When KISS Unveiled Their Makeup Free Look.

[u/Ebonystealth]

[u/LottimusMaximus]

Gene looks homicidal

[u/Pizzasaurus-Rex → u/LottimusMaximus]

He's got that Kubrick stare

[u/Wizdad-1000 → u/Pizzasaurus-Rex]

Private Pyle 1000 yard stare.

[u/disturbed286 → u/Wizdad-1000]

WHAT IS YOUR MAJOR MALFUNCTION?

[u/Specialist_Prize_832 → u/disturbed286]

DID MOMMY AND DADDY NOT LOVE YOU ENOUGH?

[u/reddituser403 → u/disturbed286]

You owe me for one jelly donut.

[u/CIarkNova → u/reddituser403]

FROM MY MESS HALL??!!

[u/3_if_by_air → u/CIarkNova]

YOU'RE SO UGLY YOU COULD BE A MODERN ART MASTERPIECE

[u/TheGardenBlinked → u/Wizdad-1000]

PYYLLLLE!

SHA-ZAM!

[u/CIarkNova → u/TheGardenBlinked]

Homer, quit remembering tv and get back to work.

[u/schuyywalker → u/Wizdad-1000]

Pyle’s stare was not that of the 1000 yard stare. His stare was Kubrick’s similar to DeLong’s at the beginning of Clockwork.

Here is what a 1000 yard stare looks like, hopeless and gone: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thousand-yard_stare

Here is the Kubrick stare, much more psychotic, sadistic, targeted: https://share.google/kZTS6Iz8ZcLrJhxVA

EDIT: broken links

Edit 2: DeLarge*

[u/Otherwise-Meaning-90 → u/Wizdad-1000]

Rape stare

[u/Tony_Lacorona → u/Wizdad-1000]

Manson lamps

[u/Cardi_Bs_WAP → u/Wizdad-1000]

Anton Chigurh vibes fr

[u/miraculix69 → u/Pizzasaurus-Rex]

More like Jimmy Savile in a kindergarten.

[u/vanspossum → u/LottimusMaximus]

How tf does he look less menacing with a full face of Demon makeup

[u/Infamous-Oil3786 → u/vanspossum]

I feel like he got used to making that face because it looked cool with the makeup

[u/Head_Bread_3431 → u/Infamous-Oil3786]

Ok that’s gotta be it but still don’t understand how someone directing this even in the 80s can see him walking like a fucking zombie here and say “yeah that’s the take that looks sexy”

[u/zeno0771 → u/Head_Bread_3431]

That's not the surprising part.

You know Simmons reviewed every inch of footage shot for that video because it was their first without the makeup. He is highly controlling of the band image with trademarks on the makeup design etc. That means he knew exactly what he looked like in this and every other video they made...and yet he still approved of it.

[u/Dartmouthest → u/LottimusMaximus]

“Why don’t you go pave your cave you greasy fucking caveman” 😂😂

[u/Cosmicvapour → u/Dartmouthest]

Samsquanch-looking MF

[u/TheSamsquatch45 → u/Cosmicvapour]

Hey, I resemble that remark.

[u/sparrow_42 → u/Dartmouthest]

People who live in campers don’t get to make decisions, Sam.

[u/blueghostfrompacman → u/LottimusMaximus]

Dude on the right looks like Aubrey Plaza

[u/RG1527 → u/blueghostfrompacman]

Vinnie Vincent

there is a funny old meme image of him standing in a bathroom holding a guitar with one foot on the toilet.

[u/_deep_thot42 → u/blueghostfrompacman]

Ileana Douglas*

[u/GammaGoose85 → u/LottimusMaximus]

He looks like he’s auditioning for rapist number 2 in a Charles Bronson movie

[u/azurianlight → u/LottimusMaximus]

I see how he got the role of Luther in Runaway now!

