Gender Reveal Parties

Scott Hardie | April 25, 2012
Have you been to a gender reveal party? Would you even host such a thing? It's where expectant parents cut into a cake in front of family and friends to reveal pink or blue inside, discovering the gender of their baby in front of everybody in their lives. The obstetrician and baker have to work out the color in advance via secret envelope.

The New York Times ran a damning opinion piece today that cited these parties as evidence of a growing narcissism in our country, of replacing the lost sense of community with an over-inflated sense of self. The attitude seems to be, can you imagine dozens of people with their own problems caring that much whether your child will be male or female?

I'm not sure if the article's accusations are fair. According to one resource site, part of the point of the gender reveal party is to include men, who are usually excluded from baby showers. It's also about forging a new community of family and friends who are expected to be a part of the baby's life in some way. That sounds inclusive to me. It's also just an excuse for a fun party, after all.

But yeesh, looking at some of the videos on YouTube, you can't help but think these parties may be in really poor taste. Check this one out. They've gathered at least three dozen people into their home. They talk about the dog (who has been dressed in people clothes) becoming a "big brother" to the newborn. And after filling their house with decorations and food for the party, they write in the comments section below the video where you can buy stuff to help pay for the baby. Ugh.

Are gender reveal parties a good idea or a bad idea?

Steve Dunn | April 25, 2012
It's a party.

Any excuse to party, I'm for it.

Tony Peters | April 25, 2012
Steve kinda reminds me of people trying to find a difference between an Irish Wedding and an Irish Wake

Erik Bates | April 25, 2012
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Scott Hardie | April 29, 2012
Erik, joking aside, I was thinking along the same lines. Some parents today refuse to disclose their child's gender to other people for years, until the child "chooses" a gender (if at all). When I first heard the words "gender reveal party," I thought it was for that kind of family, a "coming out" for their daughter or son who is already several years old. Maybe it's because both ideas sound pretty ridiculous to me.

Scott Hardie | April 29, 2012
Also: I think "sex reveal party" is something else.

Erik Bates | April 30, 2012
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