Love it or loathe it, there's nothing like the first listen of a Christmas jingle on the radio or in a department store to mark the Yuletide festivities.
Granted, by the end of the month you'll be rocking yourself back and forth to the disturbing sound of Noddy Holder singing 'Merry Xmas Everybody' or feel creeped out at the lyrics 'He sees you when you're sleeping/He knows when you're awake' from 'Santa Claus Is Coming To Town' but who doesn't love a bit of Mariah Carey or the Jackson 5, right?
But one song we've never really been a fan of is 'Baby It's Cold Outside' from the 1949 musical romantic comedy, Neptune's Daughter.
There's a scene in the film where female singer Eve Barrett (Esther Williams) continually tells her male drinking partner, Joe Backett (Keenan Wynn), that she can't stay at his house but he insists she should as it's 'cold outside'.
Now, if you've ever been at a house party and had a guy or girl that you're not that interested in repeatedly tell you to stay, 'it's bad out there', that they'd like to 'move in closer' and not to hurry off, alarm bells would be ringing, no?
Just look at the lyrics of the song:
Look, it's winter, of course it's blummin' cold outside pal, but that doesn't mean she needs to stay at your house.
Stop being creepy.
The worst line has got to be when she asks, 'Say what's in this drink? (no cabs to be had out there)'
Er, say what? Run, girl, run. This man is bad news and has he not heard of Uber?
Look, we get that these lyrics can be interpreted as flirty banter but in 2016, we don't really want to be singing along to a tune about a woman who is being encouraged to stay at a man's house against her will.
Hell no, my feminist friends.
Fortunately, musicians Lydia Liza and Josiah Lemanski have given the festive song a modern update in order to highlight the importance of sexual consent.
Found on Soundcloud, the new lyrics include lines such as:
'I really can't stay (baby, I'm fine with that)/ My mother will start to worry (call her so she knows that you're coming)/ The neighbours might think (that you're a real nice girl)/ Say, what's in this drink (pomegranate LaCroix)
In a year that's seen misogynistic Donald Trump become president, female Olympians' husbands receive the limelight for their success, derogatory comments aimed at female tennis players who want equal pay and American rapist Brock Turner released from jail after serving three months for sexual assault, it's refreshing to hear music that champions consent, sexual freedom and female empowerment.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
