To ask when 'cake smashes' became a thing?

[SalemSaberhagen]

Loads of them popping up on Facebook at the moment, and I just don't get them. What's the point? When did it become a popular thing to do on a child's first birthday?

[ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight]

They are a witless trend and I hate them.

[TwatMagnet]

What is a cake smash?

[breezydoesit]

They're not a "thing" unless you're a twat.

[HelenF35]

I don't know but I can't stand them. Ridiculous idea.

[SalemSaberhagen]

A cake smash is hiring a photographer to take a photo of your PFB in nice clothes, smashing up a birthday cake

[EnoughAlready999]

I hate them. Such an extravagant waste of food. To me, the parents are saying "look at us, we can afford to pay for this ott piece of crap" and we don't care. It makes the baby look like a brat too.

[kippersyllabub]

Grotesque waste.

[TwatMagnet]

Seriously? What's the point of that then? I mean - is it meant to be cute? Funny? What? I don't think I could be friends with someone who thought that was in any way amusing!

[SalemSaberhagen]

Fuck knows! They are just so vulgar, and pointless.

[jinxdragon]

Are they more popular recently? This is like the third thread on them I've read in a month.

I can't bring myself to get worked up about it to be honest, it's not hurting anyone. If you don't like it don't do it Really can't see what's "vulgar" about it.

And no, before anyone asks, I haven't done it, and won't be. Not my thing.

[LaurieMarlow]

Gosh, this language is so interesting. Vulgar, grotesque, witless, brat, twat.
Calm down all.

It's only a bit of cake when all's said and done. Probably less actual waste than a couple of food-based messy play sessions or a week of baby led weaning.

I suspect it attracts so much hand wringing because it's a very visual/theatrical example of 'waste', which we find difficult to cope with - despite the fact that we waste huge amounts of food everyday, of which cake smashes are a mere drop in the ocean.

[SalemSaberhagen]

You can't see what's vulgar about paying someone £100 to take a photo of a child smearing icing in its hair? It's a horrible waste, and the idea of taking photos of your child actively ruining food to put up in your living room is vulgar, yes.

[Creatureofthenight]

I've never heard of this! What a totally weird thing to do.

[ImperialBlether]

It is crass and vulgar. We've got food banks in this country, ffs. To encourage anyone to smash food to bits is awful. The fact that someone's spent time creating it (as when they do this at weddings) makes it even worse.

[PutDownThatLaptop]

I just look at them and think of the messy, sticky baby that would need cleaning up afterwards.

[DontBuyANewMumCashmere]

WHY AREN'T THEY EATING THE CAKE?!?!?!

[LaurieMarlow]

Salem, in answer

You don't have to pay for the photographer - that's optional. You also don't have to put it up in your living room. . I wouldn't personally put any professional staged photos up in my living room, but that's just me.

I take lots of photos of my child smearing other kinds of food in his hair. I love watching my child experiment and enjoy food. Now mostly thats just his lunch, he doesn't get a lot of sweet stuff, but I don't see that as vulgar. And I don't believe cake is wildly different.

It's not something I've ever done, but if you deconstruct it, I can't get too excited about it.

[SalemSaberhagen]

Laurie I was clearly using an example to get my point across.

ImperialBlether, that is exactly it.

Exactly dontbuy!

[DrCoconut]

The cakes I make for my DS's are painstaking works of art. I'm reluctant to let them eat them let alone smash them! Having had a time when I've gone without food I could never allow this anyway, I really struggle with food waste as I know how it feels to go to bed hungry and cold.

[KimmySchmidtsSmile]

Okay. I googled it. This cake looks bloody lovely and the photos are actually quite nice. (Scroll down)

www.bigappleportraits.com/category/cake-smash/

Not a thing when my eldest was small. Plus I only ever do baby comp free pics or mother care offers except the photographer in hospital cos I was hormonal BUT if I wanted a nice set of photos for nostalgic reasons then a cake smash/vintage bath session photoshoot isn't the worst idea ever. The kid has a ball, eats cake with gay abandon, gets it in their hair then has a bubble bath while some other mug cleans up. On the site posted they do advice cupcakes rather than full size cakes anyway.
Unless it is chocolate looking like poo, or a huge cake looking silly or a bright neon cake looking, well, smurf like, nlk harm, no foul.
Wish I had thought of it for a recycling a relative's beautifully made and well meaning but inedible offerings.

But I thouvbht this thread might lead me to lemon drizzle cake and the current location of one of my past favourite posters Buppers/twatkins but no sign...

[nocoolnamesleft]

Was it cunningly devised by someone who couldn't bake an intact cake? That would be quite clever, really...

[KimmySchmidtsSmile]

advise
no harm
thought

Damn it, I moan about autocorrect all the time but now it's been disabled....

You make some valid points about waste...but some of the cake was being eaten and as a one-off it's not like a sodding food fight or jelly wrestling. Won't somebody think of the cake? only wins me over if my stomach is posting.

Hoping all the hand-wringers do actually contribute to food banks, foodsharing enterprises and supermarket skip diving.

[Louise43210]

It just makes me puzzled because it's all set up. When my son ate Spaghetti Bolognese for the first time I turned around for a second and his face was Orange. I took a photo because it was amusing and a surprise at the time. I'm not against planning fun but it all seems so fake.

[bibbitybobbityyhat]

"I take lots of photos of my child smearing other kinds of food in his hair."

Uh-huh.

[TamaraLamara]

They're not a "thing" unless you're a twat.

Yes.