What to Know
If you’ve seen one gender reveal cake video on social media, you’ve seen them all. There might be excitement from one parent and devastation from another, overt self-confidence about what color filling a cake will have for the big reveal, or gender disappointment. Yes, that is a real thing, and I know this from the dozens of actual gender reveal videos I have sat and watched through endless scroll sessions on my phone.
So when Josh Ernst on TikTok shared a video where he shows a gender reveal cake he bought simply because he has “free will,” he is a testament to the culture of gender reveals we are all subject to on various platforms. The idea of a gender reveal isn’t really what offends, or annoys me. It’s the need to post a video of said reveal with wild reactions and not expect backlash. And Josh seems like he has watched his fair share, based on his reactions to his fake gender reveal cake results.
@joshhernst GENDER REVEAL!!! who said you needed a kid for one
♬ original sound – josh ernst
His gender reveal reactions are all spot on.
At the start of his video, Josh shows a beautiful gender reveal cake he bought from a bakery just for fun. He explains that he used his free will because he’s allowed to do whatever he wants and honestly, we need more of that wholesome energy for the sake of being silly on social media. Josh then takes out a wine glass to do the classic reveal that has become increasingly popular.
“I told them to choose whatever gender they wanted,” Josh says, of the bakery that whipped up his faux gender reveal cake. “I’m really nervous. I feel like I could cry. If it’s a boy, I’ll be pissed.” I mean, right there, he has encapsulated a few of the standard reactions and claims seen in a lot of gender reveal videos.
Josh goes on to say, “I feel like I should close my eyes. I haven’t been this excited in so long. I feel like everyone needs to get a gender reveal cake. It’s so fun. Unless it’s a boy. Then, it’s not fun.” Cue the bright blue-green cake underneath a layer of thick frosting. Josh jokes that he’s “giving away” the nonexistent baby. The whole thing is giving COVID times in the best way. It’s a small way to poke fun at a culture of gender reveal reactions while also having fun for no reason at all.
Someone commented on the video in a way that users tend to do with an actual legitimate gender reveal video by writing, “Gender disappointment is so normal Mama.”
Someone else commented, “Everyday I come on here and realize I don’t exploit my free will enough.”
“Thanks for this, because I’m pregnant with a boy and I’m not excited for this gender reveal thing and everyone asked me to do one, so now I’ll send them this,” a TikTok user added.
Another user wrote that they might use a gender reveal cake as a way to help them figure out an “a or b” decision the next time they are stuck and can’t decide. It’s a little over-the-top for that, but hey, I’m here for it. Did Josh just create a new trend? Honestly, he might have. Either way, though, his gender reveal setup and reactions are just too real.
