It seems that the Christmas season has a way of bringing out the softer, sheltered, bubble-wrapped types who apparently have the time to get offended at the most trivial of things.
Oh wait, did I say 鈥楥hristmas鈥� season?聽 I suppose I should鈥檝e just said 鈥榟oliday鈥� in case someone saw the dreaded 鈥楥鈥� word and felt oppressed.
I never really bought into this idea that there鈥檚 a 鈥渨ar on Christmas鈥� every year, but 2018 has started to make me change my tune.
That鈥檚 because 鈥� speaking of tunes 鈥� there鈥檚 a controversy going around these days about the song, 鈥楤aby, It鈥檚 Cold Outside鈥�.聽 Apparently, in the wake of the #MeToo movement where women are collectively standing up to all forms of sexual wrongdoing and alleged male oppression, the song is, at least according to some, promoting a form of rape culture due to the song鈥檚 subject matter, where a woman is being pressured to stay in a man鈥檚 home despite her suggestion that she needs to leave.
When I saw this 鈥渃ontroversy鈥� hit the web, my head literally hurt from my eyes rolling back so hard and fast, and frankly, I may have even become offended鈥�.that so many have become offended at a song that鈥檚 over 70 years old.
The song was written in 1944 by Frank Loesser and was first featured in the 1949 film 鈥楴eptune鈥檚 Daughter鈥�. 聽What鈥檚 interesting about this is that if you look up the clip from the film on YouTube, you see that the duet song is performed by two perspectives, meaning not only is it sung by a woman thinking she should leave a man鈥檚 home, but also a man thinking he should leave a woman鈥檚 home.
But hey, don鈥檛 let a little basic research ruin the illusion that only women can be victims.聽 Wouldn鈥檛 want to mess up the narrative being sold that the lyrics are 鈥減redatory鈥� in 2018, when they can simply be dissected to tell you what they actually mean, or rather what they meant back in the 1940鈥檚.
Susan Loesser is the daughter of Frank, and she blames the controversy surrounding 鈥楤aby, It鈥檚 Cold Outside鈥� on disgraced actor/comedian Bill Cosby, who was convicted earlier this year of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman following years of claims by scores of alleged victims.
Susan told NBC News last week that Cosby is 鈥渞uining it for everybody鈥� and that ever since Cosby鈥檚 disgusting antics became public knowledge, the topic of date rape has tarnished the song.聽 She says that her father would be furious today that his lyrics, at least in today's climate, have taken on connotations they were never meant to when he penned them in the 1940鈥檚.聽 And while she understands that the song may strike a different tone with the growth of the Me Too movement, she also thinks that people need to simply look at the song in the context of the time in which it was written.
I鈥檓 with Susan, particularly on that last part.聽 Everyone is so lightning-quick to shout, 鈥淚鈥橫 OFFENDED!鈥� that no one stops to step back and look at the context of anything anymore.聽 We鈥檙e not talking about a song that was only written in the last five years, we鈥檙e talking about a song that is as old as most grandparents are today.
Do you want to know how to NOT be offended by a song?聽 You simply don鈥檛 listen to it.
While we鈥檙e at it, do you want to know how to NOT be offended by things you read?聽 You simply don鈥檛 read them.
Don鈥檛 get me wrong, I understand the importance of the Me Too movement and what it鈥檚 allowed women to do that they may not have been able to do before, but in the wake of everything that鈥檚 going on RIGHT NOW in our world, with much more current and really shady and abhorrent news hitting our headlines, we鈥檙e going to shine a spotlight and shame a 74-year old song?聽 Really, a SONG?
So since 鈥楤aby, It鈥檚 Cold Outside鈥� apparently promotes rape instead of the light, flirty connotations that it was intended to have between a husband and wife (Loesser wrote the song for he and his wife to sing at parties), why don鈥檛 we take a look at other Christmas songs and sayings that may be offensive in 2018 (oh darn, there鈥檚 that 鈥楥鈥� word again).
Is Santa Claus still allowed to say 鈥楬o ho ho鈥�, or is he somehow promoting prostitution?
Is it 鈥楩rosty the Snowman鈥� or 鈥楩rosty the Snowperson鈥�?
Is it 鈥楥hestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire鈥� or 鈥楥hestnuts Roasting on a Safely-contained, Continuously Monitored, Eco-friendly, Non-toxic Outdoor Fire (For Which I Have a Permit)鈥�?
Is it 鈥業 Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus鈥� or 鈥業 Saw Mommy Greeting Santa Claus with a Purely Platonic Expression of Inoffensive Mutual Affection鈥�?
There鈥檚 a quote I love that perfectly explains where I stand on our Western society鈥檚 terrible oversaturation of political correctness: claiming that you鈥檙e offended is essentially saying that you鈥檙e incapable of controlling and/or managing your own emotions, so everyone else should do it for you.
Toughen up, people.
For this week, that鈥檚 been the Ruttle Report.
