Hooper: Hip-hop's misogyny deserves more criticism than a holiday perennial

The hip-hop song Gucci Gang refers to women with the insulting pejorative used for female dogs 15 times.

Yet in 2018 radio stations are banning a 74-year-old holiday song that features playful banter between what music aficionados say are consenting adults.

Yes, I'm bristling over the attacks against Baby, It's Cold Outside, the Frank Loesser-penned song drawing fire because critics aren't placing the lyrics in the context of the era.

I try to resist "whataboutism," but the lure is too great in this case. The misogyny of one of today's popular genres needs to be challenged, not a classic.

Gucci Gang, a pathetic mix of sex and drug references, sadly represents a lot of what kids listen to today.

But neither this song nor Baby, It's Cold Outside should be banned. We just need to implore young people to critically examine what they're listening to and how it should be perceived. They need to discern between a standard some historians say promotes 1940's feminism, and a genre that too often debases women. …

Seen on the Datz marquee: All I Want For Christmas is Bacon. …

It might be a bit cold outside at Sparkman's Wharf on Tuesday, but a Tampa mayoral debate should heat up the atmosphere. It's set to start at 6 p.m. …

In this season of giving, let's warm up to the beach-side businesses in Pinellas. Red Tide took a bit of their profits earlier this year, but it's largely subsided. When giving leads to grouper, that's holiday joy.

Super singer Alex Harris promises a hot show when he brings his Got Soul Holiday Tour to the stage at 8 p.m. on Saturday at the Palladium, 353 5th Ave. N. Harris should never be banned. That's all I'm saying.