lauralh | from the "where do i get to register"? department

The bridal shower in today's society is completely obsolete. Oh, sure, there's still a few people who go straight from mom's house to the dorm to a married-house, but that's a pretty low percentage. Here's some ideas for non-tacky* gift-giving/receiving parties:

the "i survived the dot-com era but I had to sell my condo" shower

This is an anti-shower, where you sell all the gadgets you own while feeding people tea and crumpets. Trade your Espresso Machine for a Mr. Coffee!

the "we're no longer paying separate rents" shower

Similarly, you get rid of the stuff you now have two of.

the "i'm not marrying that jerkoff" shower

Now that he's taken his shit back, you're missing a lot of essential household appliances. But you can finally get some of the stuff he'd never spring for, like a cast-iron pan or a blender not primarily used for margaritas.

Any other ideas?

eta:
The "I'm moving out of my parents' place" shower

apt for gen-x and beyond, this is mainly the parents chipping in for a bunch of furniture (either used or new) and buddies finally celebrating the Pad.

The "I'm graduating college with a crappy job so you're getting me stuff anyway"

Combine the graduation party with a gift registry to lessen confusion and avoid the tackiness of cash.