Ohio radio station removes “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” from holiday lineup

A Cleveland, Ohio radio station has pulled “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” this holiday music season because some people think it pushes the line amid the “Me Too” era.

WDOK Christmas 102.1 pulled the song from their list of Christmas music this week after a listener called and suggested the lyrics is inappropriate for 2018.

The song released 70 years ago includes a woman singing about leaving a man’s house as he tries to make her stay. In the song, the female sings “I really can’t stay,” to which the man responds, “but baby, it’s cold outside.”

“The tune might be catchy, but let’s maybe not promote that sort of an idea,” Desiray, Midday Host of the radio station, explained.

Desiray said listeners drove the decision, suggesting in light of “Me Too” that lyrics like this are no longer appropriate.

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

Cleveland Rape Crisis Center President and CEO Sondra Miller said the organization supports the decision.

“I think it’s taking a 2018 lens on a song that was written a very long time ago,” Miller said.

Miller said while some may see the song as playful, it can have a different meaning to a rape survivor.

“It really pushed the line of consent,” Miller said. “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.”

While one song goes away, other Christmas carols go on.

“Enjoy all the other songs, we have so many of them!” Miller proclaimed.