Whatever their origins, gender reveal parties have now turned into bizarre pagaents of toxic masculinity to reassure the father that he's not emasculated just because there's baby stuff in his house. The result of all this male ego-soothing is tragic. https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/07/us/california-fire-el-dorado-gender-reveal-trnd/index.html

If men can't participate in their baby's life without a hand-holding ceremony where shit is set on fire to reassure them that they're still manly men, then honestly, fuck 'em. At least Distant Daddy doesn't start wildfires.

Funny how so many men get super whiny when women point out that soothing fragile male egos is bullshit. If you want to be tough guys, just toughen up. Stop being weak and fragile and demanding women lie to you about how tough and strong you are.

Since a lot of people seem confused by this (though most are faking), let's go through the history. It used to be that when a woman was expecting, there was one baby shower. This was coded as feminine in the extreme and usually men didn't even attend.

But as time went on, this expectation that fathers take more of a role in their baby's life grew. But men do not like going to baby showers, with baby stuff that is viewed as emasculating. But then the idea of a "gender reveal" party came about — basically a second baby shower.

Gender reveal parties quickly evolved to be "dad's" baby shower — the one that men go to and have a more central role in. And subsequently, all these over-the-top manly man reassurance rituals grew, such as blowing shit up or using smoke machines or guns.

I would say I hope that clears things up, but I'm pretty sure all the people resisting this know exactly what I'm saying and just dislike a woman speaking out against all the time and energy that is expected of us to soothe fragile male egos.

Also, let's go back to the good old days when there was just one baby shower. /fin

Okay, one more for the people saying "but women are the ones who plan the gender reveal parties"! No shit, Sherlock. The job of bribing, cajoling and begging men to be involved with their own children is of course given to women. That is just further proof of the sexism here.

That's what feminists mean with phrases like "emotional labor". Men needing constant reassurance they're manly, and expecting women to do that work for them, such as organizing the "I'm still a man even though this is a baby shower" parties.