Why is it that many good movements start out well, but end up running off the tracks. Black Lives Matter, MeToo, environmental groups, political parties, and other groups often begin with good purposes, but end up one cat shy of crazy.
It’s almost like some secret conspiratorial cabal is intentionally destroying what little common sense is left in the country.
the most recent problem comes from radicals on the fringes of MeToo. Our rape culture is terrible, and I applaud those speaking out against powerful people (like Harvey Weinstein, Bill Clinton, and Bill Cosby) who abuse their power.
But placing a charming song, Baby it’s Cold Outside, written years before I was born, in the line of fire. Really?
So many powerful directions the movement could take, such as combat the woman and child sex trade (tens of millions of sex slaves worldwide). Instead, they take on Dean Martin and Michael Buble singing a popular holiday song, along with major woman singers, no less!
Why do such movements switch from truly important issues to such irrelevant actions, causing them to lose credibility. Just like PETA insisting we no longer use animals phrases in our speech (dog day afternoons, stubborn as a mule), such attacks on innocent songs can leave us cold inside. Words and actions matter, but only in the correct context. Imagining up monsters under every bed does not stop rape culture. It makes it meaningless, just as declaring every cop shooting as racist. After a while, if everything is racist or sexist, then nothing is racist or sexist.
With real issues to fight, why is so much energy wasted on such insanity? Thoreau noted that for every thousand hacking at the leaves, only one or two chop at the roots of real problems. “Baby, It’s Cold Outside ” is a leaf.
AMEN. Thank you!
Well said.
Video satirist JP Sears had a great funny take on this controversy in the YouTube video “Baby It’s Cold Outside Controversy Explained – Ultra Spiritual Life episode 139.” Content warning (language)
It’s a catchy song, but I can’t imagine it being something I want to teach my daughter or that I imagine president Nelson holding up a positive. Sing these song in the presence of a heavenly mother who weeps at how her daughters misbehave their procreative potential and her sons abuse her daughters for their personal minutes of excitement.
Yes, I’ve fired a bazooka at a rat in the corner. But the Lord has called much less evil.
Let our corrupt society eat their own. No need to defend themon either side.
Yes, we should speak out for true principles of innocence before proven guilty and the rule of law.
But metoo, and this song are both symptoms of sexual immorality. Yes the song has a quaint tone. But I don’t want anyone persuading my son or daughter in a cute voice to spend the night.
The best way to deal with this song, if a person doesn’t like it, is to change the station for 5 mins. And it’s gone after that.
This song has been critiqued every December for years before #MeToo was even a thing. The two aren’t connected.
“Sing these song in the presence of a heavenly mother who weeps at how her daughters misbehave their procreative potential and her sons abuse her daughters for their personal minutes of excitement.”
Sorry, Ec. I don’t remember a discussion of procreative potential or abuse being part of the song. I do remember a guy telling a gal to stay in where it is warm. The extent of the warmth is left to listener’s imagination. And apparently my imagination is not as vivid as yours. Must be my age.
My main objection to the song is that it’s not a holiday song. Its first release to a mass audience occurred in the 1949 movie Neptune’s Daughter (which is where I first heard the song when I saw the movie on TV as a kid). It’s a romantic comedy, not a holiday movie, and the song was especially funny because Red Skelton’s character was the one trying to leave, while Betty Garrett was trying to convince him to stay. And it wasn’t winter. Not a holiday song.
It’s even less of a holiday song than “My Favorite Things” from the Sound of Music, which could be construed as a holiday song because it mentions brown paper packages, snowflakes, and winters that melt into spring. And I don’t consider that a holiday song, because it’s from a musical about nuns and nazis, not Christmas.
Lots of songs are technically not “Christmas” songs, Diehard is not a Christmas movie. But they are still connected to winter, the holidays and the season. People enjoy them.
Ec, your main objection has nothing to do with your first objection, which as You note was a Red Sketon movie skit. It isn’t about sexual assault.
It is the unfortunate situation when the values of forgiveness and understanding are not taught. I find these days that most problems that are being perpetuated are not the problem. So we have some individuals kicking up dust, then say it is smoke in order to look for a fire that does not exist. These grievance coalitions are easily manipulated because they feed off of contention 3 Nephi 11:29 instead of a resolution of justice.
The song is about fornicating. If your intent is to celebrate Christ’s birth- why worry about this song? It’s not worth it.
No. The song isn’t about fornication. It was written over fifty years ago, long before sex was everywhere. Kissing and snuggling? Perhaps. Fornication is in your own head, not the song. You may as well say, “I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus” is about an illicit affair. It can be interpreted that way, but only if you try too hard.
It’s about spending the night at someone’s house. It’s about all the excuses she can come up with to say that she tried to leave. It’s about the man being more forthcoming in his desire for her to stay. It’s a song about sex and reflects quite heavily on the era it was written whether that’s its intent or not. It’s not a song about rape. It’s tongue in cheek for sure, but the song isn’t innocent…it’s meant for adults. Why people are so up in arms about it staying on rotation during the Christmas season is beyond me. There’s more important things to be concerned about.
I personally dislike the song because it reminds me of an unpleasant and frustrating experience I had while single. I was dating a particular guy and he wanted me to go somewhere with him (there was absolutely nothing sexual about it). I wasn’t feeling that great and didn’t want to go, but he kept badgering me about going with him. I gave in and went anyway. On my way home from this event I mentioned how I didn’t appreciate his badgering. He then naively told me that as he understood it women will often say “no” when they mean “yes.” He really believed that. Needless to say, I corrected this misunderstanding.
This song just enforces the stereotype seed in popular culture and media described by Gavin De Becker, “When a man says no, he means no. When a woman says no, it is the beginning of a negotiation.” I’m sure there are women out there that work that way, but I personally am very straightforward in my communication. This stereotype is unhealthy for everyone.
While I hate this song, I do not support its censorship. I can either change the station or better yet, I can use it to educate others on how NOT to relate to women. I can teach other women that when they say, “No,” to enforce it by walking away from anyone who tries this.
Evil is always cocky, and evil will always overreach. Given that, it’s pretty easy to tell when a group with an ostensibly “good” goal has become corrupted.
Rk, thanks! Not all people will like a song. And i definitely agree that “no” means “no.” I would hope we aren’t learning our morals from a song from an old Red Skelton movie.
Ehh, it’s not my favorite but “Santa Baby” is so much more obnoxious.