# What’s up with gender reveal parties and fires? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 7, 2020, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-gender-reveal-parties-and-fires/920025 "2020-09-07T12:31:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-gender-reveal-parties-and-fires/920025/41 "2020-09-08T14:02:01Z")
nevermind ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-gender-reveal-parties-and-fires/920025/42 "2020-09-08T15:05:49Z")
> [@Kron](#): > > > [@LSLGuy](#): > > > > > [@Acsenray](#): > > > > > > I for one have attended many parties at which no one has tried to start a fire, so if there exists such an urge in humans, it doesn’t seem difficult to overcome. > > > > Fires seem to be a large part of rural parties. I’m lifetime urban / suburban and, in that environment, like you I haven’t seen much fire outside of a BBQ grill. > > > > But for awhile I knew several families who lived a couple counties out into ruralia. _Every_ party they or their pals had came with a large not-really contained fire. Whether or not there was a safe place to have it. > > Can confirm. Rural people are no less capable than city people of understanding the risks of starting fires, especially in hot, dry climates during fire season. I assume. Am I wrong? Anyway, gender reveal parties sound like something urban and suburban yuppies would do. It doesn’t strike me as a rural thing. Slate outlines the recent history of carnage and gender reveal parties: > **[Gender-Reveal Party Sparked One of the Massive California Wildfires](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/09/gender-reveal-party-el-dorado-california-wildfire.html)** > > The El Dorado Fire in San Bernardino County began Saturday morning at the El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa and then spread north. > Officials have called on people to really think twice before using any kind of explosive to announce the sex of their baby. And many say it’s time to retire the practice altogether, including a women who has been credited with being one of the people responsible for popularizing gender-reveal parties. “It started to take a turn,” [Jenna Karvunidis said in a 2019 interview](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/jul/26/gender-reveal-party-pioneer-regrets-trend). “Then I started to realize that nonbinary people and trans people were feeling affected by this, and I started to feel bad that I had released something bad into the world.” ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-gender-reveal-parties-and-fires/920025/43 "2020-09-08T15:23:54Z")
Sounds like the real issue is that somehow gender reveals are done explosively. Which would be an a) an irresistible attraction for ruralians, and b) a reason for urban / suburban types to move the party to a rural / parkland venue. The punchline being that the parties would always be rural even if the partygivers are not. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-gender-reveal-parties-and-fires/920025/44 "2020-09-08T16:01:19Z")
> [@WitnessMe](#): > > Cause 'Merica Fuck Yea! BOOM ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-gender-reveal-parties-and-fires/920025/45 "2020-09-08T16:12:56Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > > [@Boudicca90](#): > > > > It would suck to end up causing this much damage and then find out your child has a different gender than what you assumed it was, making the whole thing even more pointless. > > “I burned 80,000 acres and you want to _what?!!!_” That’s exactly what happened with the woman who originally popularized gender-reveal parties (and who no longer advocates them). Well, okay, not the fire, but her child did come out as either trans or nonbinary years later. So yeah, gender-reveal parties are kind of stupid. I did hear about one cool one, though, where a young man came out as trans and his parents had a gender-reveal party to share the news with family and friends. I thought that was neat. No fire, too. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-gender-reveal-parties-and-fires/920025/46 "2020-09-08T16:21:00Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > No fire, too. To the profound dismay of Evangelicals everywhere … ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-gender-reveal-parties-and-fires/920025/47 "2020-09-08T18:26:39Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > How are they truly sure? Of the gender, I mean. I imagine it might be a way for some people to loudly proclaim that birth sex and gender are exactly the same and you can’t change the later. ---
**Author:** ![cormac262](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-gender-reveal-parties-and-fires/920025/48 "2020-09-08T19:21:39Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > I heard this described as “an accident”. That word is so wrong. We need a word for when someone does some ridiculously stupid shit followed by a not-unforeseeable disastrous result. For the legal term: “negligent stupidity” For short hand: “faux brainer” (since “no brainer” doesn’t have a did-something-stupid angle to it) ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-gender-reveal-parties-and-fires/920025/49 "2020-09-08T19:44:54Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > Just be grateful there’s not such a thing as a conception party. > > Or maybe there is. Similar idea: > **[Bedding ceremony](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedding_ceremony)** > > The bedding ceremony refers to the wedding custom of putting the newlywed couple together in the marital bed in front of numerous witnesses, usually family, friends, and neighbors, thereby completing the marriage. > The purpose of the ritual was to establish the consummation of the marriage, either by actually witnessing the couple's first sexual intercourse, or symbolically, by leaving before consummation. It symbolized the community's involvement in the marriage. The legally binding nature of t... ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-gender-reveal-parties-and-fires/920025/50 "2020-09-08T22:01:41Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Rural people are no less capable than city people of understanding the risks of starting fires, especially in hot, dry climates during fire season. I assume. Am I wrong? Theoretically, this is true. Of course, in today’s connected world, these people are also theoretically capable of being well-informed citizens, armed with all of the facts of the world… And we see how well that works out. 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-gender-reveal-parties-and-fires/920025/51 "2020-09-08T22:34:35Z")
Yeah, but even if it’s a straight up “our baby will have these genitals” announcement, there’s still an element of uncertainty there. Waved an online friend off as she went to give birth to Julia - 24 hours later, I was amused to be introduced to Jude. ---
**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-gender-reveal-parties-and-fires/920025/52 "2020-09-09T03:33:50Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Officials have called on people to really think twice before using any kind of explosive to announce the sex of their baby. And many say it’s time to retire the practice altogether I’m thinking that, in our modern exceedingly-warm age, it might be time to call on people to just stop using explosives for announcing – well, anything. Or just leave the handling of explosives to trained professionals. –G! ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-gender-reveal-parties-and-fires/920025/53 "2020-09-09T10:03:08Z")
As I understand the custom, if it’s a girl you burn down a forest. What do you destroy if it’s a boy? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-gender-reveal-parties-and-fires/920025/54 "2020-09-09T10:58:14Z")
The woods. But only in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-gender-reveal-parties-and-fires/920025/55 "2020-09-09T11:07:58Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > I heard this described as “an accident”. That word is so wrong. We need a word for when someone does some ridiculously stupid shit followed by a not-unforeseeable disastrous result. That word is pregnancy. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-gender-reveal-parties-and-fires/920025/56 "2020-09-09T11:22:04Z")
> [@pullin](#): > > As I understand the custom, if it’s a girl you burn down a forest. What do you destroy if it’s a boy? The Patriarchy. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-gender-reveal-parties-and-fires/920025/57 "2020-09-09T17:55:13Z")
> [@Grestarian](#): > > I’m thinking that, in our modern exceedingly-warm age, it might be time to call on people to just stop using explosives for announcing – well, anything. Or just leave the handling of explosives to trained professionals. > > –G! In my neighborhood, the 4th-of-July storm begins sporadically in mid-June and on the big day is a ceaseless wall of noise. The smell of sulfur in the air finally abates by around Bastille Day (not so many French partisans around here). If you took away their boomy-boomies, I am not sure what would happen to all that excess testosterone. Probably nothing productive or useful. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-gender-reveal-parties-and-fires/920025/58 "2020-09-09T18:17:32Z")
Now I’m trying to remember if my sister’s (kid’s) gender-reveal cake had candles on it or not. In any case we managed to reach the end of the party without burning the house down. I like a party as well as the next guy, but even I thought the whole occasion was so stupid and pointless as to be a waste of time - _despite_ the free slice of cake. Perhaps setting off a block of C4 would have caught my interest? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-gender-reveal-parties-and-fires/920025/59 "2020-09-09T18:23:55Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > … > If you took away their boomy-boomies, I am not sure what would happen to all that excess testosterone. > … It first transmutes into beer. Then for those fortunate enough to survive the “Hey y’all! Watch this!” phase, it transmutes again into piss. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2020, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-gender-reveal-parties-and-fires/920025/60 "2020-09-09T20:18:42Z")
The big problem is the people with fireworks are also likely to be people with guns. They will make a boomy-boom one way or another. At least with fireworks the people injured are usually\* the assholes shooting them off. You can’t say that about gunfire. - - I’m not counting the damage done by fires started by assholes with explosives. That’s a whole 'nother series of threads! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-gender-reveal-parties-and-fires/920025.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-up-with-gender-reveal-parties-and-fires/920025.md?page=4)