'There will always be people that take it to the extreme,' Ortiz said, as some strive to create a moment that will 'stand out among all the other content' on social media.Īs the social media landscape becomes more fractured, such as through apps like TikTok, people will go 'bigger and bigger,' Matthews predicted, despite the potential consequences. But I think there could be something about that, to push back against this push against the status quo.'Įither way, over-the-top gender reveals likely aren't going anywhere, she said. A New Hampshire man was hit with charges on Monday over an explosion at a gender reveal party last month that shook homes in neighboring towns and sparked fears of a possible earthquake. 'It's not to say that people who have gender-reveal parties are automatically conservative in their thinking around this. 'Having these gender-reveal parties re-emphasizes some of those traditional ways that we think about gender and gender norms,' said Ortiz, who conducts research on sex and gender in the media. Whether consciously or not, Ortiz wondered if gender-reveal parties themselves are a pushback against changing conversations around gender identity. The mother who's credited with starting the trend in 2008 has since pushed back against the evolution of the parties and their reinforcement of gender binaries.

Gender-reveal parties have been criticized for reaffirming gender stereotypes. 'Gender-reveal parties are focused on a lot on color and ornate presentation, things that are almost perfectly translated into the social media space.'Ī gender-reveal post can be a form of 'currency' to help build rapport and cache on social media, Kelli Matthews, a public relations instructor at the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communication, told ABC News. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, told ABC News. 'They're these really increasingly Instagrammable-worthy things to be able to put on social media,' Rebecca Ortiz, an assistant professor in the S.I. Gender reveals, from dyed cakes and confetti-filled balloons to the more over-the-top, sometimes destructive stunts, are likely being fueled by several forces - a prime one being social media. Border Patrol agent who shot at a target packed with Tannerite, pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal charges stemming from the fire and was ordered to pay restitution, starting with a $100,000 initial payment and $500 monthly payments after that. In 2017, an explosion set off at a gender-reveal party in Arizona sparked a fire that burned 47,000 acres in the Coronado National Forest and cost over $8 million in damages and in fighting the fire. A message sent to him on social media seeking comment was not immediately returned.Last September, a firefighter died while battling a destructive wildfire in Southern California's San Bernardino National Forest caused by a smoke-generating pyrotechnic device used during a gender-reveal photo shoot, authorities said. It wasn’t immediately known if Spinelli had a lawyer to speak for him. “We are very thankful no one was injured during the gender reveal incident and sympathetic to the fact it startled the community.” “Based on the facts, at the conclusion of the investigation, we feel that the charge and the disposition were appropriate,” Kingston police said in a statement. A Reading List On Race For Allies Who Want To Do Better.We Asked, You Answered: The Best Places For Pie In Massachusetts.'I Just Feel Like Myself': A Nonbinary Child And Their Family Explore Identity.Some nearby residents reported their homes were shaken by the explosion. The family thought the quarry would be the safest spot to detonate the explosive, which is typically sold over the counter as a target for firearms practice, police said. The explosive was 80 pounds of Tannerite, police said. They responded to a quarry, where people acknowledged holding a gender reveal party with explosives. Police in Kingston, a town not far from the Massachusetts state line, received reports in April of a loud explosion. Twitter facebook Email This article is more than 1 year old.Ī man has pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct charge stemming from an explosive gender reveal party that was heard by nearby residents in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.Īs part of a plea deal reached Tuesday, Anthony Spinelli, of Kingston, was convicted and fined $620, of which $500 will be suspended for 12 months as long as he stays out out of trouble, according to court records.

Gender reveal explosion