Classic Christmas song gets a politically correct makeover
John Legend rewrites 'Baby, It's Cold Outside'; author and columnist Mark Steyn reacts.
Piers Morgan went after musician John Legend for his updated rendition of "Baby, It's Cold Outside," calling on him to rewrite the "filth" that his "rapper friends" include in their music.
Last week, it was revealed that Legend and "The Voice" colleague Kelly Clarkson were collaborating to revamp the classic 1944 Christmas tune; its lyrics have sparked debate in recent years over the issue of consent, and several radio stations have pulled the song from its airwaves.
In the original tune, a woman same: "I really can’t stay,” to which a man responded: "But baby, it’s cold outside.” In another part of a song, the woman was heard singing lines like "Say what's in this drink?" "The answer is no" and "I've gotta get home."
For his version, Legend updated the lyrics with Nathasha Rothwell, a star of HBO's "Insecure."
"What will my friends think ..." Clarkson sings in the updated version.
"I think they should rejoice," Legend says.
"... if I have one more drink?"
"It’s your body and your choice."
KELLY CLARKSON, JOHN LEGEND REWORK 'BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE' LYRICS
Defenders of the Frank Loesser-written song slammed the #MeToo rendition, including Morgan, who expressed his disapproval in a column published in The Daily Mail.
"There's nothing sleazy about it, or nasty, or even remotely 'problematic' to quote the ghastly buzzword of modern-day political correctness," Morgan said about this "favorite" Christmas song. "It's fun, sexy, playful, and both the man and woman are completely in control of their own actions during the mutually enjoyable and totally consensual experience... It's called seduction."
Morgan slammed the "super woke" saying they're "permanently offended virtue-signalers" who don't represent the "99.9" percent of people who liked the song as it was.
He then took aim at Legend, who he claimed was "Hollywood's self-appointed Virtue-Signaler-In-Chief," and called his new song "a load of nauseating PC-crazed tripe."
Piers Morgan, left, had some tough words to say to John Legend about the singer's "Baby, It's Cold Outside" remake. (Getty/AP, File)
The Daily Mail editor-at-large invoked how Legend met his "publicity-mad swimsuit model" wife Chrissy Teigen, which was on the set of his 2007 music video "Stereo."
"He was the most powerful man on set, the star and therefore effectively, the boss. She was an impressionable 21-year-old model hired to work alongside him," Morgan wrote.
"I'm not an expert on the whiter-than-white standards of super-woke behavior, but by Legend and Teigen's own yardstick, isn't every part of this story highly 'problematic'? Older, powerful boss sleeping with [a] young employee after they work together? The CEO of McDonald's just got fired for doing exactly that."
Morgan then questioned why Legend chose to rewrite "Baby, It's Cold Outside" instead of the "shockingly sexist and misogynist" lyrics from rap songs, citing crude lyrics from Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Kanye West.
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"Yet John Legend hasn't suggested rewriting any of these songs. Why could that be?" Morgan asked. "Oh wait, it's because they're all performed by his good friends. So, as with most 'woke' campaigns, this one is riddled with sanctimonious hypocrisy."
Representatives for Legend did not immediately respond to Fox News' requests for comment.
Fox News' Nate Day contributed to this report.
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