“Baby, It’s Cold Outside”: Rape or Empowerment? A Christmas song has competing interpretations

the good men project ^ | 12.03.18 | Paul Hartzer 1 Comment

[NFHale]

Looks like I’ll be playing that song over and over, a LOT, this Christmas.

Loud, too.

[Songcraft]

Here is one possible approach to male/female wintry dialog:   "Baby, It's Cold Outside" - Dolly Parton and Rod Stewart

and here is another possible approach to male/female wintry dialog:   "Keep Your Hands To Yourself" - Georgia Satellites.

[DoodleBob]

I like this version.

[Flaming Conservative]

Were drugs or force involved? If not, then the guy is just trying to bed the girl, a rather common event among the loose. If she gives in, it’s on her. (He doesn’t get off scot free, tho. God sees all.)

[Songcraft]

Elf music!   That's the old Naked -- I mean -- Christmasy version!        :-)

[Fledermaus]

Talk about overthinking things. It’s fricking 1944, it was called flirting.

Geez.

I love the song. Try the version and the end of “Elf” with Leon Redbone and Zoey Daschenel. It’s cute.

[Fledermaus]

Nah, sounds like she’s saying starting to relent to the flirting (she is flirting too) by saying, “hey, what’s in this drink?” knowing her inhibitions are loosening.

Take it in context. It’s typical boy/girl stuff.

Once in college I met a girl and that night we were really getting along (wink, wink) but she pulled the “not of the first date” thing. So I drove her back to her dorm, went home, called her back and asked for a second date that night.

Third date was breakfast. Was I being too aggressive? lol

[YogicCowboy]

No. It is a cultural expression of the era: I am not acting like myself, so I want to blame something for it.

[YogicCowboy]

Yes. I read that in high school (private Christian prep).

To a collectivist, society is real, and the individual is illusory. To a conservative, society is illusory, and the individual is real.

[YogicCowboy]

I am a chorister, so I prefer a nice SATB or divisi version.

But I love good pop, and Karen Carpenter has one of the most mellifluous voices ever.

I saw them live once. She played drums of course.

[Fresh Wind]

Why is that considered a Christmas song?

[firebrand]

Maybe it’s not feminists bashing this song. Maybe it’s women who regret their past life.

[Chickensoup]

It is not. It is an ignorant author.

Lot of stupid stalks the net.

[foreverfree]

bump

[jmcenanly]

In Neptune's Daughter, we have two versions, the first sung by Ricardo Montalban, the second by Red Skelton. I suppose the slapstick version would probably be just as popular with our self appointed moral betters.

[jmcenanly]

Sorry, wrong link. This is the right one.