Offensive Christmas songs: Why these 5 songs are kind of terrible (and kind of great)

Hermey is a misfit elf who dreams of being a dentist on "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."

The debate continues to rage and divide people all over the country. 

Is "Baby, It's Cold Outside" an offensive Christmas song? 

Radio stations across the country and in Canada have started banning the track this season in the wake of the #MeToo movement.

Take a closer look at some of these lyrics, and you might not think they're as holly jolly, very merry, walking-in-a-winter-wonderland as they seem. 

Here are some well-known festive songs and why they could be considered inappropriate -- and why some people still consider them beloved classics.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Why it's offensive: Some say it promotes date rape culture. Those in favor of banning the song insist that the woman in the song tries multiple times to leave, while the man pushes her to stay. The woman sings "I ought to say 'No, no, no, sir'," expressing clearly she wants to go, and "Say, what's in this drink?" sounds like a red flag that there's something in the drink that shouldn't be there. The man responds with "Mind if I move in closer?" and "Gosh your lips look delicious," which come off to some as creepy and unwanted behavior.

Why it's great: It's a harmless flirtation. The song, which was written in 1944 by Frank Loesser as a song he and his wife could sing at parties, is a jovial back and forth that should not be taken seriously. A Tumblr post from 2016 posits a feminist defense: it's the 1940s and the woman is at her date's house, unchaperoned, which was not what "good girls" did back then. The woman wonders multiple times what her sister and maiden aunt might think tomorrow if she stays. The author proposes that the woman is exercising her sexual agency in a patriarchal society.

In the 1949 musical "Neptune's Daughter," a couple performs the song traditionally with the man insisting the woman stay. In a reprise version, the gender roles are swapped, so maybe it's not about gender at all.  

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Why it's offensive: It promotes bullying with lyrics such as "All of the other reindeer/Used to laugh and call him names/They never let poor Rudolph/Play in any reindeer games." The 1964 stop-motion film in particular has come under fire for its bullying of Rudolph by the other reindeer, and especially from his father, Donner, who forces Rudolph to wear a fake nose. Hermey is made fun of by other elves for his desire to become a dentist. 

Why it's great: Rudolph triumphs in the end and eventually gains respect for being different. When Santa and the other reindeer discover that Rudolph's nose is advantageous on a foggy night, everyone cheers for him and declares that he'll "go down in history." Corinne Conley, the voice of Sue in the 1964 film, said in an interview with TMZ that all of the issues are resolved at the end of the movie and that if anyone was a bully before, they would learn a valuable lesson at the end of the film. 

Do They Know It's Christmas?

Why it's offensive: It's patronizing. The 1984 song, written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure and performed by Band Aid, was in response to the famine in Ethiopia. Critics argue the lyrics promote a "white savior" complex and is condescending. The line "Well tonight thank God it's them/Instead of you" is seen as one of the most problematic, and Bono even changed the lyric when performing it in 2014 for Band Aid 30. The lines "And there won't be snow in Africa this Christmas time" and "No rain or rivers flow" are ignorant to the face that Africa does indeed see snow and has one of the longest rivers in the world, the Nile. 

Why it's great: It raised millions of dollars for worth causes. The song was re-recorded three times with different musicians: in 1989 and 2004 for famine relief, and in 2014 for the Ebola crisis in West Africa. 

Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer

Why it's offensive: It's disrespectful and callous. Grandma drank too much eggnog, forgot her medication and took off, and was found by her family the next morning with "hoof-prints on her forehead." The singer wonders "Should we open up her gifts/Or send them back," as if that's the most important matter the day after their grandmother was killed. Also, it doesn't seem like Santa Claus ever takes responsibility for the incident: "They should never give a license/To a man who drives a sleigh."

Why it's great: It's a silly song and the family does miss their grandmother. They wear black on Christmas to mourn her, and think about how grandma's wig matches the color of the blue and silver candles on the holiday table. The family is "proud of grandpa" for taking her untimely death well, and insists "It's not Christmas without Grandma."

Santa Baby

Why it's offensive: It's raunchy and superficial. Released in 1953 by Eartha Kitt, the singer uses her sexuality to get lavish things like a '54 convertible, a yacht and money. Santa is positioned as a "sugar daddy" type, to provide her what she wants because she's been so good this year: "Think of all the fun I've missed/Think of all the fellas that I haven't kissed." 

Why it's great: It's about a woman who knows what she wants. So what if she likes extravagant things? She can put whatever she wants on her Christmas list. 

Kellie Hwang is a reporter at IndyStar. You can email her at kellie.hwang@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @KellieHwang.