Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker sparked controversy when delivering a commencement address at Benedictine College earlier this month.
During his speech to the private Catholic liberal arts college in Kansas, he suggested Pride Month was a “deadly sin,” condemned abortion rights, and informed women that they had “the most diabolical lies” told to them, which came after he quoted a Taylor Swift song earlier in his speech.
In his speech, Harrison Butker quoted the lyrics “familiarity breeds contempt” from Taylor Swift’s hit song “Bejeweled” from her album Midnights.
Taylor Swift’s fan base absolutely hated that he brought her up.
However, as social media user McKenzie Hopson David, a fan of Taylor Swift, notes, Harrison Butker did not seem to understand the meaning of the song when he cited the lyrics, as it did not align with the speech’s tone.
“I actually think that Harrison Butker quoting Taylor Swift in his dumpster fire of a speech is hilarious when you consider that the song he quoted (Bejeweled) is about a successful woman telling a mediocre man to step aside so she can shine,” David said in a post on X, the social media website that was formerly known as Twitter.
I actually think that Harrison Butker quoting Taylor Swift in his dumpster fire of a speech is hilarious when you consider that the song he quoted (Bejeweled) is about a successful woman telling a mediocre man to step aside so she can shine.
— McKenzie Hopson David (@mckenziehopson) May 16, 2024
Following his remarks, Harrison faced substantial criticism from the public. The NFL also responded, declaring that Harrison’s opinions did not represent the organization’s values. On their personal social media profiles, many people have expressed their disapproval of the commencement speech; however, women have started to make snarky remarks about their “abilities as a woman” directly on the Kansas City Chiefs’ Instagram account.
Harrison Butker Doubles Down on Controversial Comments
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker did not apologize. Instead, he doubled down after coming under fire for controversial comments about women being homemakers, abortion, and other topics during a May 11 commencement speech.
Last Friday, Butker addressed the crowd at the Courage Under Fire gala in Nashville. It was held by the Catholic hybrid homeschooling organization Regina Caeli Academy.
In this new speech, Butker defended his commencement address at Benedictine College.
“If it wasn’t clear that the timeless Catholic values are hated by many, it is now,” Butker said, per CNN.
