The Date Rape Christmas Song

image: www.misskatecuttables.com

It's Christmastime in 2018 and the Christmas song, "Baby, It's Cold Outside" is in the news again. A radio station in Cleveland has banned the song saying in this day and age of the #MeToo movement it's not appropriate.

Now, I don't really have any strong feeling about this song, though I have been internally calling it the Date Rape Christmas Song for a few years since if you listen to the lyrics, it's kind of rapey. At least, listening to it in 2018 it can be viewed that way.

"Baby, It's Cold Outside" was written in 1944 - over 70 years ago! The world was a lot different back then. Women had a lot less freedom in general back then, and the woman in the song is seemingly making excuses in order to stay longer with her date.

Thankfully, things have gotten better for woman. We get to wear pants, and have a variety of jobs. We have a lot more freedom, though not as much as we ought to have. And we still need to worry about things like date rape. The #MeToo movement has highlighted the issues women still have today.

I don't mind listing to "Baby, It's Cold Outside" if it comes on the radio. But it's not a song I would put on the Christmas playlist I have on my phone. There is only Christmas song I hate, and it's that wretched "Christmas Shoes" song - hate that song so much!

Any radio station can do what they want. If someone really likes that song, there are a gazillion versions of it out there. And maybe before banning something, you should consider the time frame that the song was written. But, of course, if you dislike any song, don't make yourself listen to it!