NEWS
Pearl Jam’s vocal leader Eddie Vedder called Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker a “fing py” during his concert last night in Las Vegas.
Butker has received enormous backlash for the speech, in which he attacked Pride Month and shared his belief that women belong in the kitchen. He said “one of the most important titles” a woman could have is homemaker.
Vedder took a quick pause in between songs at Pearl Jam’s Vegas show to encourage the audience to cheer for the band’s opening act, the indie rock band Deep See Diver, Vedder noted that two of the band members, including its lead singer, are women.
“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,” Vedder said in a dig at Butker’s ideology.“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?” the frontman asked. “I couldn’t understand the logic, so I’m questioning it in public right now … It’s not a graduation speech.”
Vedder then took direct aim at Butker, telling the crowd: “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 f—ing p—-.”
“There’s nothing more masculine than a strong man supporting a strong woman,” Vedder said as the audience roared with applause and cheers.