Kick Rocks, Harrison Butker

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Harrison Butker, long-term kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs.

When I was tasked with writing about a famous person, I knew I wanted to tear into someone who developed a short-lived ticket to fametown for the wrong reason. It took me 60 seconds to think of who. 

Harrison Butker can be considered a hero among AFC championship hopefuls (if they were rooting for the Chiefs the last time they won a game - not sorry about that Super Bowl, boys). However, he recently presented himself as a nightmare among women. Some may refer to his outspoken opinions on gender as "traditional," but anyone with a wrinkled and lived-in brain will see Butker for what he truly is - sexist. 

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Harrison Butker, Chiefs Kicker

It certainly does not help his case that I think he's ugly. I mean really, WHAT is that haircut? You look like the beginning stages of a weed before it's classified by schoolchildren playing at outdoor recess as a dandelion. Your smile in this headshot is unsettling and feels forced. I would never feel comfortable leaving my drink with you at a bar. 

Butker is a longtime kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs. His stats as a player overall are impressive, and he (apparently) has been named one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history. 

According to ESPN, Butker has stood as the Chiefs' kicker for 8 seasons, yet I had never seen him mentioned in any mainstream media until 2024 - when his name was suddenly everywhere. 

Butker's decision to deliver a graduation speech last spring at Benedictine College left him in boiling hot water with anyone who has lived long enough to see the triumphant result of the fight for women's suffrage, an increase in stay-at-home fathers and an uptick in career-driven, independent women.  

In Butker's speech to a crowd of hopeful young adults, he belittled the accomplishments of every woman who sat and watched. Butker's speech states the following: 

"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." 

Now, why the heck would you tell a herd of hard-working, degree-earning women, each anticipating the gates opening to their areas of expertise, that their next step in life is to become a wife and a mother? 

Your wife, Isabelle Butker, went to college. How do you think she would have felt if you said this to her? 

Oh wait - YOU DID. Butker's speech continues: 

"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." 

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Isabelle Butker, Harrison Butker and their child

Personally, I think that one of the most important titles of all that everyone should embrace is being a good person. If a solid handful of people can back your character when you're not around and confirm that you are a kind human being, that is worth far more than being a homemaker to me. 

That's not to say that I don't dream of marrying the love of my life and starting a family one day, but that is not all I think about. It would be nice to have all my ducks in a row in the future. I just don't expect a ring anytime soon and the baby factory will have to wait. 

Maybe Isabelle is left unaffected by her husband's ignorant dig at what ye olde times would consider a woman's purpose. That's fine. But me? The fact that I'm writing about it almost a year later should say it all. 

I believe the majority of Americans today, especially in my generation (gen z), would undoubtedly agree that women deserve to work and men can be the homemakers. There is nothing shameful about or wrong with a man cooking and cleaning the house, just as there is nothing wrong with a woman wanting to make major career moves and get herself promoted. 

All families and all couples are different. There is no blueprint, and everyone has the right to rule their lives as they so choose. There should be no pressure to conform to a "norm" that no longer exists. 

Women can bring home the bacon, and men can cook it for them. 

Harrison Butker's opinion of the modern woman can kick rocks. 

Me in 500 Words

It's hard to depict myself on a page for the scrutiny of others when I'm so unsure about who I am. 

There is a distinct difference between knowing what you are and who you are. 

For example, here is what I am: 

Female. Jewish. Songwriter. Journalism student. Occasional baker. Sometimes, a painter. 

I possess talents that have earned me praise, but not enough for me to take it past face value. I can sing and play instruments. Whoop-de-do. So can thousands of other people on the planet. I'm no Jimi Hendrix. 

I've been told by complete strangers that I have a voice for broadcasting the news. I believe them, but in the same vein, they could have told that to other journalists before. I do not feel as though I am special. 

When it comes to who I am, the adjectives are lost on me - aside from what you may find on a tombstone: 

Daughter. Sister. Friend. Granddaughter. Niece. Cousin. 

If that sounded morbid when your brain read it aloud to itself, I'm not sorry.  

The most effective way for me to show you who I might be is to describe what I struggle with. 

I have OCD. No, not the kind where people giggle to themselves and say, "I love to organize my school supplies...gosh, I'm so OCD!" 

OCD is washing your hands for 30 seconds (rather than the CDC's recommended 20) because you fear any and all germs that may stick to your hands if you only wash them for 20 seconds. 

OCD is avoiding writing notes by hand with a pencil because you might dislike the appearance and lack of neatness in your own handwriting, which may then lead you to erase it and start over.  

OCD is counting the amount of times you breathe or swallow because it has to be an even number. You don't know why, but it does. It has to be an even number or something bad is going to happen. 

OCD is biting at the inside of your mouth too often because you also have ADHD and anxiety. The catch is, if you do it to one side, you must immediately bite at the other side to make them even. 

OCD stands for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I, however, would like to alter the acronym to say: 

O - Obnoxious little scumbag that is

C - Clearly interrupting my life and 

D - Don't tell me not to use the word "scumbag" because, in this case, it is warranted. 

Looking back, I missed out on a great deal of enjoyable moments because I feared the potential of failure. I could have met so many new people, made a good, permanent set of friends and really solidified my place at HPU - had I learned not to be so afraid. 

I'm a senior now, four months away from entering the real world with nothing but myself and a piece of paper in my hand, declaring my qualifications and justifying where I belong. 

In the four years that I have spent as a college student, I regret not doing more for myself. 

As I enter the workforce, I am still afraid.