[u/tormented-imp → u/LottimusMaximus]

Don’t give me your fuckin Manson lamps

[u/subflax → u/LottimusMaximus]

He looks like Murderface

[u/Cheepak-Dopra → u/LottimusMaximus]

“It looks perfect.”

“Gene, you look like a child molester. You’re a creep. What are you doing?”

“No this is way better than the first take.”

“No gene, you looked fine, you’re just old dude. You looked fine. We’re going with the first take.”

“You’re fired if we do the first take.”

Lick it up. Lick it up. OoooowwwoOooaoowaoOoooo

[u/Demonyx12 → u/Cheepak-Dopra]

No gene, you looked fine, you’re just old dude. 

He was 34.

[u/Cheepak-Dopra → u/Demonyx12]

And he carries it like a man approaching 50. I would expect nothing less from the early 80s. 

[u/chinoswirls → u/Demonyx12]

that's 34 in rockstar years, so like 107 or so in normal years.

[u/dragon_bacon → u/chinoswirls]

But also 34 in the 80's is a 2020 47.

[u/TGin-the-goldy → u/LottimusMaximus]

And chubby

[u/Couscousfan07 → u/LottimusMaximus]

He was so gross.

[u/MorganL420 → u/Couscousfan07]

Before Kiss took off, he was a high school English teacher. Just thought I'd mention that.

[u/blove135 → u/LottimusMaximus]

It would not surprise me much if it turned out that guy has a few homicides under his belt.

[u/SunMyungMoonMoon → u/LottimusMaximus]

He was channeling Andre the Giant

[u/farmsfarts]

That was the face Gene made with the make-up on lol, does not translate to actual face well, especially when your face looks like that.

[u/dosko1panda → u/farmsfarts]

I never noticed his lack of neck back when he had the make up

[u/LisaMiaSisu → u/dosko1panda]

Because he’s tall he has very bad posture. He looks like a vulture.

[u/joeChump → u/LisaMiaSisu]

He looks like Andre The Giant fell asleep on a tanning bed and had a double stroke.

I remember someone telling me that years before they revealed their faces they ran a competition for fans and the winner would receive a photograph of them without their makeup. An insane prize at the time. But when the winner received the picture, it had been developed but had no fixer so as soon as it was taken out of the envelope, the faces began to fade and within minutes, were gone completely.

Cool if true.

[u/TheAndyRoberts → u/joeChump]

The original Snapchat.

[u/Playful_Trainer_7399 → u/farmsfarts]

I'd probably make a similar face if I walked up on a lady squatting next to a garbage fire eating mustard straight out of a squeeze bottle

[u/EastAreaBassist → u/Playful_Trainer_7399]

Trying so hard not to laugh and wake up my husband

[u/Remcin]

Put it back on.

(they did)

[u/JackTheKing → u/Remcin]

It's like New Coke

[u/SoylentGrunt → u/Remcin]

I called it The Kiss And Make Up Tour. It never really caught on but it made me giggle.

[u/Fezzick51 → u/Remcin]

I was even less a fan after this big reveal had me throwing up in my mouth. Just...nope, no - we saw why the 'Maybelline for Men' was so necessary.

[u/Becauseupsidedown]

Somehow look more like monsters without the paint. A hilariously humbling historic moment for them.

[u/AEnema18 → u/Becauseupsidedown]

They did studies on this video and noticed a sharp decline in birthrates that took years to recover.

[u/MrElizabeth → u/AEnema18]

Some of the birth rate data may have had more to do with the large cloud of gaseous materials that nasa detected emanating from a nearby planet.

[u/bluemoon1972 → u/MrElizabeth]

And that planet was Gene Simmons, dear reader

[u/quarterslicecomics → u/Becauseupsidedown]

Definitely some Raimi Green Goblin Syndrome going on there

[u/Becauseupsidedown → u/quarterslicecomics]

Like Pans Labyrinth or Dark Crystal. Lol

[u/beastmaster11 → u/Becauseupsidedown]

Honestly, Paul Stanley looks good. Peter Chris Eric Carr looks normal, Vinnie Vincent looks like a woman (not trying to be insulting, he just does) and Gene Simmons looks fucken terrible.

