"Baby It's Cold Outside", for modern audiences

[Meeko5]

My favorite version of this song is from Glee, so extra "un PC" since it was sung by 2 boys

 

[Disneylover99]

I like the Rod Stewart, Dolly Parton version.

Yes! It's slow and kind of sultry. Some versions are sped up a tad too much and they lose that sultry vibe.

 

[L&Lfan]

All I know if that I can't get the darn song out of my head now!

 

[L&Lfan]

I don't get the attitude here. Are you...angry because some people don't interpret a song the same way you do? Believe it or not, there are some rebels around who don't take knee-jerk offence to everything.

¡Precisamente!

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I have mixed feelings about this song because of the "optics" (for lack of a better word). But the thing is, this is all about context.

Frank Loesser is listed as the writer, but actually wrote this with his wife, Lynn Garland. They performed it together at parties. While the woman in the song is listed, in the lyric sheet, as "mouse" and the man as "wolf", there is a sense that the woman actually wanted to stay but insisted on leaving do to the social norms of the time. "Say, what's in this drink?" was a common idiom in the 40's used as an excuse for actions against the social norm. Here's an interesting defense of the song on the feminist magazine, Persephone.

 

[robinb]

If “Baby It’s Cold Outside” puts your panties in a bunch then you should listen to the Police’s “Every Breath You Take”.

Or Frank Sinatra's "I'm Walking Behind You". FWIW, I don't like either song. As for the song sending "wrong messages" ... take a listen to any of the rap/hip-hop stations for more than 1-2 songs. Oh vey!

 

[Hikergirl]

Context never matters to the perpetually offended.

If you don't like the song, skip it, but please don't try to get everyone one else offended by it because you don't actually understand the meaning behind it. Educate yourself, and stop whining.

 

[BrianL]

I don't really care for this song and don't really think of it as a Christmas song either, but I don't see anything nefarious in it. She's just playing hard to get, right? Emphasis on playing. Hence why they sing "It's cold outside" together as she is accepting the "excuse."

 

[rastahomie]

Just because the concept of consent wasn't as elevated (or even understood) back in those days as it is now, it doesn't make the song any less creepy. The woman wants to go home, the guy is doing everything he can to convince her to stay the night, including plying her with alcohol. At the time it was considered "cute," just like Anthony Michael Hall sweet-talking Molly Ringwald into giving him her underpants so he could show his nerd friends in Sixteen Candles was considered "cute" in the 80's. Today that would be considered sexual assault and AMH would be expelled from school.

I'm not calling for the song to be banned or anything - in fact I rather like it. But let's call a spade a spade here, the song is about date rape.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Just because the concept of consent wasn't as elevated (or even understood) back in those days as it is now, it doesn't make the song any less creepy. The woman wants to go home, the guy is doing everything he can to convince her to stay the night, including plying her with alcohol. At the time it was considered "cute," just like Anthony Michael Hall sweet-talking Molly Ringwald into giving him her underpants so he could show his nerd friends in Sixteen Candles was considered "cute" in the 80's. Today that would be considered sexual assault and AMH would be expelled from school.

I'm not calling for the song to be banned or anything - in fact I rather like it. But let's call a spade a spade here, the song is about date rape.

No, it's NOT about date rape, and no, she does NOT want to go home! She wants to stay, but is concerned about her reputation, so she's blaming the alcohol for her actions (i.e., not being prim and proper, and staying on at a gentleman's home).

You may find the song creepy, that's fine, but you're WAAAYYY over-interpreting it.

BTW, I'm totally not a Lady Gaga fan, but I love the version of her and Tony Bennett in a bookstore--totally adorable!

 

[AppleDumpling]

I never cared much about it either way, and no, it’s not a Christmas song. I get that it’s from a different era and was meant to be cute and flirty. I honestly never listened all that closely to the lyrics until recently since it’s come under criticism.

Yet to me it still does resonate as a bit creepy. The man is too aggressive and the woman seems to be clearly uncomfortable and is almost pleading with him to let her go.

Putting aside the line about the drink, the lines that bother me most are “What’s the sense in hurtin’ my pride?” and “How can you do this thing to me?” As if he only cares about himself. As in maybe he bought her dinner, and now has a sense of entitlement that she owes him something in return. Only she’s not willing to give him as much as he wants.

