There is a movement to remove the song “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” from the play list of songs of the season that you hear on radio and at Walmart and Target at this time of year. Some of the “Me Too’ movement ladies have claimed that it is about seduction, sexual harassment — not be played at all, let alone as a holiday song. The song was written in 1944 by Hollywood songwriter Frank Loesser for his wife Lynn Garrett. It was not intended to be a “holiday” song. In 1948 Loesser sold the song to MGM Studio. MGM included it in their musical production “Neptune’s Daughter” which starred Esther Williams and featured Hoosier Red Skelton. Williams didn’t sing the song in the movie. Singer Betty Garrett, who was playing William’s best friend did the honors. In a scene in which SHE is trying to seduce Skelton, she sings it while he is trying to slip away from her attempts at lovemaking. The movie is not a holiday film and there is no mention of any particular season or time of year in the movie. Both the movie and the song were big hits and the song won the 1949 Academy Award for the year’s best movie song.
It really did not become associated with December holiday songs until 1957 when Mae West sung it to Rock Hudson during a TV Christmas special. Since then many celebrities have sung it to each other on camera for the holidays, the latest being Lady Gaga and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
A Baltimore radio station did pull it from play after a complaint was lodged by a female listener, but the backlash was so strong from regular listeners that it was returned. Some people have pointed out that if “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” is banned or removed, then the holiday song “Santa Baby” should be as well. “Santa Baby” is about a lovely, sexy lady trying to seduce Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. I don’t believe that either song is that harmful but who am it to say.
In the meantime what ever your personal beliefs are and however you celebrate, Seasons Greetings and Happy Holidays.