Review"Gene Simmons Family Jewels"

Last night, I watched my first episode of the Simmons family, and I must admit that I was favourably impressed. Gene certainly exhibits a lot of the 'silly father' traits, but he does not greet the morning stumbling into the furniture, cursing at the dog like that other reality TV Rock & Roll Star, Mr. Osbourne (Ozzy needs more sleep!). He seems genuinely happy with his life and his family.

Although he took son Nick on a high cost shopping spree for clothes, it was all done in a spirit of merriment and bonding. Nick, like another reality TV teen boy has hopes of being a rock star. Dad gives him all the help he can, and Nick seems to want to do this on his own, with no sense of "I deserve this because…"

Similarly, mom (the still-luminous Shannon Tweed) took her 13 year old daughter out for a makeover and a fashion shop-a-thon. They too appeared to enjoy each other's company, even when mom fended off all the enticed males approaching the attractive young teen. The afternoon looked like fun for mom and daughter.

Neither of these teenagers exhibited a sense of entitlement so obvious in the other TV Rock & Roll family. Nor did either parent walk about their beautiful home searching for effing this or bumping into effing that (or stepping in a pile of "what the eff is that?). I did not see the teens primp endlessly in front of a mirror or virtually eating tubes of hair gel like those "cute Gotti boys". These kids seemed comfortable with who they are, and their parents appear pleased with the result.

Could I have been bamboozled? Did anything unattractive get edited? Sure the show was made to look good, but you can't fake the look of a family that loves and has fun with each other.

11-Aug-06