William Shatner Expertly Slams #MeToo Movement by Using 'Baby It's Cold Outside' Against Them
When it comes to owning the libs, Captain Kirk doesn’t set his phasers to stun.
In an interview with the U.K. Daily Mail, acting legend William Shatner criticized the decision to banish “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” from many radio playlists, arguing that the tune was being taken out of context.
Shatner had caused a social media storm earlier this month after he protested the decision of the state broadcaster in his native Canuckistan, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, to ban the song.
“Call in to CBC radio all day and get them to play ‘Baby It’s Cold Outside’ over and over until midnight!” Shatner tweeted Dec. 11.
Call in to CBC radio all day and get them to play “Baby It’s Cold Outside” over and over until midnight! 😝😈 pic.twitter.com/qrRwAHOwYX
— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) December 11, 2018
In the Daily Mail interview, Shatner was unapologetic.
“It’s just offering an invitation and presenting an argument for not leaving,” Shatner said regarding the 1940s holiday standard.
“You’re not saying, ‘I’m closing the door and you can’t leave!’ It’s not force, it’s verbal persuasion, which works in the act.”
While Shatner said he generally supported the aims of the #MeToo movement, he said the kerfuffle over “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” was indicative of some of the movement’s PC excesses.
“In 2018 we have the #MeToo movement, which I think is great, that these hidden forces are exposed and not to be allowed and women have equal rights,” Shatner said.
“I’ve got three daughters, I’m all for that. But if you look back at things that were written and said 20, 30 years ago, it’s a different context, and you’ve got to judge it by that context.
“It’s like saying, ‘would you have dinner,’ ‘would you like to write a song with me,’ ‘would you do an interview?’ I’m not insulted by you asking me to do an interview. Maybe it’s my mindset based on the years I’ve lived, but I’m trying to be fair and I don’t see the problem.
“Rape and pillage, absolutely not — those are crimes against humanity. But saying, ‘Would you make love with me?’ and the opposing party says ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ I can’t fathom what’s wrong with that,” he added.
He had zero regrets over the controversy his tweet had caused, either, saying that he enjoyed “the kick of getting somebody upset about something and playing with them verbally.”
He also described his critics as “2018 prudes” who “want to interpret the lyrics as something else.”
“I’ve tweeted about it just to get it out there and have some fun with the people who think differently. On my part there’s no animosity, just a difference of opinion.”
Of course, in 2018, a difference of opinion constitutes animosity to certain folk, particularly those who refuse to acknowledge the original (liberating) context of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” and the fact that, no, the male protagonist didn’t drug the woman’s drink.
Shatner is 87, which I suppose gives him some perspective on this that most of the professionally outraged don’t have. Or perhaps it’s just that he doesn’t really give a hoot what anyone thinks about him at this point.
Either way, if only others were a bit more like our friend T.J. Hooker.
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