![]() A search of the New York Public Library’s archives (which, in fairness, is incomplete) reveals that the phrase “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” most commonly appears in headlines about freezing temperatures and winter fashions, and not articles parsing its lyrical content. Does she want to stay, but is playing hard to get? Or is she succumbing to his unrelenting persistence against her true desires, an experience many women can relate to?įor most of the duet’s history, the only controversy was whether it was fair to call it a Christmas song, considering the lyrics don’t have anything to do with the holidays at all. “I’ll hold your hands they’re just like ice,” he sings, and then later, “Listen to the fireplace roar.” At times, the Mouse doesn’t resist his temptations, agreeing to “just half a drink more,” but for every inch she gives, he takes two. Every excuse the Mouse offers to say goodnight - “my mother will worry,” “my father will be pacing the floor” - the Wolf counters. “But, baby, it’s cold outside,” he replies. The premise is that the Wolf and the Mouse have gone on a date, and after having a nightcap back at his house, she’s making her excuses to leave, while he’s urging her to stay. ![]() In 1948, the song was recorded for the musical Neptune’s Daughter in the score, the male and female parts are labeled “the Wolf” and “the Mouse,” respectively. Here’s a look back at when and how the “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” rape debate became an even bigger holiday tradition.Ĭomposed in 1944, Loesser originally wrote “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” as a playful call-and-response duet for him and his wife to perform at their housewarming party while their guests were preparing to bid them goodnight. Some radio stations have even opted to ban the song over the controversy, a decision which, in turn, fuels the fight even further. Dozens of articles are published each year.Įvery so often an exceptionally fiery opinion - like that the song played a “ pivotal role in the rise of Islamic Fundamentalism ” - surfaces, but the vast majority recycle the same handful of points and counterpoints, with the occasional timely news peg (like the #MeToo movement) thrown in to bring the debate up to date. Every December, the Internet serves up a fresh batch of hot takes about Frank Loesser’s 1944 jazz standard, a classic recipe for clickbait controversy that’s guaranteed to draw a crowd. ![]() ![]() Who doesn’t love a festive holiday tradition? The Christmas tree has been trimmed, stockings have been hung, the elf is sitting on his shelf and, once again, people are debating whether “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” is a song about rape. ![]()
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