It’s 2018 and there’s no denying that microaggressions, PC culture, and social justice have become not just household terms, but concepts that are starting to take root in American society. With this in mind, everything today must be seen in a different lens — a lens that is more critical.

To this end, the classic holiday song “Baby It’s Cold Outside” has come under fire for the playful yet aggressive message it sends.

The argument that some have levied against the song — that is often times performed as a duet between a man and a woman — is that the lyrics tell the story of a man persuading a woman into coming inside to spend the evening with him against her will. These critics perceive the song as perpetuating patriarchy, or even worse, insinuating that the man forces the woman into coming inside, despite her many attempts at turning down the man’s offer to come inside. 

So, this raises the question: If this song is sympathetic to a female being taken advantage of, is it still OK to listen to the song?

People will have different perceptions of what the song is meant to imply. It could be interpreted as a man committing a crime against a woman. It could also be interpreted as a man being good-natured and unrelenting in his pursuit of the woman.

Therefore, I think it should still be OK to listen to this holiday classic. Some may take offense to the song, but the song’s lyrics are ambiguous enough to allow for varying interpretations.