# In defense of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 19, 2016, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-baby-its-cold-outside/775155 "2016-12-19T17:36:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-baby-its-cold-outside/775155/161 "2018-12-12T14:09:07Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > But at least no one is trying to get the horse drunk and seduce it. I will go so far as to say there’s nothing wrong with trying to get a lady friend drunk to lower her inhibitions, and then to try to seduce her—so long as she knows you are offering alcohol and is free to refuse it, and she never gets so drunk she loses consciousness or is unable to understand what is going on around her. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-baby-its-cold-outside/775155/162 "2018-12-12T14:29:57Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Wouldn’t the snowflakes be the people who freak out because other people don’t like a particular song? I doubt anyone gives a shit if someone “doesn’t like” a song. It’s the whole erroneously slapping the “OMG Date Rape Song!” label on it and trying to get it removed from airplay that people object to. It’s like someone crusading against “Puff the Magic Dragon” because they’ve convinced themselves that it’s all about weed. It’s not that I’m deeply invested in the song playing on the radio, but I’m not the one at fault for calling out someone else being wrong and then acting on their misconceptions. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-baby-its-cold-outside/775155/163 "2018-12-12T14:35:01Z")
Wait: “Puff the Magic Dragon” is NOT about weed? The devil, you say! ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-baby-its-cold-outside/775155/164 "2018-12-12T14:36:52Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Wait: “Puff the Magic Dragon” is NOT about weed? The devil, you say! That’s right! It’s about the devil! ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-baby-its-cold-outside/775155/165 "2018-12-12T14:42:36Z")
And just how do you interpret the line “What’s the sense in hurting my pride?” His pride will be broken if she leaves? If I were the woman in that sign and a man used that excuseto try to make me stay, I’d be tempted to hurt a lot more than his pride. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-baby-its-cold-outside/775155/166 "2018-12-12T14:43:44Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > You are the one guilty of hyperbole in search of a strawman. No one here that I’ve seen has called it “the worst thing ever”, certainly I have not. I started the thread to defend the song because it was taking a lot of heat (including in a pointed satire on SNL). That doesn’t mean I think it’s the great issue of our times, so simmer down now. But it’s NOT taking a lot of heat. That’s the point. It’s a made up outrage that you seem to have fallen for. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-baby-its-cold-outside/775155/167 "2018-12-12T14:56:18Z")
> [@](#): > > The “overwhelming” desire of CBC Music listeners to be able to hear Baby It’s Cold Outside has prompted the public broadcaster to resume playing the song after a week’s hiatus. Shows that it’s all a stunt. Station pulls song, listeners divide into two camps, national debate ensues. Add revenues go up. Ban is lifted. Maybe the next step is to make a station that ONLY plays BICO. Every version by everyone that sang it, and nothing else. This is why I have my own Christmas playlist. No crappy songs like this one to make my season unbright. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-baby-its-cold-outside/775155/168 "2018-12-12T14:58:55Z")
The CBC most definitely did not do it to “pull a stunt”. They’re not a commercial radio station. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-baby-its-cold-outside/775155/169 "2018-12-12T15:02:47Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > But it’s NOT taking a lot of heat. That’s the point. It’s a made up outrage that you seem to have fallen for. I hadn’t heard about this Facebook movement until I read it here. Then one of my FB friends mentioned it today, saying he has seen dozens of posts about it over the past week or two. I have yet to see a single one. I started this thread because of the SNL sketch (is that made up too?, and people online expressing similar opinions. It was never about censorship. Why is it okay for other people to criticize the song, but not for me to defend it? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-baby-its-cold-outside/775155/170 "2018-12-12T15:06:20Z")
A Colorado radio station had also [pulled the song](https://theknow.denverpost.com/2018/12/04/baby-its-cold-outside/203206/) and then restored it following a listener poll > [@](#): > > “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” lives on at Colorado’s Christmas radio station KOSI 101.1 despite originally being yanked off the air. > […] > The online poll generated more than 15,000 responses, and 95 percent of them voted to keep the tune rolling, KOSI 101.1 Program Director Jim Lawson wrote in a statement posted on the station’s website. > > “We value the opinion of all our listeners and appreciate the feedback we received,” Lawson said. “While we are sensitive to those who may be upset by some of the lyrics, the majority of our listeners have expressed their interpretation of the song to be non-offensive.” ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-baby-its-cold-outside/775155/171 "2018-12-12T15:15:38Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > I hadn’t heard about this Facebook movement until I read it here. Then one of my FB friends mentioned it today, saying he has seen dozens of posts about it over the past week or two. I have yet to see a single one. > > I started this thread because of the SNL sketch (is that made up too?, and people online expressing similar opinions. It was never about censorship. Why is it okay for other people to criticize the song, but not for me to defend it? :dubious: It’s okay for you to defend it, sure. What I’m saying is you, and your FB friend apparently, think “dozens” of posts over a week is outrage. The original radio station pulled the song after ONE listener called in. There are 350 million people in this country. “Dozens” of posts doesn’t mean there is a national outrage that you need to defend. It similar to various posts I see that say “Dems are OUTRAGED over something!” when the “outrage” is 3 people on Twitter saying it. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-baby-its-cold-outside/775155/172 "2018-12-12T15:20:29Z")
