The Heat (isn't) On

Honestly: I had nothing whatsoever to do with this.

.......... Ruprecht ( STOP )

Really ... Aren't They All Songs Of Ill Intent?

My friend Renee - one of the few I have left on Facebook, as many seem to be dropping like flies for one reason or another - noted her frustration with people in general when it comes to Christmas tunes by posting something someone wrote somewhere. (Was that vague enough for you?)

But I'll back up a bit to where it all started, with the holiday classic "Baby, It's Cold Outside." A little history on the tune, originally written in 1944:

"During the 1940s, when Hollywood celebrities attended parties, they were expected to perform. In 1944, Frank Loesser wrote "Baby, It's Cold Outside" for his wife, Lynn Garland, and himself to sing at a housewarming party in New York City at the Navarro Hotel. They sang the song to indicate to guests that it was time to leave.

"Garland wrote that after the first performance, "We become instant parlor room stars. We got invited to all the best parties for years on the basis of 'Baby.' It was our ticket to caviar and truffles. Parties were built around our being the closing act." In 1948, after years of performing the song, Loesser sold it to MGM for the 1949 romantic comedy Neptune's Daughter. Garland was furious, and wrote, "I felt as betrayed as if I'd caught him in bed with another woman."

"In the film, "Baby, It's Cold Outside" was sung by Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalbán, then by Betty Garrett and Red Skelton, who reversed the roles. The song won the Academy Award."

So ... was it a song originally written with ill intentions (read: rape) in mind? No, no it wasn't. Our monkey business society of do-gooders and political correctors has riled the masses into a froth about the songs "true" meaning, throwing its original lyrics (not to mention the societal norms of the time, the 1940s) by the wayside for their own purposes, mainly in order to cry wolf.

Last month, Cleveland, Ohio radio station WDOK announced it pulled "Baby, It's Cold Outside" citing listener concerns over the song's content. On December 4, 2018, the Canadian radio broadcasters Bell Media, CBC Radio, and Rogers Media followed suit. Hey, listener demand can be powerful ... I guess.

And that is the lead in for the post Renee offered below. I don't know who the original author of the following was and it is of no concern. It just so happens I agree with her/him. Because it's all about context and the timing of when the writers wrote the songs.

But those who'd rather whip up inflammatory, alternate meanings, well ... they're going to do what they're going to do.

Welcome to the 2018 holiday season.

Here's what Renee posted ...

"Just a little reminder how ridiculous society has become ...

"Since some radio stations decided to pull 'Baby It’s Cold Outside' from its playlist because someone was offended, shouldn’t these songs be pulled as well????


1. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus: Subjecting minors to softcore porn

2. The Christmas Song: Open fire? Pollution. Folks dressed up like Eskimos? Cultural appropriation

3. Holly Jolly Christmas: Kiss her once for me? Unwanted advances

4. White Christmas? Racist

5. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town: Sees you when you’re sleeping? Knows when you’re awake? Peeping Tom stalker

6. It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year: Everyone telling you be of good cheer? Forced to hide depression

7. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: Bullying

8. It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas: Forced gender-specific gifts, dolls for Janice and Jen and boots and pistols (GUNS!) for Barney and Ben

9. Santa Baby: Gold digger, blackmail

10. Frosty The Snowman: Sexist; not a snow woman

11. Do You Hear What I Hear: blatant disregard for the hearing impaired

12. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas: Make the yuletide GAY? Wow, just wow

13. Jingle Bell Rock: Giddy up jingle horse, pick up your feet: animal abuse

14. Mistletoe and Holly: Overeating, folks stealing a kiss or two? How did this song ever see the light of day?

15. Winter Wonderland: Parson Brown demanding they get married … forced partnership.

16. Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer: Woman attacked & Grandpa gambling."

Now ... I don't claim to be politically correct by any stretch of the imagination. Matter'n fact I'm certain I've raised eyebrows, caused Facebook desertions and much, much more with some of the things I've said and written.

And that, folks, is why a "delete" button was invented.

Meanwhile, I'm listening to every single one of the tunes above without any compunctions whatsoever.

In fact, while playing them, if I see someone who screws up their face in distaste at my musical proclivities, I'll probably just turn up the volume.

.......... Ruprecht ( STOP )

Queen: Detailed

A few weeks back I saw Bohemian Rhapsody, the chronicle of the band Queen leading up to their 1985 Live Aid appearance. 

And, yes, it was rather the mess. Timeline issues, missing information, fabricated biographical moments, more.

Still, it was enjoyable and entertaining. And, as a life-long Queen fan, that's all I was looking for. I went into it with the mindset of it being nothing more than a popcorn flick; I wasn't going to get bogged down with details. And guess what? It worked out for me just fine. 

Now, I've had the good fortune of seeing Queen live, 38 years ago to be exact on July 12th, 1980 at The Forum in Inglewood, California during their "The Game" tour. 

One of the most memorable moments of that concert was when Freddie Mercury took the stage atop Darth Vader's shoulders. Yes ... Queen's frontman atop one of the most evil dark lords of The Sith ever. And in a Flash Gordon T-shirt, no less. (1980 was the same year they recorded the titular soundtrack.) It was a cheer-worthy instant during the show, one of the many highlights of my long, long concert-going career. 

I've spoken of it many times with many people wondering if it ever really happened at all. 

It did. I know it did because I was there.

And now? I have proof:

Yep, someone posted a photo of that long-ago moment just as I remembered it. In this day and age of the internet and the prevalence of photoshopped images up the wazoo, one might doubt the validity of such an image. And I can completely understand that ...

But, again, I was there and I witnessed it first-hand.

It's nice to put a picture alongside the memory ...

And, hey! Bonus! Here's the setlist for that night!

Jailhouse Rock (Elvis Presley cover)
We Will Rock You (Fast)
Let Me Entertain You
Need Your Loving Tonight
Play the Game
Mustapha
Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to…)
Killer Queen
I'm in Love With My Car
Somebody to Love
Get Down, Make Love
You're My Best Friend
Save Me
Now I'm Here
Fat Bottomed Girls
Love of My Life
Keep Yourself Alive
Drum Solo
Guitar Solo
Brighton Rock (Outro)
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Bohemian Rhapsody
Tie Your Mother Down

Encore:

Sheer Heart Attack
We Will Rock You
We Are the Champions
God Save the Queen (Thomas Augustine Arne cover)

.......... Ruprecht ( STOP )