The Secret Lives of Gene Simmons

In Ladies of the Night, the Kiss member discusses the world's oldest profession.

Your book makes the argument that prostitution gives women access to power that they would otherwise not have. Have you always felt that way?

Surprise! I actually respect women. I've always had that point of view. I look on the issue as one of self-empowerment for women. Women should be the sole judges of how they want to lead their lives. And let's be frank—many ladies have made more money in their line of work than they would have sitting in front of a computer.

How long have you been interested in the subject of prostitution throughout history?

I've always been fascinated by the “forbidden fruit” of America's Puritan culture. The book is meant to be humorous, historical, and to give people an understanding that the exchange of money for sexual relations has been around forever. I actually have no agenda other than engaging people in a conversation about the question: “What does anybody else have to say about consenting adults behind closed doors?” I argue that people should stay out of other people's bedrooms.

What was one of your favorite historical periods to write about?

The Renaissance in Europe, when courtesans enjoyed more power than housewives. These ladies were not common prostitutes. They were part of the culture and the fashion of the times, like Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV's mistress. The wives of the men of the period? They were invisible. They meant nothing.

Your co-writer, Julie McCarron, also worked with you on Shannon Tweed's Kiss and Tell. What does she bring to your work?

Julie was amazing at finding the visual material I wanted, but she also wouldn't let a single piece of information get by that wasn't completely researched. And she's terrific at rewriting. She made sure that I separated my viewpoint from historical facts.

Tell us about your publishing endeavor, Simmons Books.

So far, Simmons Books has mostly been related to me and my interests. But Ladies of the Night is primarily a beautiful and classy art book, and I would like to do others like the big, expensive books Taschen Books has done. The advantage I have of being Gene Simmons and having my name on the imprint is that I get to talk to guys like you. Because if the only thing I ever accomplished was being proofreader at Publishers Weekly and Library Journal—which I did a million years ago—people would say, “So what?” It gives me access, but you have to have the goods, because, let's face it, a lot of people just aren't reading anymore unless a book is featured on Oprah's show.

- by Jeff Makos -- Publishers Weekly

Ladies of the Night: A Historical and Personal Perspective on the Oldest Profession in the World

Gene Simmons with Julie McCarron. Simmons Books & Phoenix Books
( http://www.phoenixbooksandaudio.com ), $39.95 (182p) ISBN 978-1-59777-501-4

Simmons, the fire-breathing leader of rock icon Kiss—who once bragged that he had bedded more than a thousand women—delivers an entertaining if sometimes simplistic short overview of prostitution. Simmons (Kiss and Make-up) manages to work into his narrative both the Greek philosopher Diogenes and Nevada’s Moonlight Bunny Ranch brothel. Other than the occasional sex joke, Simmons is serious about giving his subject its historical due, stating upfront, “I am not here to judge women’s personal choices or how they choose to empower themselves.” The book doesn’t cover what Simmons admits is “the dark side of prostitution,” focusing primarily on one of his favorite issues: money. Since “throughout history, women have never had access to power,” Simmons argues that prostitution has been a way for women to “monetize” the “only thing that women have ever owned.” Using numerous famous illustrations (e.g., William Hogarth’s 18th-century painting A Harlot’s Progress), Simmons and coauthor McCarron support this argument by adroitly exploring a range of topics: Sumerian goddess of sexuality Ishtar; the adulterous “jara and jatini” of ancient India; legal prostitution in Amsterdam’s “toleration zones”; and Theodora, wife of Roman emperor Justinian, who Simmons considers “the very first prostitution reformer.” All this from the man who once wrote a song on the Kiss album Love Gun titled “Got Love for Sale.” (July)