What the heck is Kiss' Gene Simmons doing hanging out with the suits at Court TV? The aging rocker is shooting a documentary for the cabler called ''The Secret History of Rock 'n' Roll'' (set to air Dec. 4), which will expose the ugly underbelly of groups like Guns N' Roses and (gasp!) the Beach Boys. Says Simmons: ''Its all about how idiotic rock & roll musicians are. We talk about how some of the original godfathers of rock & roll created a corrupt system, which it is. The original guys used to steal songs and put their names on them. It's almost like the Sopranos in the music business. And don't kid yourself. These shady characters are still alive and well.'' Hmm, and we thought it was about wearing tight lycra and shaking your booty. In any event, can we expect any exposés on Kiss? ''Not that I'm aware of -- but, of course, incriminating yourself is not a good idea,'' says Simmons. ''I have the right to remain silent.''

(Additional reporting by William Keck, Robert Schwartz, and Dan Snierson)