Posted on 12/10/2025 5:10:47 PM PST by nickcarraway
The 1950s song was briefly taken off the air due to its lyrics
Christmas is nearly here and that means old Xmas classics will be blasting on the radio soon. However, will this ‘cancelled’ one make an appearance this year?
There has been a slew of controversial festive hits in the last few decades, and mostly, it’s down to changing times and social or political norms.
For example, The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl’s1988 ‘Fairytale of New York’ hit is regularly censored as it includes a word which is used as a homophobic slur.
There’s also Weird Al Yankovic’s ‘Christmas At Ground Zero’, which talks a about a nuclear disaster over the festive period, and it's a little iffy.
However, it’s Frank Loesser’s 1959 ‘Baby It’s Cold Outside’ hit that has been the subject of a debate for years.
Loesser, who NME reports wrote the song for him and his wife to duet at parties, has long been accused of including themes of date rape.
Because it’s nearly that time of year again, people have been bringing it up and discussing if this song deserves to be on the radio in 2025.
The Reddit user wrote: “Am I the only one who thinks that ‘Baby, it's cold outside’ is a horrific Christmas song about date-rape?”
This was then followed by examples of the lyrics so others could ‘be the judge’ and pass verdict.
For example, lines like 'Say, what's in this drink? (No cab's to be had out there)' .
But while there are some who aren’t happy about the song, others wish it was never ‘cancelled’ online for its themes, as it’s ‘a fun’ song.
There were those who refused the notion that the song was cancelled as they still hear it on the radio, and another claimed it’s not actually a controversial song, it’s actually a feminist anthem.
They said the woman is simply refusing his offer to stay so she could remain ‘proper’ due to it being improper to have sex outside of marriage.
In 2018, when US radio stations took Dean Martin’s version of the song off the air, Martin’s daughter criticised the decision, saying: “It’s a sweet, flirty, fun holiday song … I know my dad would be going insane right now.”
People have debated whether the lyrics are telling of date rape (Westend61/ Getty Stock) People have debated whether the lyrics are telling of date rape (Westend61/ Getty Stock) Essentially, the classic Christmas song is all about a woman who has dropped in to spend some time with a man at his home, have a drink or two and warm up as it snows outside.
However, when the time comes for her to leave, the man begins to try to convince her to stay... for what seems like adult activities.
With lyrics like ‘what’s in this drink’, and ‘the answer is no’, it even caused John Legend to rewrite it for his 2019 rendition.
One person on Reddit called the song ‘triggering’ and asked social media users if they too find it uncomfortable.
But the jury isn't out on it yet.
So, there you go. What do you think?
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Christmas is cancelled: the 10 festive songs they tried to ban
Leave it to the left to show their inner Grinches and try to cancel Christmas.
Leave it to the left to show their inner Grinches and try to cancel Christmas.
Baby it’s cold outside. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYMF55-HO98
'Baby it's cold outside' is a great song...always reminds me and Mrs. Drebin of our courtship days ;-)...I never did want to let her (or me) go home...finally got my wish.
Rap rape songs are A-OK though.
What’s an example of that?
Ricardo sang it to Esther Williams and Betty Garret serenaded Red.
Anyone watching Skelton's antics and taking offense needs to get a life.
The “Every Christmas Song is Racist” nonsense is a product very similar to the “Every Rock ‘n’ Roll Song is About Heroin” theory (including Eric Clapton’s “Cocaine”).
One of my old favorites. I must be a sexist pig.
It doesn’t sound like it’s about rape, but the rap lyrics at the link at post 5 are pretty disgusting.
I think they should review Wet A** P*ssy and get back to us.
I no longer care, whether the song is or isn’t. My GAF meter doesn’t even twitch.
The problem, is it will never end. Any word, any phrase, any tune is going to upset some neurotic whack job somewhere. There is no way around this.
If you don’t like a tune, don’t listen to it. If you’re going to censor, try to show a little even-handedness. “Baby It’s Cold Outside” is pretty genteel stuff compared to a gazillion tunes since 1990.
So consequently, I’m not interested in any opinions.
I guess the government should ban all music, TV shows, media, books.
Date rape, to me, is using physical force, drugging someone, etc.
But convincing them of the potential of a shared evening seems perfectly legitimate. As long as the person has the ability to walk out the door, it’s a choice. An adult choice, but a legitimate choice.
Yes.
It is not even a Christmas song dumb butt.
Or in your delusional brain does any song that is about cold or winter have to be a "Christmas" song? What do you do with "It's June in January"?
Hit your remaining brain cell with a hammer to see if you can get it working again.
Hello Mr. Unum, Love You BIO !
Oh, geez not this s___ again!
The song was written by a man to be sung every year by him and his wife at Christmas parties. They apparently were a big hit, and the wife was not happy when he sold the song.
Also, in the original movie it appeared in, two sets of couples were singing it, and the male and female reversed the roles in the second. I.E. in one version, the man was trying to convince the woman to stay in one couple's version. And in the other, the woman is trying to convince the man to stay.
Baby it's cold outside [From the movie Neptune's Daughter. Probably mostly remembered for this song - which went on win the Academy Award for best song.]
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