Gayle King defends 'Baby, It's Cold Outside' after the Christmas classic continues to get pulled from radio stations
The #MeToo movement has changed the way some entertainment classics are viewed (see: The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles), but there’s one casualty Gayle King just can’t support. The anchor wants “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” back on the radio during the holiday season.
CBS This Morning aired a segment Thursday about how the classic tune, written in 1944, continues to get banned from radio stations because of lyrics some listeners feel make light of a coercive situation. San Francisco radio station KOIT received negative responses after playing the song recently. Offended listeners included victims of sexual assault or sexual harassment and parents with children in the car, according to KOIT’s program director, so the station pulled the tune on Monday. Now, KOIT is letting listeners decide whether to bring “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” back, and the poll is running 90 percent in the song’s favor.
“Please count me in the 90 percent,” King said after the segment. “I want to say to people — it was a Christmas song that was written years ago. I think you have to look at the intent of the song and when you look at the intent, to me, it’s a very flirtatious back-and-forth between the two of them.”
King continued, “I think you can look at anything and read something into it these days, and I just don’t think that was the case when they wrote that song and the intent of the song. I think we have to look at that.”
After her co-anchors begged to differ, King stood firm. “We just have to agree to disagree,” she said. “I just think it’s a light, flirtatious song. Keep looking at the whole darn song before you make a decision. I’m so irritated by this!”
“We are losing our sense of humor nowadays,” King added. “And I’m a big supporter and big proponent of the #MeToo movement, but I just don’t think we have to nitpick every single little thing. I know I’m going to get hammered for this, so let’s just move along please!”
A lot of people are on King’s side.
Gayle is right. We need to stop nic picking this stuff
— Angie (@Angie73302242) December 6, 2018
I applaud @GayleKing for pointing out how insane the backlash against “Baby, It’s Cold Out” truly is. Not often do we see such common sense from the media #DontMessWithMyXmasMusic
— Joe Drago (@Joey_Drago_) December 6, 2018
Any radio station that won’t play the song I won’t listen to!!!
— MediaArts (@NJMMediaArts) December 6, 2018
I love the song “Baby It’s Cold Outside”. I sang it to my sons as they protested getting their snowsuits on. Ditch or don’t watch the 1944 video, keep the song. Let the music speak for itself. @GayleKing
— Ann Harriet Cole (@ahcole227) December 6, 2018
You’re so awesome @GayleKing! 😄
I am in total agreement with you! 👍
It is a cute flirty song & yea…what’s going to be next like you said! I really wouldn’t be surprised if “Mama Kissing Santa Claus” was next! 🙄
— Ginger (@Im_Pebbles) December 6, 2018
@GayleKing AMEN…. sooo many decisions today are made without taking into account the FULL picture. Thank you for your common sense😀
— Linda Toupin (@lindatoupin) December 6, 2018
I’m with you @GayleKing on #BabyItsColdOutside We are turning into such an over-sensitive group of people & it is so sad. I put a sexual predator in prison and still vote to keep the song on the air! Just bc a video depicted ones take to a song doesn’t mean that’s the intent.
— Lam (@lamj02030801) December 6, 2018
Give me a freakin’ break!! There are SO MANY other things to get upset over, but this song? I 💯 agree with @GayleKing. @CBSThisMorning #BabyItsColdOutside #MeToo
— Ericka Woode (@ErickaWoode) December 6, 2018
Bravo to Gayle King for today’s comments towards the Christmas song, “Baby It’s Cold Outside” We need to keep our good humor and still be sensitive to the Metoo Movement. But not Hyper Sensitive and nick pick everything!
— Karen Jones (@kjmickey90) December 6, 2018
I agree with Gayle. In the 60s the song always ended with the girl going home. When you listen to words it’s a song of women’s sexual liberation.. “I “ought” to say no no no”. As a kid I saw it as a song about double standards. How about Under My Thumb? Or Every Breath You Take?
— Susan (@poetpagan62) December 6, 2018
The fate of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” and its radio play is still up in the air.
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