. Though lots have tried.

Gimme a few minutes, i'll try, but its real. I watched an Ozzy interview talking about it, they opened for KISS somewhere in NY & were bitching that KISS got all of the hot girls afterwards & they were happy to get the leftovers.

Gene also pulled an ego trip on Iommi by walking up to him in full regalia, towering over him & said something to the effect of 'were going to kick your ass'.

Edit - nevermind, i had it backwards.

I know for a fact Rush used to open for Kiss. Gene would always invite them to party after the show with groupies, booze, drugs etc. Rush would always decline and then go back to their rooms and read books and listen to opera LOL. Gene and Geddy couldn't be more different.

I'd still nail the living shit out of Shannon Tweed.

Oh how I miss those days of late night Cinemax porno during my teen years.

Those were great, weren't they? Shannon got me though many a lonely night as a pre teen.

Ever seen that episode of Married With Children where Al and Jefferson snap a nudie pic of Shannon cheating and are gonna sell it to tabloids but Shannon uses her sexiness on Al to convince him to eat oit? Classic.

You're right they did, but i had the Sabbath opening for KISS thing backwards.

But where in the world did you hear that KISS was into drugs? Gene & Paul have never been into drugs, at all.

i never said they were, in fact ealier in the thread i said Gene Wasn't the Druggie Ozzy was. But you know there was still stuff backstage, and what about the other two members of Kiss?

Well, Gene, Shannon, and the shrink always wearing the exact same clothes during the counseling scenes doesn't help the realism. Seriously, if you're going to film all those scenes in one day, at least change your outfit a few times.

Using actors to play everyday people, as they've done in previous seasons, doesn't exactly put forth a strong feeling of realism either. There's an episode where Shannon and her sister buy something in an antique store and find these old love letters in it. So they track down the woman who the letters were sent to, who's now an old lady.

The first time I saw that episode, literally, the very same day, I saw the same old lady on a rerun of Everybody Loves Raymond.

Gene & Paul have always maintained that they've never touched anything but booze & i totally believe that, something would've got out by now. Ace & Peter? you seem well versed enough to know that deal.

Everything in the show seems very intentional. The entire show in Canada was a big set up to show the contrast from the last episode and to highight Gene's weaknesses as a partner to Shannon.

Comparing Ozzy and Gene musically is tough. Both have huge hits. Ozzy was more influential overall, but KISS is pretty high up there too. I prefer Sabbath & agree that Ozzy thrived off of being around talented musicians (Geezer Butler even wrote most of his lyrics in Sabbath), but I respect Gene too. Musicians give Gene flack for being crap bassist, but as a bassist- the guy is solid and writes some cool licks. He's not in Geddy's league, but he doesn't need to be. That quick lick of his in Detroit Rock City is as technical as Gene ever need be, and it's awesome because of that. And I prefer Gene's singing to Paul's FWIW.

Dammer! you had me right up to where you said Genes a better singer than Paul.

While I agree that Black Sabbath > Kiss, wtf does this have to do with the tv shows? I like Gene's show much better than Ozzy's. Neither show has much to do with musical talent. But I got bored with Family Jewels by the 2nd season. I didn't watch it past that.

THIS! I loved the Playboy spread she and her sister did in the 80's.

Ha! Well, I didn't say Gene was the better singer (which he obviously isn't), but I just prefer the KISS songs where Gene is singing. Like God of Thunder! I also love Cold Gin with Ace and Gene's parts (the vocals for the Family Jewels Theme remind me of this song a bit). You know Paul is a good singer, but if any member of KISS is a better singer it might be Peter. The dude sounds great on Beth. I sing that song to my wife when I come home from band practice later than she likes... She hates that, and it amuses me to no end.

I think you missed the point of that episode. The old lady is an actress and her son is involved in the business. That's why Shannon and Tracy were so embarrassed when they found out the letters were props and the lady's son used his mom's name on the envelopes.

Look Bitch!
Dont **** with me or the Kiss Army!:rockon::rockon::rockon::rockon::rockon:

Uh-huh.

Except they never actually said the old lady was an actress. They did say her son was a propmaster on a TV show, and apparently he was the world's most thorough propmaster, since even though nobody would ever see what was inside these prop envelopes he created, he actually wrote dozens of fake love letters to put in them. Fake letters that were so touching and well-written that two grown women wept while reading them.

And they said the old lady's name was Esther Cooper, when it's actually Norma Michaels.

But other than that, I'm sure it was completely on the level.

Nothing. I've just never been a big Kiss fan, and Gene has always struck me as kind of a braggart so I'd thought I'd point out some facts and bring him down a little. I'm a little immature and jealous, I admit. I also think Ozzy's braindead qualities make him funniter than Gene.

That said, I've always loved "Black Diamond" off the first Kiss record, among others. They were good musically, but not great. They did put on one hell of a stage show though.

I think I still have her Playmate of the Year Playboy in a box in the basement.

The Jewels is one of my favorite shows EVAR. Gene's recent trip to Israel was really cool IMO.

I use to love that show but it's scripted as ****.

Yeah, I can see the whole Shannon/Gene-split thing being completely acted out with multiple takes and everything.

But some of the stuff is real. No frigging way the scene in Israel with Gene at his Dad's grave was scripted. He isn't that good of an actor. Some of the emotional scenes this year by the greatest MILF ever wern't scripted either. I've seen some of her Cinemax movies, no way she can pull off that emotion.

I highly doubt it's scripted at this point. Gene really put the screws to his family and they have all had it with his gold digging crap and groupies. He's allegedly going to propose to Shannon in this weeks final episode. I'm betting she tells him to get stuffed.

Do you think there will be another season after this one? Sucks I've only gotten to watch 1 episode this season.

A&E and the BIO channel are showing reruns all the time.

Was being an actress an issue relevant to the episode? So, the propmaster was fake, too? If they really wanted to run with it they would have had the old lady break down and cry rather than fess up that the letters were props.

As for the fake name, I'm sure there's a reason they chose to do that. It may have been at her request.

Now you're getting it.

Here you go, here's a guy talking about his experience as an extra on the show. An extra. On a REALITY SHOW.

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/4/383/...ly-Jewels.aspx

Scripted or not, I like the show. I don't watch much TV, so Gene seems to entertain me.