'Baby, It's Cold Outside' Gets Cold Shoulder From Holiday Radio

The Christmas classic, "Baby It's Cold Outside," is stirring some controversy in the midst of the #MeToo movement, with a Cleveland radio station pulling the song from its annual holiday rotation. There's a growing trend these days in re-evaluating some of the messages being portrayed in some older holiday classics.

Just the other day, we put up a poll about how Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is being viewed by some as a story containing themes of verbal abuse, bullying, and bigotry, and most of you chose to see the overall theme of the story as a positive one that showed Rudolph as the victor in the end.

"Baby It's Cold Outside," a duet written in 1944, has been covered many times by many artists throughout the years. The song has been featured in several films including (originally) "Neptune's Daughter" and, more recently, "Elf." But let's be real here, too, the song is a little creepy when taken a bit out of context.

The lyrics describe a person (usually a man) attempting to convince a love interest to stay inside because of the storm outside. We say usually a man, but not always. For instance, in "Neptune's Daughter," the song is performed by two couples. In one instance a man attempts to get a woman to stay. In the second, a woman is the aggressor.

Critics say the song is predatory in nature and does not reflect the values of the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment or unwanted sexual advances. And again ... based simply on the nature of the way it's presented, through today's viewpoint, the song could be seen as a bit, uncomfortable.

Now, it's hard for me as a man in 2018, to not feel slightly awkward when I hear this song. But when it was written/recorded, I'm sure the intent behind it was much more benign. In fact, according to Wikipedia, the writer, Frank Loesser, wrote the song as a little duet he could sing at parties with his wife. But, through today's viewpoints, the song has a certain outdated character to it, despite its charm.

WDOK in Cleveland dropped the song from its holiday rotation after a listener complained about the lyrics. Canadian broadcasters, including CBC Radio, have also pulled the song, according to recent reports.

So, what do you think? Is it time to retire the song? Take our poll!