A Kiss Is Just a Kiss

Re Gene Simmons’ April 2 letter:

Though I’ve yet to be fully persuaded that rock critics are a necessity, Simmons’ harsh attitude toward them is unsurprising and actually kind of funny.

You see, in the broad scope of rock ‘n’ roll culture (which is a critic’s main concern), Kiss doesn’t matter, never did and never will.

Simmons counted his coins and decided he does matter; but he should remember that Pat Boone also was a millionaire many times over and his artistic contributions haven’t mattered a whit.

The big reason Simmons and his ilk get dismissed by the critics is their embarrassing lack of originality. For example, he wrote in his letter that the reason critics love Elvis Costello “is that most critics look like Elvis Costello.” It’s the wittiest thing Gene Simmons has ever written, and it was coined years ago by David Lee Roth.

DARRIN NAVARRO

La Palma

Other letter writers who mentioned the Roth quote are Greg Nielsen and Allen Callaci.