I won't defend vulgar behavior towards a woman, not for a second. But it's worth noting that Simmons is a known conservative, and he is a strong supporter of Israel.
A Simmons quote, from Wikipedia:
"I wasn't born here. But I have a love for this country and its people that knows no bounds. I will forever be grateful to America for going into World War II, when it had nothing to gain, in a country that was far away... and rescued my mother from the Nazi German concentration camps. She is alive and I am alive because of America. And, if you have a problem with America, you have a problem with me."
I didn't hear the interview, but perhaps Simmons was trying to shake Gross up, get her off her game.
There’s nothing conservative about anyone who makes his living playing for KISS.
He was. He understands her -at least superficial- "even-handed" approach to EVERYTHING. He took the concept and pushed it to the limit, trying to get her to react in principle to ANYTHING. I don't think she ever did. It's been a while since I heard it. You can probably find it on YouTube.