Let’s Remember How Scared We Were When KISS Took Off Their Makeup
September 18, 1983. After 10 years and 10 albums, KISS finally took off their makeup. And it was terrifying.
To clarify, I’m not talking about their actual unmasking (un-makeup-ing?) on MTV with VJ J. J. Jackson. That was actually cool and pretty well-executed by 1983 standards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czbsV8Z_1k4
No, the real terror came in the form of the video for “Lick It Up,” the title track from their first official naked-faced album. To quote my buddy Rubin: “Lick It Up the song was good. Lick It Up the video was an unintentional 3:56 horror show.”
What the hell is going on here? Why is that woman washing a manhole cover? Why won’t Gene stop leering at the camera? That’s not sexy, Gene, you look like a damn caveman! And why can’t Vinny lip sync?
Maybe they should just put the makeup back on. Oh, that’s right, they did, eventually. Thank goodness.