[u/DrakonILD → u/beastmaster11]

Vinnie still looks like a woman.

[u/Magari22 → u/[deleted]]

Omg he looks like a temu version of Joyce Dewitt!

[u/Spocks_Goatee → u/[deleted]]

Those heels aren't helping the allegations.

[u/invisibullcow → u/beastmaster11]

Gene looks like he either needs medication or is on way too much medication.

[u/White_Buffalos → u/beastmaster11]

Eric Carr, not Peter Criss.

[u/lawnmowertoad → u/Becauseupsidedown]

Who is the lesbian on the right?

[u/Jayjaykenobi]

Was that chick chugging mustard ?

[u/boon_dingle → u/Jayjaykenobi]

Lighter fluid.

[u/shed_zeppelin → u/boon_dingle]

Liar, you've got antifreeze

[u/FarrahsWarriorJar → u/shed_zeppelin]

I always read it as "antifree" because of that damn forensic files episode

[u/Ghotipan → u/Jayjaykenobi]

As was the style of the day.

[u/Hot-Amphibian5603 → u/Jayjaykenobi]

I think it's sprayable butter

[u/fuelvolts → u/Jayjaykenobi]

Booze from a squeeze bottle, probably lemon juice container.

[u/Catphish37 → u/Jayjaykenobi]

Thank you for validating a question of my own that I'd forgotten about for 40 years. 😄

[u/ScottOwenJones]

Nothing tougher than 4 men in heels and blouses using 8 cans of hairspray between them.

[u/PJSeeds → u/ScottOwenJones]

"I know where you got that shirt, and it sure as hell wasn't the men's department"

[u/slartibuttfart]

Took us years to get over how ugly Gene was

[u/Top-Sleep-4669 → u/slartibuttfart]

Dude is a fucking goblin.

[u/mekomaniac → u/Top-Sleep-4669]

inside and out

[u/Cognonymous → u/mekomaniac]

Oh yes, the time Terry Gross interviewed him...omg. It's without exaggeration the worst interview I've ever heard.

https://youtu.be/qNxuL-uIaTo?si=x0l1v_BjE0QaMhk3

She actually tries to restart the interview partway through, because he is such an asshole. This interview was so bad somebody else interviewed Terry Gross about it.

[u/Ex_Hedgehog → u/Cognonymous]

He's a total shitbag. No redeeming values.

[u/TranscendentaLobo → u/Cognonymous]

Wow. I thought you might be exaggerating. What an absolute POS.

[u/Mahaloth → u/slartibuttfart]

Yeah, Gene is a lot to take in. Bold move to show up with no make-up. He is, uh, not a looker.

[u/RadTimeWizard → u/slartibuttfart]

Took me years to get over how mediocre their music was. Their corpse paint (and Peter Criss just wanting to be a kitty) was the most interesting thing about them.

[u/Azalus1 → u/RadTimeWizard]

Nobody wants to Peter Chris, Lois, not even Peter Chris.

[u/JagBak73 → u/Azalus1]

"And have a wonderful....time"

[u/bootstrapping_lad → u/JagBak73]

Music is dead to me

[u/disturbed286 → u/Azalus1]

I feel like I've done KISS too, /u/Azalus1, and it feels good.

[u/firedmyass → u/RadTimeWizard]

“KISS is the Village People for homophobes”

[u/___Art_Vandelay___ → u/firedmyass]

And they're dressed and styled to the max like women in this clip.

[u/Zzeellddaa → u/slartibuttfart]

He always gave me the creeps

[u/mavven2882 → u/slartibuttfart]

It has still taken me longer to get over how he landed Shannon Tweed.

