No, Harrison Butker didn't claim remarks were taken out of context. That's satire | Fact check
The claim: Harrison Butker said commencement speech comments were ‘taken out of context’
A May 16 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows a photo of Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker above a quote attributed to him regarding his controversial commencement speech.
“Everyone is taking what I said out of context. All I said is that we should go back to a better time, like the 50’s & 60’s. When men were men, and women had more babies than thoughts. When the only ‘Me too’ movement was one woman saying she was ready for her 4th child, and another woman agreeing,” the quote reads.
The caption reads in part, "But why would women spend 4 years busting their butts on a degree to wipe noses and cook chicken nuggets?? How dare he think that all women prioritize having children over a career?"
The post was shared more than 80 times in one day, and the same image appeared in other posts on Threads and Facebook.
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Our rating: False
Butker did not make this comment in regards to his speech. The claim originated on a satirical Facebook page.
Butker’s original comments about women, LGBTQ+ community highly criticized
Butker’s May 11 commencement speech at Benedictine College drew ire when he told female graduates they had been told “diabolical lies“ about the careers they wish to pursue.
“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,” Butker said.
He further said his wife’s life started when she “began living her vocation as a wife and mother.” Butker also criticized the LGBTQ+ community and government policies regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NFL distanced itself from his comments, with senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer Jonathan Beane stating that Butker’s views “are not those of the NFL as an organization.”
Butker did not, however, follow up on his speech with the quote in the Facebook post. There is no evidence from credible news reports nor his own social media page he made this statement. USA TODAY reached out to his agency for comment but did not receive a response.
A watermark in the image on Butker’s shoulder is the handle of The Sports Memery, which states in its "Intro" section that it posts content that is satire and parody. The Sports Memery posted the quote to its page on May 15, and it was shared more than 13,000 times.
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It's an example of what could be called "stolen satire," where posts or stories written as satire and presented that way originally are captured via screenshot and reposted in a way that makes them appear to be legitimate news. As a result, readers of the second-generation post are misled, as was the case here.
USA TODAY reached out to the users who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Our fact-check sources:
Benedictine College (YouTube), May 11, Harrison Butker | Commencement Address 2024 | Benedictine College
The Sports Memery (Archive Today), May 15, Facebook post
The Sports Memery, accessed May 17, Facebook profile
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Satirical page made false Harrison Butker 'context' quote | Fact check