(CNN) — The NFL distanced itself from Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s controversial comments during a recent commencement speech. In addition to calling Pride Month a “mortal sin” and lamenting initiatives in favor of diversity and equality, Butker unleashed a wave of criticism when she suggested that women feel more fulfilled by getting married and having children than by pursuing a career, directly after to quote a Taylor Swift song.
The backlash has been growing since Butker made the comments Saturday in a speech to graduates at Benedictine College, a small Catholic school in Atchison, Kansas.
The NFL issued a statement Wednesday, saying Butker’s comments do not reflect the views of the league.
“Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity. His views are not those of the NFL as an organization,” said senior vice president Jonathan Beane, the league’s chief diversity and inclusion officer. “The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”
GLAAD also issued a statement calling Butker’s speech “a clear mistake” and “woefully out of step with Americans on Pride, LGBTQ people, and women.”
The Chiefs, the reigning Super Bowl champions and one of the NFL’s top teams, have not responded to requests for comment.
However, many women (and Taylor Swift fans) have clearly expressed their feelings. This could keep Butker’s social media buzzing with criticism for the foreseeable future. It could also be an optical problem for the NFL and the Chiefs, who have enjoyed increased fan support in the last year.
What Butker said about women and Taylor Swift
Before a crowd of about 485 graduates, Butker suggested that a woman’s achievements at home are more valuable than any academic or professional goals.
“I want to address you briefly because I believe it is you, the women, who have been told the most diabolical lies,” she said.
“How many of you are sitting here now about to cross this stage and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career? Some of you may go on to have successful careers in the world, but I would dare I’m guessing that most of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.
Butker also praised his wife Isabelle, stating that she “would be the first to say that her life truly began when she began to live her calling as a wife and mother.”
Judging by the hundreds and hundreds of critical comments on Butker’s posts on Instagram and about him on X and TikTok, his statements didn’t sit well with many people.
“It wasn’t a case of a blunder. It was a well-prepared speech,” columnist Sam McDowell wrote in the Kansas City Star. “The women in the audience, instead of being rewarded with a diploma on graduation day, had to hear how she promoted the role of housewife, not as an acceptable option, but as her duty as a servant to her husband.
It also didn’t sit well with many people when Butker invoked Swift, the pop star who dates Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce and was frequently seen at Chiefs games last season, including the Super Bowl.
Butker became probably the first person in history to quote a Taylor Swift song while criticizing Catholic priests for paying too much attention to the feelings of their parishioners. “As my teammate’s girlfriend says, ‘Familiarity breeds contempt,'” Butker said at one point, quoting Swift’s song “Bejeweled” (and, by extension, a common turn of phrase).
Conservative voices have praised Butker’s speech for being “100% correct” and for reflecting his deep self-proclaimed Catholic faith.
However, his reference to Swift, a single, childless superstar and feminist who, by Butker’s own definition, is not living up to her potential, has sparked fresh protests.
Feminists and Taylor Swift fans have responded.
Butker, 28, has been with the Chiefs for seven seasons. In February, he kicked four field goals in the Chiefs’ victory over the San Francisco 49ers (25-22) in the Super Bowl.
Before his speech, Butker’s Instagram account was fairly innocuous: mostly photos of his game outfits accompanied by Bible quotes, photos posing alongside conservative figures, and bits of Christian wisdom, all accompanied by generally hospitable comments. of the fans.
Now, almost every recent post on his account has been inundated with insults, some questioning how Butker feels about women like Swift, who have found success outside of marriage and motherhood:
“I feel bad for those poor women who were looking forward to their graduation and have inflicted it on you.”
“Have a chat with Travis about how you can be successful, be masculine, AND still be incredibly supportive of your girlfriend’s career.”
Taylor Swift hugging her boyfriend Travis Kelce after a Chiefs playoff game in January. Credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
The tide of criticism reached almost every corner of social media, and people took note.
“As a woman, does watching Harrison Butker being roasted online count as being in the kitchen?” reads a popular post on X.
“I’ll let the Swifties deal with Harrison Butker,” says another.
Commentators and social media influencers also picked up other information that seems to contradict Butker’s worldview.
His mother, Elizabeth Keller Butker, is a medical physicist at Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute in Atlanta and, among other academic accolades, has a degree in Chemistry from Smith College, a private women’s liberal arts college in Massachusetts.
“What does your mother think of your little speech, Harrison?” asked Vicki Chan, a doctor and TikTok creator with more than 500,000 followers.
CNN has contacted Benedictine College, where Butker gave his speech, and is awaiting a response.
The backlash comes as the NFL is trying to attract female fans.
Although the consequences of Butker’s speech are already quite murky, another detail that complicates the situation must be taken into account.
The NFL has been trying to attract women for years. When Swift started showing up at Chiefs games last fall to support her boyfriend Kelce, female interest in the NFL skyrocketed. Super Bowl LVIII, in which the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers and the superstar couple shared perfect hugs after the victory, was the most watched Super Bowl in history. Even NFL commissioner Roger Goodell acknowledged the “Taylor Swift effect” on the season.
For many, Butker’s comments are a kick in the face to a burgeoning — and valuable — demographic of NFL fans.
“Hey NFL. If you want to continue growing your base of female fans and any other marginalized group (straight white men already see your product), come get your boy,” tweeted former “Monday Night Football” reporter Lisa Guerrero.
Some commentators also called on the Chiefs to respond to Butker’s statements in the interest of their female fans. At this time, the Chiefs have not made any public comments.
Butker’s speech contained other polarizing comments
Although Butker’s comments about women and Taylor Swift drew a very specific reaction, critics also had a lot to say about other parts of his speech. Some details in particular have sparked discontent:
- Butker criticized President Joe Biden, who is Catholic, and other unnamed Catholic leaders for “imposing dangerous gender ideologies on America’s youth,” in apparent reference to transgender rights.
- In an attack on LGBTQ communities, Butker encouraged graduates to have Catholic pride, but “not the kind of mortal sin pride that an entire month is dedicated to.”
- Butker also waded into the DEI debate, saying, “The world around us says we should keep our beliefs to ourselves as long as they go against the tyranny of diversity, equity and inclusion.”
In response to his comments about diversity, Tennessean reporter Andrea Williams noted that Butker shares the field with Patrick Mahomes, considered one of the best players of his generation and one of the few black quarterbacks to win a Super Bowl.
“Harrison Butker doesn’t have three Super Bowl rings without Patrick Mahomes,” he wrote. “And without those Super Bowl rings, he doesn’t have the aforementioned accolades and platform.”
Some women also pointed out that Butker’s understanding of Catholicism, and what the faith asks of its adherents, is far from universal.
Journalist Yvette Walker wrote a faith-based critique for the Kansas City Star, noting the many women of the Bible who contributed to their communities outside of traditional gender roles.
“I hope that the women in the audience who didn’t agree with everything Butker said remember that they can think for themselves, read the Bible for themselves, and choose the reasoning that God gave them to live a full and worthwhile life.” , whether you have a family or not,” he wrote.
— CNN’s Kevin Dotson contributed to this report.
2024-05-16 20:59:00
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