If the radio stations wanted to take the song off-air, they should have done so quietly and discreetly. Making a big hullabaloo about it simply triggered the Streisand Effect. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-baby-its-cold-outside/775155/173 "2018-12-12T15:22:49Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > If the radio stations wanted to take the song off-air, they should have done so quietly and discreetly. Making a big hullabaloo about it simply triggered the Streisand Effect. It was a stunt, and it worked. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-baby-its-cold-outside/775155/174 "2018-12-12T16:13:18Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > It’s okay for you to defend it, sure. > > What I’m saying is you, and your FB friend apparently, think “dozens” of posts over a week is outrage. The original radio station pulled the song after ONE listener called in. There are 350 million people in this country. “Dozens” of posts doesn’t mean there is a national outrage that you need to defend. It seems you’re still not getting it. I created this thread in 2017, long before this current cultural moment. It was to defend the song, not to defend any “outrage”. You also seem not to understand how Facebook differs from something like Twitter. If my friend is seeing “seemingly dozens of posts a DAY” (probably exaggeration, but apparently it’s a lot) that means those are only from the people in his social group. Not from among 350 million people. If people on here are reporting seeing a lot of these posts, and my friend from a (presumably) different social circle is reporting seeing a lot of them, it starts to seem likely it’s a pretty sizable trend—although, as I noted, I have yet to see such a post myself. But then, most of the people I have told Facebook to show me posts from are liberals under 50. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-baby-its-cold-outside/775155/175 "2018-12-12T16:23:46Z")
But the vast majority of those that are outraged on Facebook _support_ the song-they fell for the hype and are ready to take up arms against a mostly nonexistent monster. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-baby-its-cold-outside/775155/176 "2018-12-12T16:33:03Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > You’re closer than you think. There are more verses - the second one gives us: > > \*The horse was lean and lank > Misfortune seemed his lot > He got into a drifted bank > And then we got upsot \*[sic] > > And in the last verse: > > _Just get a bobtailed bay > Two forty as his speed_\* > Hitch him to an open sleigh > And crack! you’ll take the lead.\* > > So one horse gets stuck in a “drifted bank” and has the sleigh he’s tied to overturned, and another gets whipped. Horse cruelty all over the place. > > But at least no one is trying to get the horse drunk and seduce it. Next verse (usually omitted). ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-baby-its-cold-outside/775155/177 "2018-12-12T16:37:33Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > It seems you’re still not getting it. I created this thread in 2017, long before this current cultural moment. It was to defend the song, not to defend any “outrage”. Well, you got me on that. I didn’t realize this thread was from 2017. > [@](#): > > You also seem not to understand how Facebook differs from something like Twitter. If my friend is seeing “seemingly dozens of posts a DAY” (probably exaggeration, but apparently it’s a lot) that means those are only from the people in his social group. Not from among 350 million people I do understand how Facebook works. And if 12 of my friends were “outraged” about something, I wouldn’t come here and defend whatever they were outraged about. (Again, less appropriate due to the start date of this thread) But in general, I don’t let my friend’s “outrage” about something lead me to believe it is a great thing that needs defending to anyone but those friends. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-baby-its-cold-outside/775155/178 "2018-12-12T16:38:35Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > But the vast majority of those that are outraged on Facebook _support_ the song-they fell for the hype and are ready to take up arms against a mostly nonexistent monster. Well, there is that one person who called the radio station. Can we take up arms against him/her? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-baby-its-cold-outside/775155/179 "2018-12-12T16:59:43Z")
BTW, has there been any mention of which _version_ of _BICO_ is under discussion? [Anecdote]My wife and I drove to my sister’s home about 250 miles away last weekend, and we had a holiday music channel on the satellite station for both legs of the trip. We heard the song being sung by James Taylor/Natalie Cole; Dean Martin/Golddiggers; Lady Antebellum; Dean Martin/Martina McBride; Blake Shelton/Gwen Stefani; Seth MacFarlane/Sara Bareilles; Rod Stewart/Dolly Parton and Brett Eldridge/Meghan Trainor (I think they left out Michael Buble/Idina Menzel because they thought it would be overkill).[/Anecdote] ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2018, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-baby-its-cold-outside/775155/180 "2018-12-12T18:00:29Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > But the vast majority of those that are outraged on Facebook _support_ the song Yes, I’m quite aware of that, and have been all along (which is to say, when I read the mentions of the FB outrage here, and then when I read my friend’s post about them). This is why when I said I hadn’t actually seen any of these posts, it’s probably because I don’t have older conservatives in my timeline. I’m aware that those are the cohort most likely to get their dander up about this kind of thing, even though I’m sort of generally on their side (until they start ranting and raving about “snowflakes” or whatever). If you interpreted my comments as meaning something different, you may want to go back and reread them with that understanding. > [@Slash1972](#): > > Well, you got me on that. I didn’t realize this thread was from 2017. Ahhhh…okay, that explains a lot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-baby-its-cold-outside/775155.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-defense-of-baby-its-cold-outside/775155.md?page=10)