CORNER Baby It’s Politically Correct Outside
Given the opportunity, some folks will find a way to be offended by just about anything, and to be honest that is what freedom is all about. With access to the world, via the interwwweb, folks have so many more opportunities to be offended and predictably some of the “offensive” topics are well… silly. Political correctness has taken over the world and while it means we are becoming more educated and aware it also means that some of us may go off the deep end and go overboard. I hope that last line does not offend any divers or boaters.
Lately, someone with too much time on their hands has analysed an old Christmas standard — or should I say a “seasonal” standard, so I do not offend anybody — and decided that a song written more than 75 years ago is now offensive to them. The song, “Baby It’s Cold Outside” was originally a game played by husband and wife doing a call and response type song/game, and when the husband (songwriter Frank Loesser) published the song in 1944 the wife was upset…until the royalties started to roll in. She was not offended by that. The song never even really mentions Christmas.
The “winter” song was used in the movie “Neptune’s Daughter” with Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalban doing the call and response, and to be honest when I watched the clip, I felt that “Esther” more than held her own. For every “romantic” line that was used by “Ricardo” she had a snappy and prompt retort and it has been suggested that her comebacks could actually be used as an educational tool for the “Me Too Movement,” who seem to be the song’s easily offended folks.
The efforts to have the song banned have been somewhat successful, to a degree, but the controversy has pushed the many cover versions to the number one selling song of the season and perhaps the year. Not only that, but there are now so many new comedic parodies that the interwwweb has pages and pages of the many new lyrics.
The interest in the politically incorrect lyrics has sparked outrage (fake and real) over what might be taken as offensive lyrics in many other Christmas/ seasonal songs. I am fake outraged at the lyrics in “Jingle Bells” and to be honest I don’t think it is anyone’s business how much jingle I have, except for the maybe the tax guy. Some folks are said to be overly sensitive to the lyrics of “White Christmas” and I think they need to give their snow globe heads a shake and watch the snowflakes settle if they think it is a racist song.
The song “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” is also getting a lot of attention these days because the overly politically correct community has suggested the lyrics might advocate adultery (by the mother), voyeurism (by the child) and abandonment, because where was daddy when this was happening? But wait, other people are saying that it might be possible to see “Daddy Kissing Santa Claus” as well, and I guess fair is fair.
Animal rights advocates are questioning whether or not “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” is a case of exploitation and if his red nose is the result of abuse or if it is a medical condition. Perhaps Santa’s Red Nosed Guidance System is an illegal use of an employee and he might need a good labour lawyer. I heard a rumour that Santa already has a criminal lawyer on retainer because of his “creeping” around rooftops. I will not let political correctness get in my way of sharing a beautiful time of year with the family and friends I am so fortunate to have…how about you?