Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder condemns NFL player over sexist speech during concert
During a performance at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 18th, Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder took aim at Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker over recent sexist comments made by the NFL athlete.
Speaking at the 2024 Benedictine College, a Catholic college in Kansas, on May 11th, Butker denounced abortion rights, claimed women should be “most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world” and labelled Pride month “a deadly sin”. Furthermore, Butker also remarked, “IVF, surrogacy, euthanasia, as well as a growing support for degenerate cultural values in media, all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder.”
Additionally, the Kansas City Chiefs star, who recently won the Super Bowl, said there is an ongoing “cultural emasculation of men”. He also remarked, “Congress just passed a bill where stating something as basic as the Biblical teaching of who killed Jesus could land you in jail.”
Following his speech, Butker has been criticised heavily. Notably, the Benedictine College nuns have condemned the NFL player, stating, “Instead of promoting unity in our church, our nation, and the world, his comments seem to have fostered division.”
The nuns continued: “One of our concerns was the assertion that being a homemaker is the highest calling for a woman. We sisters have dedicated our lives to God and God’s people, including the many women whom we have taught and influenced during the past 160 years.”
Now, Vedder has used his platform to share his thoughts on Butker’s diatribe, telling fans at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas: “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.{“
Highlighting Butker’s sexist comments specifically, Vedder added: “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? I couldn’t understand the logic, so I’m questioning it in public right now … It’s not a graduation speech.”
The Pearl Jam singer then made things personal, continuing (via BroBible): “The irony was that the football player — well, kicker … You see the kicker doesn’t have the pads because he doesn’t tackle anybody or get tackled — but he started telling men, ‘Don’t forget to puff up your chest and be more masculine. Don’t lose your masculinity.’ The irony was that when he was saying that, he looked like such a fucking pussy.”
He powerfully concluded his message by saying: “There’s nothing more masculine than a strong man supporting a strong woman.”
Pearl Jam are currently on a world tour in support of their new album, Dark Matter, which arrived in April. They are set to arrive in the UK this summer, where they will play Manchester’s Co-op Live and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London with The Verve’s Richard Ashcroft on support duties.
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