Let’s be honest: there are some movies, TV shows and songs that just do not date well. The good news is, we have people like John Legend and Kelly Clarkson around who are more than happy to take things from problematic to 2019-approved.
Case in point: the classic Christmas track ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside.’
According to BBC News, Legend and Clarkson have recorded an updated version of the song, in light of the #MeToo era.
‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ was originally penned by Frank Loesser in 1944, but the lyrics have been facing major criticism since 2009. Last year, the track was even banned from a number of radio stations due to concerns regarding the lyrics but returned shortly after when the public fought back.
One of the lines – “Say what’s in this drink? (No cabs to be had out there)” – was criticised for allegedly referring to date rape and the overall song is about convincing a woman to stay the night – even when she wants to go home.
Obviously this raises a fair few red flags in terms of consent.
BBC report that Legend and songwriter Natasha Rothwell have collaborated on new lyrics for the song which has recorded with Clarkson. The singer said the updated version includes the lines – “What will my friends think? (I think they should rejoice) / If I have one more drink? (It’s your body, your choice).”
Unfortunately, ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ isn’t the only politically incorrect track that would be considered wildly controversial today. In 2007, Katy Perry released a track called ‘Ur So Gay’ which featured lyrics like “I can’t believe I fell in love with someone that wears more makeup / You’re so gay and you don’t even like boys.”
Eek. While Perry hasn’t really addressed the negative reception of ‘Ur So Gay,’ she has mentioned the edits she would’ve like to make on her 2008 banger ‘I Kissed A Girl.’ “We’ve really changed, conversationally, in the past 10 years,” she told Glamour. “Bisexuality wasn’t as talked about back then, or any type of fluidity.”
“If I had to write that song again, I probably would make an edit on it. Lyrically, it has a couple of stereotypes in it. Your mind changes so much in 10 years, and you grow so much. What’s true for you can evolve,” she said.
Perry is right – it’s all about evolving and educating ourselves about messages we should be broadcasting out into the world and the potential impact they can have. It’s all one big learning experience.