The lyrics and intent behind the classic holiday song “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” emphasizes the lack of understanding surrounding the meaning and significance of consent.

One lyric that particularly stuck out to me was, “say what’s in this drink?” This immediately screamed date rape to me. I have always been warned by women about the possibility of being drugged and taken advantage of. This situation is not something to be joked about, let alone to be sung about.

The 2014 remake includes another concerning lyric, “ah, you’re very pushy, you know? I like to think of it as opportunistic.” Although I can assume the intent behind both versions were positive, the song fails to make the distinction between actual and forced consent.

When the song was written in 1944, this behavior may have been accepted. However, in today’s climate, we can’t normalize rejecting no as an answer. Youth must be raised to know that no unconditionally means no.

The unacceptably large portion of young adults who fail to understand the meaning and importance of consent makes the outdated attitude of this song unacceptable.

Although this song is a classic part of the holiday season, it does not mean it is free of problems. “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” should be taken out of the typical holiday song rotation to clearly indicate that consent and the possibility of date rapes aren’t to be taken lightly.