Is 'Baby It's Cold Outside' Really Too Offensive To Play In 2018?
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Some radio stations across the country are banning the Christmas song "Baby It's Cold Outside" because of allegedly controversial lyrics.
The song is everywhere this time of year, but this winter some radio stations - like Ohio's WDOK - is refusing to play the holiday classic.
One of its hosts wrote "in a world where #metoo has finally given women the voice they deserve, the song has no place."
He then posted the entire lyrics to the song, some of which some may find offensive in 2018.
My mother will start to worry – Beautiful, what's your hurry?
Father will be pacing the floor – Listen to the fireplace roar
So really I'd better scurry – Beautiful, please don't hurry
Maybe just a half a drink more – Put some records on while I pour
A similar decision was reached in Denver however, outraged listeners reportedly forced KOSI 101.1 to have the song put back on the air after an online poll overwhelmingly supported the song.
"We value the opinion of all our listeners and appreciate the feedback we received," said KOSI's Jim Lawson said in a statement. "Respondents voted 95 percent in favor of us keeping the song as part of KOSI 101.1's tradition of playing all of your holiday favorites."
"They've tried to ban books, now they're banning music," one person told CBS2's Ali Bauman.
"It's a Christmas carol. It's part of everyone's tradition of all generations," another person added.
The song was written 74 years ago. It won the Academy Award for best original song in 1949 and has been redone countless times since.
Some of the decades-old lyrics have inspired parodies of the duet; changing the words to phrases like "say what's in this drink?"
WCBS-FM's Broadway Bill says the New York radio station has seen a handful of complaints over the last couple years.
"Older Americans say that's the way adults deal with each other, but younger women are afraid and I understand that," Broadway Bill said.
Some people say the song's controversy is as much about its tone as it is about its lyrics. Singers have the ability to reshape how we all hear it.
"The latest version that's a hit is by Michael Buble and Idina Menzel, when she says that line in question right now 'what's in this drink' she kinda says its laughingly like 'uh oh I'm getting a little tipsy here' and it sounds less harmful," Broadway Bill explains.
So, according to some, it's apparently less about "what" you're singing this holiday season and all about "how" you're singing it.
