There’s context to ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’

The 1944 Christmas tune “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” has been banned by a number of radio stations for lyrics that some say are inappropriate in the era of the #MeToo movement.

Context and time periods are very important. In the song, she wants to stay the night with him but it was frowned upon for a young woman to stay with a man. Rochelle Marie Solorzano

The woman in the song says she has to leave, but the words she sings make it clear to me that she really does want to stay —and wants him to persuade her to. I just don’t understand how some are equating this with sexual harassment. Evan Montgomery

Sounds to me like she’s considering staying. Society at the time would make it look bad but I don’t hear her being forced. Why do people try so hard to make things out of nothing? Why erase history? Jean Schmiemann

Most people forget that he wrote this for his wife, and it was “their song.” The point is that the woman is being a rebel (at that time) by trying find a good excuse to stay. Bruce Mount

I’ve listened to the song over the years and I have never taken away anything negative towards either of the characters depicted in the song. Maybe those who criticize the lyrics ought to take a closer look at themselves? Ed Minor Get a grip, it’s just a song, and was written a long time ago. There are much worse lyrics out there today. Debbie Tibbetts-Tumiel

I always thought there was something weird and coercive about that song, even before MeToo. But if we’re going to ban “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” then we have to agree to limit the number of different versions of “Last Christmas” played during the holiday season to 35. John Sullivan