One of the biggest Kansas City Chiefs stories all spring has stemmed from a controversial commencement speech made by three-time Super Bowl champion kicker Harrison Butker.
Former Philadelphia Eagles star and honorary Chiefs fan Jason Kelce first reacted to Butker’s thoughts during the May 24 episode of the “New Heights” podcast. On May 27, Kelce clarified his stance on Butker and the idea of being a “homemaker” after a social media user caught his attention.
“Your wife is a homemaker. But you can’t support butker,” the user’s comment read on May 26. “And your wife is a homemaker whose home is a mess. Sorry but it is dirty and messy on television. Seems you’re a bit hypocritical. Y’all are going to be left with nothing but swifties. You just ruined your gig. It’s a shame.”
Kelce later replied: “Responding to this, because I have seen a number of people say it. I don’t think of Kylie [Kelce] as a homemaker, I think of her as my wife. I think of her as a mother.”
Responding to this, because I have seen a number of people say it. I don’t think of Kylie as a homemaker, I think of her as my wife. I think of her as a mother. She has an occupation, as do I, and we keep our house the best we can. Our marriage is a partnership, we are equals… https://t.co/TnNsTW4o4B
— Jason Kelce (@JasonKelce) May 27, 2024
“She has an occupation, as do I, and we keep our house the best we can,” the older of the two Kelce brothers went on. “Our marriage is a partnership, we are equals who are figuring it out on the daily. The only expectation is that we love each other, support one another, and are committed to our family, that comes first.
“We both raise our kids, we both work, we both keep our home. It is both our faults it is messy, but such is life with 3 young children, busy schedules, and neither of us being neat freaks. She also makes a mean sandwich.”
Finally, Kelce concluded that “if being a homemaker, works for some, and that’s what they want, then hell yea, that’s awesome, more power to you. I want to be clear, I’m not downplaying that at all, but that is not our family dynamic.”
The viral post already has over 780K views and 20K likes in under five hours.
Jason Kelce’s Initial Thoughts on Harrison Butker’s Speech
In case you missed it, here were Jason Kelce’s initial remarks on Butker’s speech and the idea of any woman or wife being told to become a “homemaker.” He said:
You learn more about people with who they are on a daily basis. There [are] always going to be opinions that everybody shares that you’re gonna disagree with. And make no mistake about it, a lot of the things he said in his commencement speech are not things that I align myself with. But he’s giving a commencement speech at a Catholic university and shocker, it ended up being a very religious and Catholic speech. To me, I can listen to somebody talk and take great value in it — like when he’s talking about the importance of family and the importance that a great mother can make — while also acknowledging that not everybody has to be a homemaker if that’s not what they want to do in life. When you’re listening to somebody, you take in things that you like, you listen to other things and you say, well I don’t [expletive] like that. I’ve had so many people ask me, ‘What would you do if your daughters had to sit there and listen to somebody tell them after they just earned a degree that they should just go to align to be homemakers?’ And I would say if my daughters listen to anybody tell them what to do — that they should be homemakers — then I failed as a dad… I don’t care who’s talking to them.
Then after first voicing that he doesn’t get what all the fuss is about, Kelce later added that he actually does understand “the fuss” being that “certain of these groups have been persecuted against for a long period in this country.” And he made sure to note that goes for “women in particular.”
Finally, he joked: “My wife, she was a bit frustrated with some of the comments. And I said — Listen, you’re gonna need to get back in the kitchen and make me a sandwich. I’m listening to the game right now…”
After sharing a laugh with his brother, Chiefs superstar Travis Kelce, Jason made it clear that last part was not his actual opinion. “I hope she didn’t hear that,” he said with a smile.
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce’s Reaction to Harrison Butker’s Speech
Earlier in the May 24 podcast episode, Travis Kelce gave his public reaction to Butker’s speech.
“I cherish him as a teammate,” the tight end expressed after stating that he’s known Butker for seven or eight-plus years. “I think Pat [Mahomes] said it best where he is every bit of a great person and a great teammate.”
Continuing: “He’s treated friends and family that I’ve introduced to him with nothing but respect and kindness. And that’s how he treats everyone. When it comes down to his views and what he said at Saint Benedict’s commencement speech, those are his.
“I can’t say I agree with the majority of it or just about any of it outside of just him loving his family and his kids and I don’t think that I should judge him by his views, especially his religious views of how to go about life. That’s just not who I am.”
Travis then spoke on his upbringing within a diverse area like Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
“It showed me a broad view of a lot of different walks of life,” he said. “And I appreciated every single one of those people for different reasons and I never once had to feel like I needed to judge them based off their beliefs.”
Travis Kelce finished by labeling both of his parents, Ed and Donna Kelce, homemakers and providers.
“That was a beautiful upbringing for me,” he concluded. “Now I don’t think everyone should do it the way that my parents did, but I certainly and sure as hell thank my parents and love my parents for being able to provide and making sure that home was what it was because I’m not the same person without both of them being who they were in my life.”
Butker has since provided a public statement on the backlash and support that he has received after his speech on May 11.
