"Baby, It's Cold Outside" is a popular Christmas song written by Frank Loesser in 1944. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in the 1949 film "Neptune's Daughter." The song features a call-and-response duet between a male and female voice, with the woman making excuses to leave and the man persuading her to stay. While traditionally considered a romantic winter standard, the song has received modern criticism for its portrayal of consent, though many defend it as a product of its time and a playful negotiation between equals.
Written as a playful call-and-response duet, the song gained controversy in the 21st century over perceived consent issues, though many historians contextualize it within 1940s social norms.
