US station bans Christmas classic for being at odds with #MeToo

The song was popularised in 1949 Film 'Neptune's Daughter'

A radio station in Cleveland, Ohio has controversially banned the song ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’.

Star 102 WDOK-FM is branded as “Cleveland’s Christmas Station”, but recently removed the track from its playlist, with host Glenn Anderson stating the song’s lyrics were “manipulative and wrong”.

‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ was written in 1944 by Frank Loesser and has been covered by Ray Charles, Michael Bublé, Sir Tom Jones and many more.

It was made popular in the 1949 film Neptune’s Daughter.

The song is a duet typically performed by a man and a woman, and includes lyrics that some have suggested are no longer appropriate in 2018, especially in light of the #MeToo movement.

Such lyrics include the female line “what’s in this drink?” and “the answer is no”, to which the male vocal responds “but baby, it’s cold outside”.

On WDOK’s website, Anderson wrote that he initially didn’t understand why the lyrics would be offensive but has changed his tune.

“Now, I do realize that when the song was written in 1944, it was a different time, but now while reading it, it seems very manipulative and wrong,” he said.

“The world we live in is extra sensitive now, and people get easily offended, but in a world where #MeToo has finally given women the voice they deserve, the song has no place.”

The station has responded to backlash over the song’s removal by insisting that its listeners had made the decision.

“It wasn’t really our decision. It’s the decision of our listeners,” said midday host Desiray in an interview with Fox.

“People might say, ‘Oh, enough with that #MeToo,’ but if you really put that aside and read the lyrics, it’s not something that I would want my daughter to be in that kind of a situation.

“The tune might be catchy, but let’s maybe not promote that sort of an idea.”

However, a Facebook poll from November 29 strongly points the other way

Highly liked comments from listeners included;

“Then I guess you should stop playing Santa baby, I saw mommy kissing Santa, Grandma got run over, because people think those are offensive too, this PC stuff is getting ridiculous, play whatever if people don’t like it they will turn the knob.”

“Why take a poll of your listeners if you are going to do what you want anyway?”

President and CEO of the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center Sondra Miller lauded the decision to ban the song.

“The character in the song is saying ‘no,’ and they’re saying well, ‘does no really mean yes?’ and I think in 2018 what we know is consent is ‘yes’ and if you get a ‘no,’ it means ‘no’ and you should stop right there,” she said.

Should the song have been banned? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.