Due to the gained ground of the #MeToo movement, radio stations are now deciding to remove the song, “Baby it’s Cold Outside,” from airing on the radio because of its “suggestive” lyrics. The male voice in the song seems to be coaxing the woman to stay, despite her saying she must go.

This song was released in 1949 and has since been reproduced and covered by many different artists. It even was featured in the movie, “Elf,” where main character, Buddy, is singing the song with his friend, Jovie. This song has been a holiday favorite for many years, but there has been a sudden change in heart.

Following are the lyrics:

“(My mother will start to worry) Beautiful, what’s your hurry

(My father will be pacing the floor) Listen to the fireplace roar

(So really I’d better scurry) Beautiful, please don’t hurry

(Well, maybe just half a drink more) Put some records on while I pour

(The neighbors might think) Baby, it’s bad out there

(Say what’s in this drink) No cabs to be had out there

(I wish I knew how) Your eyes are like starlight now

(To break this spell) I’ll take your hat, your hair looks swell

(I ought to say no, no, no, sir) Mind if I move in closer

(At least I’m gonna say that I tried) What’s the sense of hurting my pride

(I really can’t stay) Baby, don’t hold out

[Both] Baby, it’s cold outside”

Lyrics courtesy of google.com and Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

The lyrics above suggest that the woman in the song is trying to leave while the man convinces her to stay. At the time of the release of this song it caused much controversy because it was unheard of for a woman to be out with a man late at night. Now, 70 years later it is causing controversy to those who think it promotes sexual abuse.

Six Triton students reacted to the news and had a unanimous reaction: that this charge is ridiculous. Senior Lily Fulford said, “I am a big proponent for the #MeToo movement and women empowering themselves and coming out against sexual abusers and assaulters, but I do not believe that just because of a song’s sexual nature that it should be taken off of the radio because it suggested sexual behaviors. [There is] no mention of sexual abuse in that song whatsoever.”

Senior Eric Desprez had an opinion on the matter as well. “With the amount of songs that are put out on the radio… that are about sex, drugs, money, strippers, violence, it is absolutely ridiculous. People are reading way too far into things that have been around forever. There’s a lot of examples of it. You can change things to be not suitable for the world around you today, but in this case it’s a Christmas song that has been around forever.  It would be like someone banning [the song] ‘White Christmas’ because it’s racist.”

Although the song may be suggestive and hold racy lyrics, it is safe to say that this song is a Christmas favorite “It’s a song that they only play for a couple of weeks, so it’s pretty irrelevant,” says Junior Mason Ferrick. “I think that it’s just like every other Christmas song, no one really cares about the lyrics. It just puts you into the Christmas mood.”