Harrison Butker and My Mother
The Tyranny of the Trad Wife Myth
Not everyone was offended when the placekicker for the Kansas City Chiefs, Harrison Butker, declared that most of the female students graduating from Benedictine College this year, would be far more excited about being future wives and mothers than putting their expensive college educations to use in their chosen fields.
Senator Josh Hawley, for instance, declared that he was “never prouder” of his “friend.” And even Bill Maher seemed to come to Butker’s defense when he complained:
“Again, I don’t agree with much with this guy, but I don’t get the thing. He said… ‘Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world.’ Ok, that seems fairly, like, modern. ‘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 don’t see what the big crime is. I really don’t.”
But Butker didn’t only criticize women who prioritize professional careers. He also found fault with Pride Month and abortion access, and managed also to include an antisemitic trope, protesting that he should be allowed to proclaim that the Jews killed Jesus. Apparently Butker is ignorant of the fact that the Roman Catholic Church has issued a definitive, and clear rejection of Butker’s “basic belief” about who…
