Taylor Tomlinson, host of CBS’s After Midnight, recently launched a directed attack on Harrison Butker, kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs. This follows a speech Butker presented at a commencement ceremony for Benedictine College, and Tomlinson’s allegations don’t completely align with the objective truth. Let’s dive into the details here.
On Monday, rather than her typical light-hearted content, Tomlinson started her show with a loaded monologue. She attempted to frame President Biden as a fallen knight for his abortion policies while painting Butker in villainous colors. The kicker, however, was Tomlinson’s false summary of Butker’s college commencement speech.
Tomlinson claimed Butker stated that “women should focus on being wives and mothers instead of having careers.” Interestingly, her own show clip contradicted this. What Butker did say was that many women are thrilled about their marriages and future children. He continued saying his wife felt her life truly began when she embraced her roles as wife and mother. Not once did he mention that women should abandon their careers. Tomlinson’s portrayl of Butker couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Tomlinson then mocked Butker for using ‘vocation.’ Does knowledge of a proper term now warrant ridicule? She also accused Butker of being sexist, pivoting from his speech to her own personal fears over a potential life as a football player’s wife. Let’s be clear, these fears are hers, not reflective of Butker’s viewpoint.
True, Tomlinson could have picked on Butker’s privileged position, considering his hefty paycheck allows his wife to choose to stay home as opposed to an average mother’s reality, but she decided to twist his words instead. An unfair representation of his speech, indeed.
Tomlinson also misleadingly emphasized Butker’s stance on pro-life and homosexuality referencing his criticism of President Biden and Pride Month.
It seems Tomlinson is steering her mostly comedic show toward a more politically and religiously charged direction. That’s her call to make. But it isn’t fair game to twist someone else’s words to fit a narrative that suits her. Also, consider this: After Midnight’s producer, Stephen Colbert, known for his Catholicism, condones this behavior on his show.
In conclusion, using doctored narratives peddled through a comedy series as a medium isn’t the best way to represent someone’s viewpoint. Open dialogue requires objectivity and sincerity, not false portrayal of statements and disrespectful mockery. Going forward, let’s hope for fairness in representation of views, even on late-night comedy shows.
