Read more
KISS's "final tour" started in January 2019 and is scheduled to run until October 2020 in Fort Worth
KISS's "final show" has been announced for July 2021 in New York, though there are rumors the band could continue indefinitely, with replacements in the line-up
List of contents
Introduction
Courtland Lewis
I The Starchild
1. ¿The Message¿ of KISS
R. Alan Siler
2. Paul¿s ¿Lick It Up¿ Philosophy
Courtland Lewis
3. KISStory and Kulture of the Hottest Band in the World
Matt Alschbach
II The Demon
4. KISS Fans, Kiss the Ship of Theseus Goodbye!
Shane J. Ralston
5. The KISS Franchise
Peter Finocchiaro
6. Destroyer Unmasked
L.A. Recoder
III The Space Ace
7. What Does It Mean if the Band Plays Forever?
Robert Grant Price
8. The Joyful Relativity of Kondoms and
Casey Rentmeester
9. You Wanted the Best, Yoüve Got the
Right to the Best
Mikko M. Puumala
10. Forgive and Make Up?
Courtland Lewis
IV The Catman
11. The Rashomon Effect in KISS¿s Autobiographies
Michael Forest and Matthew Mitchell
12. KISS Goes Disco and Boogies on Simmons¿s Bad Faith
Christopher M. Innes
13. Beauty of
The ElderCourtland Lewis
14. KISS and Bodily Pleasure
Robert S Vuckovich
V The Fox
15. The Definition of Love
Robert Grant Price
16. KISS Was Made for Lovin¿ You
Courtland Lewis
17. The KISS Archetypes
Randall E. Auxier
18. KISStory of Band, Albums, Song, Movies, Books, and More
Bibliography
The Destroyers (Author Bios)
Index
About the author
Courtland Lewis is an Instructor of Philosophy at Owensboro Community and Technical College and co-editor of
Doctor Who and Philosophy and
More Doctor Who and Philosophy. He lives in Owensboro, KY.
Summary
KISS is the most outrageous and yet the most enduring of rock bands, with an unparalleled, almost religious level of devotion from millions of die-hard fans. In KISS and Philosophy, professional thinkers of diverse outlooks provide much-needed insights into the motivating ideas and metaphysical foundations of the KISS take on life.
According to some, the true message of KISS is self-actualization through the hard work of following your dreams. Others focus on the existential aspect of KISS thinking, drawing upon Camus and Sartre to show that KISS is preoccupied with empowering the individual to achieve self-greatness. By contrast, there is a view of KISS which identifies a “destroyer” attitude, leading some listeners to reject KISS outright, while encouraging others to become the most dedicated of followers. Yet another view sees KISS’s “letting loose” as essentially Dionysian.
Some chapters gain access to KISS thinking by tracing the band’s cultural and historical impact, finding meaning in the way generations of fans make sense of KISS’s always evolving output, the changing line-up, and the archetypal characters represented by the band’s use of make-up and presentation. Other chapters look at the aesthetic quality of the band’s output, especially their most controversial album, Music from “The Elder.”
Several chapters examine KISS’s orientation to bodily pleasures, notably sex, extracting the band’s philosophy of sex and love from different clues and indications. How does KISS’s unashamed indulgence relate to various pleasure-governed ethical systems throughout history? Is getting the most out of pleasure key to living the good life? And does a life of gratifying one’s body ultimately yield fulfillment? What are the limitations and hazards of a pleasure-oriented lifestyle?
The biography of band members also provides material for reflection, looking at the nature of forgiveness through the lens of KISS’s notorious feuds, and determining how to reconcile the apparently conflicting accounts of some famous squabbles. The changing line-up of the band raises questions about the meaning of “KISS” and whether KISS could last forever
