On Wednesday’s episode of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” the Daily Wire editor-in-chief talks about John Legend and Kelly Clarkson’s rewrite of the classic song “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.”
We’ve been told that “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” is quite, quite bad. Very bad, very not “Me Too,” very awful. So now Kelly Clarkson and John Legend have redone “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” because it was a rapey song. It was rapey because he was trying to get this woman into bed, and she kept talking about how she wanted to go [except] she was warm by the fire.
Except for every human relationship, which has vagaries of wooing, we’re all supposed to believe that he’s trying to date-rape her. The whole argument is about a man trying to wheedle a woman into bed, which has never happened in the history of man by the way. No man has ever wheedled women into bed.
Normally, when you have sex with a girl, the way that it works is that you actually get out a contract, notarized by your attorney, and then you have her check particular boxes as to which activities she would seek to participate in. [Except] that’s not sufficient. You then have to stop before each step and make sure that she is still okay with it.
You need “affirmative consent” in California. They’ve been trying to pass this “Yes Means Yes” law for years, in which you actually have to get quote unquote “affirmative consent.” It’s not enough for a woman to enthusiastically participate in the event; you have to get affirmative verbal consent for each step, which is just hot, man. There is nothing quite as hot as [asking] “do you mind if I do exactly this” and then you’re like, “I consent.” That is some sexy stuff.
So, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” is just a clever song about a man and a woman, and the man wooing the woman. Here’s the part where people get really uptight: The woman sings, “I ought to say no, no, no, sir,” — because women have never said that before, ever. Women have never said that they ought to say no, but their heart says yes. That’s never happened in the history of mankind. It’s not how 75% percent of pregnancies in the history of mankind have ever happened.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3153&v=HBAtH98mSus
Then she says, “my sister will be suspicious,” and then [the man] sings, “Gosh, your lips look delicious,” and then she says, “Say, what’s in this drink?” Now people read [into that as him] drugging her. Or alternatively, she is trying to make excuses for the fact that she actually wants to stay and that she’s lightheaded and woozy, and that really she’s in love with the guy. Maybe that’s what the song’s about. In any case, they’ve now redone the lyrics and made them significantly worse.
So Kelly Clarkson and John Legend have made this because we have to take everything incredibly seriously and we have to assume — but I do love that we’re supposed to believe the “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” leads to a vast women-hating culture of rape. But rap lyrics do not. I’m not going to rewrite any of the “b****” and “hoe” lyrics from rap. Not going to rewrite any of that stuff, because come on — why would we do that? That’s just a part of America’s rich musical lexicon. But “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” I can’t tell you how many times serial rapists like Harvey Weinstein hit the button, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” comes on, and he immediately just goes on and does his thing.
Okay, so here [are] the new lyrics in the reimagined version. Clarkson sings, quote, “I’ve got to go away.” And Legend responds, “I can call you a ride.”
Hot, sexy.
And then Clarkson sings, “What will my friends Think?” And Legend says, “I think they should rejoice.” And she says, “If I have one more drink.” And he says, “It’s your body, your choice.”
Ah, that sizzles, doesn’t it? It’s your body, your choice. Abortion slogans in the middle of a wooing session. Hot! The new lyrics were written by Legend and the comedian Natasha Rothwell of Insecure. It’s just ridiculous.
A San Francisco station that dropped the song last year reversed course after most listeners said they wanted the song in rotation. Susan Loesser, who is the daughter of Frank Loesser, one of the great songwriters in American history. He’s responsible for all the songs in “Guys and Dolls,” he’s responsible for “The Most Happy Fella.” A lot of great American musicals written by Frank Loesser, one of the great songwriters in American history. Susan Loesser said, “Way before #Me Too, I would hear from time to time people call it a date rape song. I would get annoyed because it’s a song my father wrote for him and my mother to sing at parties,” [according to NBC News]. She says, “People used to say ‘what’s in this drink’ as a joke. You know, this drink is going straight to my head so what’s in this drink? Back then it didn’t mean you drugged me.”
Correct. Nobody is taught — that’s not a roofie song. It’s so absurd. Like really, John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, it’s your body? Those lyrics, I can call you a ride, your Ubers outside.
Okay, you guys, you’re taking things too seriously. You’re taking things much, much, much too seriously. But the good news is Richard Stengel wants to outlaw this song, presumably as a form of hate speech. So I think these are the people we should have in charge of our fundamental debates about the nature of speech. The people who think the “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” is a real problem, but the lyrics of Jay Z are not only acceptable, but absolutely praiseworthy. Great American figures include Snoop Dogg and his lyrics, but Frank Loesser — rapey, super rapey.
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