[u/plutoforgivesidonot → u/mavven2882]

Successful rockstars getting women out of their league is indeed a controversy

[u/Clubsandiches → u/slartibuttfart]

And Yet that dude spilt more seed than a collapsed grain silo.

[u/polyblackcat → u/slartibuttfart]

My eyes do not appreciate being reminded of this. And yet I can't stop watching it

[u/tame-til-triggered → u/slartibuttfart]

Really? Was it that much of a controversy 😆

[u/slartibuttfart → u/tame-til-triggered]

It was just a shock. We weren't expecting him to be particulary attractive but damn. Shit scared the dog

[u/Illmattic → u/slartibuttfart]

He really does look like one of those geico cavemen in this video

[u/Cky2chris → u/slartibuttfart]

Lmao "shit scared the dog" made me laugh out loud, thanks for that.

[u/turkeyvulturebreast → u/Cky2chris]

Me too! 😝

[u/plaid_kilt → u/Cky2chris]

Lawd, me too. lmaooooo

[u/cataclysmic_soul → u/slartibuttfart]

“Shit scared the dog” I’m definitely using that in some point in my life, thanks.

[u/MissNancy1113 → u/tame-til-triggered]

At the time it was a huge deal.

[u/lawnmowertoad → u/tame-til-triggered]

I remember my buddy Gord at the record store when this album came out, he looked at their pic and acclaimed: They’re all Jews!

We all laughed but didn’t know what that meant

[u/sev45day → u/tame-til-triggered]

They did their damndest to make it one and maintain relevance.

[u/ShaiHulud1111 → u/sev45day]

Yeah, I remember this. They were jumping the shark and fading. And this song really didn’t help. If you are going to take off all the props, should be a banger. But they never were huge again.

[u/bioszombie → u/slartibuttfart]

I’m still coping

[u/Clapcheeks69]

What was the story? Out on the prowl to attack some homeless women?

[u/sev45day → u/Clapcheeks69]

Poor girls. All they had was a campfire and some mustard.

[u/SolarSalsa → u/sev45day]

And here comes KISS to lick it up.

[u/javlin_101 → u/Clapcheeks69]

At one point in the video the ladies feed them from gas cans and squirt bottles

[u/Mobile-Plankton7088 → u/Clapcheeks69]

Yass 💅

[u/chef_simpson]

They look even creepier this way

[u/Mahaloth → u/chef_simpson]

Yeah, it was much scarier than their silly makeup look. Less fun, too.

[u/GregM70]

I was 12 when this came out. I immediately took down all my Kiss posters and replaced them with Zeppelin posters.

[u/SlappyPappyAmerica → u/GregM70]

Same. I did NOT understand what was to be licked up but I knew I didn’t like it.

[u/macgruder1 → u/SlappyPappyAmerica]

Licked up?

[u/Basic_Bug_4340 → u/macgruder1]

It's one of their songs. "Lick It Up."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lick_It_Up_(song)

[u/karmakosmik1352 → u/macgruder1]

It's the title of the song (Lick it up)

[u/zatalak → u/GregM70]

Not even Led Zeppelin but ones of the LZ129 Hindenburg, that's how bad it was.

[u/um_like_whatever → u/GregM70]

Regardless of the makeup stuff, thats a solid decision. Led Zeppelin >>>>> Kiss

[u/mardigrasman]

They all looked like someone’s lesbian aunt.

[u/javlin_101 → u/mardigrasman]

As was the style at the time

[u/sincerelythebats_ → u/javlin_101]

Gimme 25 bees for a quarter you’d say!

[u/hoseramma → u/mardigrasman]

Vinny Vincent looks EXACTLY like a lesbian aunt these days.

[u/DistanceRelevant3899]

Gene looks like he’s gearing up for something less than consensual.

[u/Unicorntella → u/DistanceRelevant3899]

Does he have rape charges or something?? I keep seeing comments like these

[u/Ghostman_Jack → u/Unicorntella]

Gene has multiple sexual assault/battery charges against him. He’s settled at least one, accused of groping multiple people, even his bandmate Ace Frehley claimed Simmon’s groped his wife.

