WTF?!? Part the First

Sometimes I read stuff in the papers and on the internet that just completely does my head in. Makes me wonder what kind of world we live in. Today, therefore, I have decided to commence an occasional series of posts, (not very) cleverly titled 'WTF?!?', which will be devoted to selected stories I consider worthy of scorn and ridicule.

For this, my first installment, consider the emerging social phenomenon of Childbirth as Spectator Sport. Yes, that's right. Last Sunday's NYT featured a story on the plight of a certain class of expectant mother. It seems it's no longer enough to stress about who to invite (or not invite) to your wedding and baby shower. Now, Yummy Mummies everywhere are fraught with angst over whom to favour with an invitation to view the actual birth of their babies. Forget about your husband and maybe your mother. Apparently, childbirth invitations are becoming sought after by in-laws, siblings, and even office co-workers:

Just a generation after fathers had to beg or even sue for the right to be present, the door to the delivery room has swung wide open. Even the most traditional hospitals now allow multiple guests during labor, transforming birth from a private affair into one that requires a guest list. Like bridesmaids and pallbearers, the invitees are marked as an honored group of intimates. But few weddings or funerals involve nudity, blood or heavy anesthetics.

Needless to say, I find the thought of such a public spectacle to be grotesque. Is nothing sacred?