KISS and Philosophy

Wiser than Hell

Buch | Softcover

256 Seiten

2020
Open Court Publishing Co ,U.S. (Verlag)
978-0-8126-9491-8 (ISBN)

Artikel merken

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

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.

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, You’ve 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 Elder

Courtland 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

Erscheinungsdatum	02.01.2020
Reihe/Serie	Popular Culture and Philosophy
Zusatzinfo	Illustrations
Verlagsort	Chicago, IL
Sprache	englisch
Maße	152 x 228 mm
Themenwelt	Literatur ► Biografien / Erfahrungsberichte
	Kunst / Musik / Theater ► Musik ► Pop / Rock
	Geisteswissenschaften ► Philosophie
ISBN-10	0-8126-9491-0 / 0812694910
ISBN-13	978-0-8126-9491-8 / 9780812694918
Zustand	Neuware