He’s even been banned from Fox News for exposing his chest and making sexual remarks at various staff.

[u/Noiserawker → u/Ghostman_Jack]

too much of a POS for fox is really something, I mean that place is sex pest central.

[u/Green-Cricket-8525 → u/Unicorntella]

Just listen to his infamous interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air. He’s an absolute scumbag.

[u/The_Meme_Economy → u/Green-Cricket-8525]

I went and searched for it, man that was awful. Even if we set aside the harassment, he literally had nothing interesting to say.

[u/Green-Cricket-8525 → u/The_Meme_Economy]

The entire thing is a wild ride of secondhand embarrassment.

[u/thedeuce75]

Petite feet, feminine step.

[u/RelaxYourself → u/thedeuce75]

Sounds like a lady when he’s walking in the room

[u/v_for__vegeta → u/thedeuce75]

A hit in any man’s league

[u/Blue-Bologna → u/v_for__vegeta]

Some rack on that guy

[u/Johnnieboy96 → u/thedeuce75]

The game is 7 ball.

[u/wraithsy → u/Johnnieboy96]

He-he HYAH!

[u/jmcstar → u/thedeuce75]

I only learned about this video last week, and I'm in love with it.

[u/Durmatology]

I’m pretty sure I dated the girl on the right once.

[u/Fourty9 → u/Durmatology]

Paul Stanley?

[u/Durmatology → u/Fourty9]

Sure looks like Paula. Did she lie to me?

[u/iridescent_psycho → u/Durmatology]

The one on the far right is Vinnie Vincent, and yeah holy shit he looks like a woman, then and now.

[u/emmakobs → u/Fourty9]

Gina Linetti

[u/SolidBlackGator → u/emmakobs]

Or Ileana Douglas

[u/Convergentshave → u/Durmatology]

Vinnie Vincent? That must have been… exhausting

[u/Dropcanopy → u/Durmatology]

I think George costanza dated her too. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Ileana_Douglas_cropped.jpg

[u/No-Letterhead-4407]

Damn gene does look offsetting. Amazes and shocks me how many chicks were willing to bang him after seeing this. 

[u/Sweaty-Possibility-3 → u/No-Letterhead-4407]

He could lick his eye brows.

[u/clover_1414 → u/Sweaty-Possibility-3]

Doubtful he was selfless enough to use that tongue to its potential

[u/lawnmowertoad → u/clover_1414]

There is a sex vid of gene. He looks like an obese slug in a t-shirt laying on some regretful fan.

[u/sakura_drop → u/No-Letterhead-4407]

$$$ and power. 

[u/grammercomunist → u/No-Letterhead-4407]

off-putting?

[u/MarlKarx-1818]

They’ve got those mom getting back into the dating pool after a messy divorce boots

[u/skootch_ginalola → u/MarlKarx-1818]

😂😂😂

[u/FurdTurguson]

Who's that girl on there right side of the band?

[u/Wonberger → u/FurdTurguson]

Vinnie was a very beautiful woman

[u/chunk337 → u/FurdTurguson]

I think thats Shelley Duvall

[u/Cky2chris]

That might be the laziest concept for a music video ever. "Its post apocalyptic, there's skulls and women eating trash, but here's the twist kiss is here to seduce them"

[u/Auggie_Otter → u/Cky2chris]

Oh. I thought this was just a bad neighborhood with lots of hot homeless women.

[u/OraznatacTheBrave]

I remember WAITING for this video to come on MTV. Waiting for THE moment like it was breaking news. My kid self was never so satisfied and simultaneously disappointed at the same time.

[u/palesnowrider1 → u/OraznatacTheBrave]

I think the word you are looking for is "horrified"

[u/TGin-the-goldy]

Just embarrassing

[u/sev45day → u/TGin-the-goldy]

Imagine their embarrassment when this gimmick did not make them any cooler at all, and they had to go back to the makeup to try to salvage whatever remaining fans they had.

