Commenters Roast Goofy Updated Lyrics to "Baby It's Cold Outside"

JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor

Dec 12, 2023 7:00 PM EST

There are plenty of cultural touchstones that have not aged well. I remember watching Saturday Night Fever with my mom thinking it would be a fun, light disco-dancing movie, and being shocked by how dark many of the subplots were, and how a lot of it wouldn't fly now. There are moments in so many classic films that were products of their time, and not in a good way.

The ever-present Christmas tune "Baby It's Cold Outside" has been the subject of debate for many years now, since its lyrics can be read in a way that eschews consent. I, personally, have always seen it as a winking, playful snatch of banter between two lovers who are on the same page, and the Glee version is one of my favorite Christmas tracks of all time. But in 2019, in response to the backlash, Kelly Clarkson and John Legend released a cover of the song with updated lyrics. The new lines recently resurfaced on Twitter, and commenters weren't so merry.