The Psychology of KISS
By: Glenn Johnson

So it seems everyone has their own idea about why KISS is starting to "suck". Why does the band consistantly tell us one thing and then do something else. Why do they whore the KISS name? Why do they tell us how happy they are to be together and then, well, never really do anything together? The answer is simple folks, PSYCHOLOGY.

Before you roll your eyes, I just want to say that I do work in the medical field and am exposed to many people with delusions of greatness. On a daily basis I speak to people who have difficulty grasping their own reality and their purpose in life. Some actually live in a world where they are invincible, nothing can harm them, they've weathered many storms and have an almost godlike feeling as a result, but most of the time, they are so busy basking in their own "hoorah", that they don't see the impact their attitudes are having on their lives and the lives of those around them. On the other side of this coin, we have the dispondent types. The ones who have done well in their lives, only to see it ruined by forces within or beyond their control. The pattern repeats itself- success/ failure/success/failure. Over time, these people become selfish. They develop a "get it while the gettin's good" attitude, because they know that maybe, someday, the good will go away. Maybe forever.

This bring us to KISS. Between the lines of invincibility and dispondency lies this once, and still, great band. All through the 70's, KISS ruled the world. Within a fairly short time span, four nobodys from the streets of brooklyn were suddenly thrown dick-first into the ultimate fantasy/ nightmare. Everything they knew and felt were assimilated in "borg" like fashion into the world of sex drugs and rock'n'roll. They felt like gods and nobody was telling them otherwise. Eventually, as the ego's,"yes men" and chemicals within the KISS organization began to tighten their grip, the band lost its cohesiveness. There's no point in describing the details of the break up, we all know them. We all know how the band blamed each other for the break up. We all know that the band never has and never will get back that original chemistry. Too much has happened, and while they can continue to blow sunshine up our asses about how great they are and how the "magic is back", we all know better. The magic ended around LOVE GUN. So here is where the psychology kicks in.

KISS has indeed whethered many storms. They have fought just about every kind of adversity the world has thrown at them and still managed to live on with a greatness and respect that no other band has captured. We are indeed the most rabid fans in the world. Even when we are so full of hate for the things they do, we still break out that "hotter than hell" c.d. at 2:30 am. We still buy the junk with the KISS name on it. The band know's that no matter how we feel about them, they've pretty much got us all by the balls, and we really don't mind.

THATS POWER. That could possibly be the quickest way to nitrate the ol' ego. How many times have we heard the sex story's, the big money storys, and the "hottest band in the world" hype? Now, ask yourself this- How many tmes have those story's come to us straight from the mouth of Simmons/Stanley? That my friends is the "GOD" syndrome.

But there is another truth to this psychological "makeup". What about the people deep down in within KISS' minds who had every thing, lost it all, struggled to get it back, and never really did. Sure, Simmons/Stanley managed to keep the KISS name in public for several years, but it was alot like trying to climb out of a box, only to have the lid slammed down on your head again and again.

What about Frehley/Criss? Two people who had the sweetest gig in the world. Maybe the only ones who could have really saved KISS had they never left the band. But the "yes men" and the substance abuse took a toll on them. That very same godlike power they possessed in KISS made them feel that it was the individual, and not the team, that made them winners. The second they left the band, the power left them.

Even now that they are back, its on a very limited basis. They will probably never get an equal peice of the pie again, but they cant do much about it because the fear of failure, the fear that if they blow this again, will hang over their heads like a black cloud. They know this wont last forever, they're very spiritual people, so they are content to let Gene and Paul run the show and they will have to go along with the ride or its back to obscurity.

Gene knows KISS cant continue forever, thats why he's milking the name for all its worth. He is well past the point of "giving the fans what they want". The goal now is survival, because for all his false bravado and delusions, he remembers losing it all, and now the despondent man within is packing for the storms to come.

Same thing with Paul. For nearly 30 years, Paul Stanley has given his blood sweat and tears to KISS. It was Paul who had to put on a brave face and keep the band alive while his "partner" was out screwing Hollywood. It was Paul who showed honesty and a level of humility towards the fans. It was he who continued to strut around the stage, keeping the fans entertained, while the others milled about the stage in stereotypical fasion. But now its Paul's time to be Paul. The evidence is obvious, Paul Stanley will continue on, not only is he branching out into other areas, but he's pretty damned good at it.

Every thing the band is doing now is a Defense Mechanism. For every decision they make, every peice of merchandise that comes out, and for every show in which they play the same old songs and go through the motions,there is a feeling of godlike power mixed with insecurity about an uncertain future. Thats a bad combination, and it can hurt us all.

I've probably pissed alot of you off, and maybe I'm wrong, I hope I am. Right now my biggest dream is to see a perfect KISS. The one we all want them to be, but i dont think that band ever existed, and i dont see it coming into existence anytime soon. But who knows, maybe ill be proven wrong. Until then, Ill be awake every night, listening to Hotter Than Hell, waiting.........

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