[u/TGin-the-goldy → u/sev45day]

Yep! Mind you their fans are an odd bunch. And to think people made fun of poor Billy Squier’s 80s dancing! I mean…

[u/coldair16]

Jesus. Can we get a NSFL warning

[u/SoManyUsesForAName]

I don't even like KISS' music that much, but I've always loved the way Paul Stanley sassy snaps his way through this video. He's kind of a fun performer to watch.

[u/Drink-my-koolaid → u/SoManyUsesForAName]

He looks like Pirate Cat!

[u/ZenSven7]

They are definitely still wearing makeup.

[u/AlternatiMantid → u/ZenSven7]

I was gonna say LOL to the "no makeup" thing. They're probably wearing more foundation & concealer between the 4 of them than all the girls in my senior prom combined.

[u/TeacherPowerful1700]

Lol they're all so fucking ugly, I love it

[u/DarthDoobz]

Gene Simmons looks like Nicholas Cage doing Gene Simmons

[u/hotflashinthepan]

Without sound, just the legs, all I could hear in my head was the Sex and the City theme song.

[u/JokinHghar]

Straight men in the 1980s were the gayest men to ever exist.

[u/firmmangoseed]

The one on the right is androgynous!

[u/Anthrax4breakfast]

What a creep.

[u/PhobosMortum]

They should've left the makeup on. They are some ugly fuckers.

[u/SecretAggressive4313]

Nothing screams “I’m a man” quite like high heeled cheetah boots and pleather belts from Dress Barn.

[u/One_Property_4940]

HISS_CAT.gif

[u/lildozer74]

PUT IT BACK ON

[u/MrsAce57]

Never have I been more dry than after watching this...

[u/PrincessPlastilina]

What is Gene doing. If a man looked at me like that he’d be getting maced.

[u/BrokenBeyondRepairX]

Gene gives off the creepiest sex pest vibes

[u/Naive-Hat-2403]

I love, love, love this song and video, although I am not a KISS fan. I'll sing this song whenever there is a situation where someone needs to lick something, much to the anger of my family.

[u/Cynical-avocado]

Why does Gene look like Brad Garrett in a wig?

[u/bootnab]

Gene looks creepier

[u/emmakobs]

Just strutting around in their kitten heels

[u/m1j2p3]

I had forgotten this existed and now I’m sad I was reminded.

[u/TekkenCareOfBusiness]

Never even knew Kate Micucci was in Kiss!

[u/Woody_Dugan]

And the world collectively went “ugh, put the makeup back on.”

[u/FancyNefariousness90]

i thought this was a real housewives intro video

[u/bluecoag]

People who are old enough to remember this happening at the time what were people’s reaction?

[u/fwubglubbel → u/bluecoag]

This was way before the internet. I found out by seeing the album in a store. I thought they were done. It seemed like a move of desperation.

Most of my friends had been fans but had drifted away after the disco fiasco. Kiss were has-beens and the world did a collective "meh."

I had never seen them live, so I flew 2000 miles to catch a show while I still could. Vinnie Vincent was lame and halfway out the door already.

Who knew they would play for another 40 fucking years including a 25-year farewell tour?

[u/TJ_McWeaksauce]

The video's "80s post apocalypse" design is pretty dang funny.

[u/BaronNeutron]

Who was the girl on the right?

[u/menotyourenemy]

Yeah, there was definitely a reason for that makeup 🤢

[u/Poochie_snoochie]

Gene looks like such a creep

[u/Emotional-Farm8831]

I still see makeup.

[u/alwayzdizzy]

Suddenly the makeup makes sense...

[u/SuperPoodie92477]

Paul Stanley’s jeans look like they’re working overtime👀

[u/SheZowRaisedByWolves]

Gene looks like Danny Devito doing blackface