Miley Cyrus performed the classic Christmas song “Santa Baby” on Wednesday night on “The Tonight Show” with host Jimmy Fallon — but she gave the song some notable updates.
The musician replaced the original lyrics with more feminist, politically correct statements.
“Santa baby, I’d love to know my a** won’t get grabbed, at work, by some ignorant jerk,” Cyrus sang.
She also said she doesn’t want presents because “I can buy my own damn stuff.”
Another set of lyrics included a mention of “equal pay.”
“Listen Santa to what I say. A girl’s best friend is equal pay. Stop interrupting me, when I talk,” Cyrus sang.
She also sang, “And look at this, I’m asking for a car and a yacht and checks and literally the deed to a platinum mine. Plus, am I singing that I’m going to hook up with Santa if he buys me all this stuff?”
Cyrus and Fallon also teamed up for a music video for the song.
At one point in the number, Fallon held a diamond necklace behind Cyrus as the 26-year-old musician sang, “Don’t want diamonds, cash or stocks. Nothing that comes in a box. No more fluff, I’ve had enough. And I can buy my own damn stuff.”
The original “Santa Baby” is a 1953 Christmas song written by Joan Javits and Philip Springer.
Eartha Kitt was the original singer.
Many artists have covered the song over the years, including Madonna and Kylie Minogue.
“Santa Baby” is not the only Christmas song to get a politically correct update these days. The classic tune “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” has come under scrutiny recently for having lyrics some people claim promote sexism and a rape culture.
Musicians actually created a politically correct version of the song, while some radio stations have been banning the tune due to complaints.
Other radio stations have had to back off their initial bans after listeners flooded the stations with calls and notes of support.
Many artists have publicly defended the classic tune, including “Star Trek” actor William Shatner, “The Day After Tomorrow” star Dennis Quaid, and Deana Martin, daughter of Dean Martin — who sang one of the most famous versions of the song.
“It’s just insane. When I heard it, I said, ‘This can’t possibly be.’ You know, it’s a sweet, flirty, fun holiday song that’s been around for 40 years for my dad. He did it in ’59. But when I saw it, I tweeted, ‘I think this is crazy. What do you think?’ And then all of a sudden, it went viral,” Deana Martin told Fox News about hearing about the controversy surrounding the tune.
Given the uproar over the song, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” has jumped big-time on sales and streaming charts.
Check out the original version of “Santa Baby” below:
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