 

[cinnaminny]

I think its funny when people are horribly offended by people being offended.

I love that movie too! I also love the song and don't consider it a "date rape" song at all.

For those who have not seen the movie, wait until the second part of the song when Red Skelton sings it.

She picks up her alcoholic beverage, takes a sip and asks whats in this drink? It has a cute tune, but yeah, its rapey. The movie makes it worse.

This actually happens to people and its actually pretty un-cute when it does.

 

[Klayfish]

This whole discussion is hysterical, IMO, and fun to read. I've already posted my opinion. On a bit of a tangent, but still related, anyone listen to modern music...especially rap (which I don't even consider music)? Talk about sex, rape, violence, etc...good grief. There's zero room for trying to interpret lyrics, they're crystal clear in their intent. So for me, debating any hidden meaning in a generations old Christmas song is nuts.

 

[Praying Colonel]

Me, I like the song, but I have a more innocent interpretation of what's going on there.

My favorite version is by Ann-Margaret and Brian Setzer with his Orchestra:

 

[rastahomie]

I think that when we look into any work of fiction from a generation or more ago, we're going to see things that simply don't fly with modern audiences. Hell, half of the things the kids did in the teen movies I watched in the 80's would be crimes today. Anthony Michael Hall brought a GUN to SCHOOL in The Breakfast Club, and got Saturday detention for his efforts. Today he'd be in prison. Try explaining that to your preteen daughter when she watches the show.

The Flintstones did a commercial for Marlboros. Half of the Bugs Bunny cartoons I used to watch have intensely crude portrayals of Japanese or Mexicans. Song of the South may be a cute move, but it's hella racist.

Baby It's Cold Outside is a cute song, but it's hella rapey.

 

[rickybobby]

I vote to ban this song. The world will be a better place. And then we can move on to the next offensive song, "White Christmas".
"Just like the ones we used to know". Yeah, I know what you mean to say there. The good old days, right? Code talk if I ever heard it.

 

[Hikergirl]

I think that when we look into any work of fiction from a generation or more ago, we're going to see things that simply don't fly with modern audiences. Hell, half of the things the kids did in the teen movies I watched in the 80's would be crimes today. Anthony Michael Hall brought a GUN to SCHOOL in The Breakfast Club, and got Saturday detention for his efforts. Today he'd be in prison. Try explaining that to your preteen daughter when she watches the show.

The Flintstones did a commercial for Marlboros. Half of the Bugs Bunny cartoons I used to watch have intensely crude portrayals of Japanese or Mexicans. Song of the South may be a cute move, but it's hella racist.

Baby It's Cold Outside is a cute song, but it's hella rapey.

The difference is the context.
AMH did bring a gun to school
Those crude portrayals were crude portrayals
The song was never about date rape. If it was you'd have a valid point.

 

[robinb]

If you think the song is "rapey" then why not use it as a lesson? I hate the manipulative song "Grenade" by Bruno Mars. When it came on the radio, I'd tell my DD to run as fast as she can away from anyone who says things like:

Gave you all I had and you tossed it in the trash
You tossed it in the trash, you did
To give me all your love is all I ever asked 'cause
What you don't understand is I'd catch a grenade for ya (yeah, yeah)
Throw my hand on a blade for ya (yeah, yeah)
I'd jump in front of a train for ya (yeah, yeah)
You know I'd do anything for ya (yeah, yeah)

Oh oh, I would go through all this pain
Take a bullet straight through my brain
Yes, I would die for ya baby
But you won't do the same
No, no, no, no

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I think its funny when people are horribly offended by people being offended.



She picks up her alcoholic beverage, takes a sip and asks whats in this drink? It has a cute tune, but yeah, its rapey. The movie makes it worse.

This actually happens to people and its actually pretty un-cute when it does.

Say it once more with feeling. The what's in this drink line isn't about date rape in the least.

 

[cinnaminny]

Say it once more with feeling. The what's in this drink line isn't about date rape in the least.

Well shoot since you said that, it changed everything. Wow. Well that settles it.