We forget history. That’s why a winter seasonal song hit such as “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” is getting bad publicity in this socially sensitive age. Originally a 1940s era “call and response” song (so named because of it’s conversational nature), it was designed as a party closer when it was time for guests to go home, and was first performed by its writer Frank Loesser and his wife Lynn Garland.
Back in the “old days,” a woman could actually drop by her date’s apartment for a nightcap or a quick smoke. In those times women were respected for what they were (for which men were actually grateful). Sometimes they mutually agreed to spend time together, but some conversational give-and-take would occur as a token effort to settle the issue of whether she should spend the night and ignore the community gossip sure to follow. It was all about maintaining respectability in an age just before the chaos of the 1950s with rock and roll and slowly loosening standards of conduct.
Followers of the “Me Too movement” and PC stalwarts challenge the song for what is being reclassified as implied date rape, mostly because the woman at one point asks about what is in her drink. Remember that people kept bar sets at home, and not everybody was a mixologist. However, the balance of jerks to gentlemen was decidedly in favor of the latter, and responsible drinking was the norm back then.
Simply put, the girl is staying, but she is doing her part to let the fellow know that no funny stuff will be going on. It’s empowerment, people. The sociology majors probably get it; it’s time we did, too.
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