Talking up AMC’s 4th And Loud–a TV series about his Arena Football League team the LA Kiss–rocker Gene Simmons told the Wall Street Journal: “I’m on the side of Don Sterling.” The Kiss frontman and newbie football owner went on to say: “I’m on Mel Gibson‘s side, Don Sterling‘s side and anybody who has a racist or an expletive rant privately. The difference between this guy, who’s heinous, of course, or anybody else is that they were caught.”
Simmons main point was about privacy. Sterling, the LA Clippers owner who was caught on tape uttering racist comments, had made his comments in private. “I’m on the side of free speech in the privacy of your own home or privacy of the situation,” Simmons said. But Simmons’ more shocking admission is that he seems to believe everyone is a closet racist: “Everybody [says] jokes that are off-color, or when they’re drunk. The difference between Sterling and everyone else is that he was caught on camera… if, because you say an off-color joke or make a racist rant privately, that causes you to lose a job – nobody would have a job!”
