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Quick Take
College commencement remarks by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker on the roles of women drew widespread criticism, including from Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder. Social media posts falsely claimed Arrowhead Stadium, where the Chiefs play, then canceled concerts by the band. A team spokesperson said Pearl Jam was “never scheduled to perform” at the venue.
Full Story
Harrison Butker, the kicker for the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, made a series of controversial remarks while delivering the commencement address at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, on May 11.
In his over 20-minute address at the Catholic private college, Butker took swipes at President Joe Biden’s position on abortion, the celebration of PRIDE Month, and “degenerate cultural values in media.”
Butker also offered his views on the roles of women.
Butker, May 11: For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment. You should be proud of all that you have achieved to this point in your young lives. I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you. 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 lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.
I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother. I’m on the stage today and able to be the man I am because I have a wife who leans into her vocation. I’m beyond blessed with the many talents God has given me, but it cannot be overstated that all of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith, become my wife, and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker.
Butker received a standing ovation at the end of his address, the Associated Press reported. But his remarks were also widely criticized — including by the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, a sponsor of Benedictine College, who said they “do not believe that Harrison Butker’s comments in his 2024 Benedictine College commencement address represent the Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts college that our founders envisioned and in which we have been so invested,” The Athletic reported.
Pearl Jam Singer Kicks Back
Butker’s views on women’s roles came under fire from Eddie Vedder, the lead singer of Pearl Jam, during a May 18 concert in Las Vegas, Variety reported. Vedder praised the show’s opening act, Deep Sea Diver, which includes two women. “The singer, Jessica, and the keyboard player, Patti, they must not have believed that ‘diabolical lie’ that women should take pride in taking a back seat to their man,” Vedder said, referring to Butker’s remarks.
“There should be pride in homemaking if you’re a man or a woman … it’s one of the hardest jobs and you should definitely take pride in it, but you’re going to benefit by giving up your dreams?” Vedder said, later adding, “There’s nothing more masculine than a strong man supporting a strong woman.”
Social media posts then fabricated a claim about repercussions to Vedder’s comments.
“After Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder went on an anti-Harrison Butker rant, the front office at Arrowhead Stadium canceled three of the band’s upcoming shows. ‘We stand with Harrison and his admirable moral values. Vedder and his band can find somewhere else to play.[‘] The move will cost the band around $14 million,” read a May 20 Facebook post, referring to the stadium used by the Kansas City Chiefs. The post received more than 150,000 likes.
But the post was concocted by America’s Last Line of Defense, a “satire/parody” website that frequently spreads bogus stories and misinformation, as we’ve previously written. The May 20 Facebook post did not include a label identifying the content as satire.
A Kansas City Chiefs team spokesperson told us in a phone interview on May 23, “I can confirm that Pearl Jam was never scheduled to perform [at Arrowhead Stadium] this year. They were not on our concert slate.”
We reached out to Pearl Jam for comment on the claim, but we didn’t receive a response.
Editor’s note: FactCheck.org is one of several organizations working with Facebook to debunk misinformation shared on social media. Our previous stories can be found here. Facebook has no control over our editorial content.
Sources
Associated Press. “Chiefs kicker Butker congratulates women graduates and says most are more excited about motherhood.” Updated 16 May 2024.
Caplan, Anna Lazarus. “NFL Says They Do Not Agree with Harrison Butker’s ‘Views’ in Graduation Speech, Are Committed to ‘Inclusion.'” People. 16 May 2024.
FactCheck.org. “Tag: America’s Last Line of Defense.”
Kansas City Chiefs. Arrowhead Events Schedule. Accessed 22 May 2024.
Kansas City Chiefs. Team spokesperson, phone interview with FactCheck.org. 23 May 2024.
National Catholic Register. “Full Text: Harrison Butker of Kansas City Chiefs Graduation Speech.” 16 May 2024.
Pearl Jam 2024 Tour. pearljam.com. Accessed 22 May 2024.
Sharf, Zack. “Eddie Vedder Calls Harrison Butker a ‘F–ing P–y’ Mid-Concert Over Sexist Speech: ‘There’s Nothing More Masculine Than a Strong Man Supporting a Strong Woman.'” Variety. 20 May 2024.
Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica. “Statement in Response to the 2024 Benedictine College Commencement Address.” Accessed 22 May 2024.
The Athletic. “Benedictine Sisters denounce Harrison Butker’s speech as his jersey sales rise.” New York Times. 18 May 2024.