Is Christmas song Baby It’s Cold Outside about rape?

A mother sparked an online debate when she questioned whether the song Baby It’s Cold Outside was appropriate to sing at a Christmas choir concert.   

Writing on Mumsnet, the woman explained she wanted to pull out of the performance because the lyrics of the song made her feel uncomfortable. 

While some users agreed the lyrics could be interpreted as being ‘rapey’, others said the woman was overreacting.  

A debate surrounding consent in the song ‘Baby It’s Cold Outside’ was sparked on Mumsnet

A woman asked if it was unreasonable to drop out of her choir's Christmas concert to avoid singing 'Baby It's Cold Outside' because she disagrees with the lyrics

A woman asked if it was unreasonable to drop out of her choir’s Christmas concert to avoid singing ‘Baby It’s Cold Outside’ because she disagrees with the lyrics

Writing on the online forum, the woman explained that she had joined a choir and they had been rehearsing for a Christmas concert. 

Recently, the choir had added Baby It’s Cold Outside to the set, to be sung by two other performers, but the woman said she ‘couldn’t sit there through it.’  

She later clarified she didn’t want to be there ‘because of the lyrics’.  

Some users agreed with her stance. One wrote: ‘It’s rapey. Take a look at the lyrics’.

Others compared the meaning of the song to similar attitudes surrounding the recent hit ‘Blurred Lines’. 

A flood of responses immediately agreed with the woman that they understood her views against singing the song

A flood of responses immediately agreed with the woman that they understood her views against singing the song

Others slammed the woman for overreacting to the lyrics of the song. 

One person said: ‘I just read the lyrics, it’s not very rapey? It’s basically just an argument about staying with a guy and the woman holds her ground and says “no”.’

Another agreed: ‘Woman wants to stay but is worried about what other people will say if she does. Man tries to persuade her to stay without force’. 

Others suggested the lyrics of the song shouldn't cause offence and struggled to see the issue

Others suggested the lyrics of the song shouldn’t cause offence and struggled to see the issue

A user under the handle ‘Beek84’ wrote: ‘ To answer your question, “am I over reacting to pull out?” Yes. Huge over reaction. Ridiculous, bordering on absurd. But if you genuinely can’t sit through it, that’s your call obviously.’

Another also said: ‘It’s not a rapey song, and neither is “blurred lines”. People are so incredibly dramatic and histrionic on here sometimes!’

A user under the handle ‘allegretto’ wrote: ‘You’re not singing it though. I could maybe understand if you were singing it but I think it would be bad to make a stand let the choir down’. 

 

 

Some people slammed the woman and tried to convince her that she is overreacting

Some people slammed the woman and tried to convince her that she is overreacting



Read more at DailyMail.co.uk