What if I told you Utah resident physician consume more JELL - O per capita than other other state in America ? Or that Utah hasits own JELL - O - theme legislation , including a statewide JELL - O week ? Did you know that during the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City , there was on officially licensed JELL - O pin , keep the city andit ’s making love of JELL - O ? It is literally the official commonwealth collation of Utah .
It would seem that nowhere in the world is JELL - O as celebrated as the beehive state . And Utah culture is intrinsically wed to Mormon refinement , with62 % of the state ’s populationconfirmed to be members of the Church of Latter Day Saints . So in turn , the legend is yield : Mormon Church love their JELL - O. Naturally , the reason Utah - ians ( Utites ? Utah - ers ? ) seem to have an ungodly love of gelatinlike , no - bake tidy sum of goo has everything to do with marketing , not much to do with faith … and literally zero to do with Bill Cosby ( to the best of my knowledge ) .
Blame families… and marketing executives
One theory is that Mormons featherbed in the gelatin simply because they have to abstain from alcohol , coffee , and tea . JELL - O and its jiggly allure is one of the only acceptable frailty for rebellious LDS teens .
In reality , JELL - O was traditionally aimed at syndicate . And that has more to do with the link than any sacred scripture .
According to Christy Spackman ’s firearm onMormon cuisine stereotypes(specifically JELL-0 ) , sale fell dramatically in the former 1970s . Desserts became more luxuriant , integrated affairs – far from the quick and elementary templet that JELL - O was founded on .
Oren Aks/Thrillist
The caller re - post itself as a way to bring family members together with marketing campaigns featuring America ’s Dad , Bill Cosby ( hindsight : yikes ) . As Mormons tend to have larger families – their contraception restriction make the Catholic - Irish feel like a Nelly video – this was a raw fit , and a vainglorious opportunity for the flag firebrand . merchandising was heighten in Utah , and kids who were in general prohibited from more shocking , sugar - packed treats feed the hooey up . Like , actually ate the stuff and nonsense up . At record magazine .
JELL-O is ideal for big church gatherings
Mormon acculturation revolves around large assemblage – where plenty of mouths need to be feed on a blind drunk budget . As food writer and former Utah house physician Scarlett Lindeman point out in anAtlanticarticle , the logistics of JELL - O ( cheap , well made , easily salt away , lasts forever ) just make with large - scale of measurement church functions .
Also , mold can be fun ! Wholesome playfulness !
Frat parties actually played a role
JELL - O , for its part , has done nothing but reinforce the connectedness with Mormons , and overall family wholesomeness . In the later ' 70s and former ' 80s , JELL - O shots and the seldom seen but much darling " JELL - O rassling " friction match rose to prominence in sloppy frat house around the land , giving JELL - O a negative association with debauchery … a decidedly un - family - well-disposed look .
Naturally , the family - centrical brand would much prefer being linked to a body politic sleep together for being as directly - laced as Ned Flanders at a Wonderbread convention , rather than gratuitous drinking and defenseless wrasslin ' .
So , the ship’s company welcomed any data link with Mormon culture .
MrClassicAds1970s/Youtube
In the end, it’s not the worst stereotype to have
Stereotypes are generally nauseous and often hurtful … and as Mormons have uprise into a punchline of sorts , post - Book of Mormonand Mitt Romney , you ca n’t help but sense a little for them .
But , in a Utah - ian culture forever and a day linked to the organized religion , they have done nothing to slow down the connection ( remember the statewide JELL - O workweek ? )
So , the stereotype continues to be perpetuate , and in many ways embraced .
But it is important to remember this dear of JELL - O is n’t inevitably a mathematical product or idiosyncrasy of the faith , and more an expert marketing strategy base around a family - centrical acculturation . And it ’s probably ripe for the brand , too .
Unlike their last spokesperson ….
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