mormons and their jello

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Jell-O is very near and dear to the Mormons. A recent poll showed each Utah resident consumes on average 150 pounds of Jell-0 each year. Last year, Jell-O was named the "official snack" of Utah by the state legislature.
my friend just did an academic paper on this phenomenon. i ask: why?

this dude (John Marchesan, tsn.ca) answers:
Well, most Utahans says it's because of the sweetness.
Mormons generally abstain from alcohol, tobacco and caffeine. So that makes sugar a golden elixir in these parts. (Apparently, green Jell-O with carrot shavings is the number one form of the jiggling desert!)
How much do they love their Jell-O? Well, consider that prior to the start of the Olympics, the "Jell-O Museum" was THE biggest attraction at a nearby mall.
Experts were there to speak to the cultural-enlightenment powers of gelatin and swap long held family recipes and memories of Jell-O. There were also displays on the history of Jell-O, created in the 1800's by Peter Cooper. (Did you know that in the 1920's, each Jell-O box contained a small folded paper doll!) Most Utahans went out of their way to visit the museum, such as Jolene Merrill, who admitted to playing hooky from her job just to visit the display. "This is like getting in touch with my culture," she was heard to say.

i suppose it's also got something to do with it being cheap and easy to make, and with families the sizes of football teams, i suppose both come in handy. any other suggestions?

― dahlin (dahlin), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 17:41 (twenty years ago)

how do you pronounce "Utahans"?

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 17:45 (twenty years ago)

Is it true that mormons call green jell-o "salad"?

― C J (C J), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 17:45 (twenty years ago)

150 lbs of Jell-O is a lot. Jell-O ain't heavy, he's my brother.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 17:46 (twenty years ago)

you-teh-HAAN

i think it's maybe the sweetness, dahlin

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 17:47 (twenty years ago)

I've heard of this phenomenon, as well.

Another consumer trend among Mormons: TRAMPOLINES.

My friend Chris had a theory that Mormon families were disproportionately inclined to own trampolines than non-Mormon families, based on a couple of Mormons that he knew. One day, he found himself on an airplane with an entire swarm of young Mormon men about to go on their mission. Seeing this as an opportunity, he stood up and asked them how many of their families owned trampolines. Half of them raised their hands.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 17:52 (twenty years ago)

They're not trampolines, they're just jumping on the Jell-o.

― C J (C J), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 17:53 (twenty years ago)

jiggliness is next to godliness

― jones (actual), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 17:54 (twenty years ago)

in that case, i'm jesus

― dahlin (dahlin), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 18:05 (twenty years ago)

are you sweet, mark?

― dahlin (dahlin), Tuesday, 28 June 2005 18:23 (twenty years ago)

my mothers wedding present from her ward was a relief society cookbook with 65 recipes for jello

― anthony easton (anthony), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 03:42 (twenty years ago)

jaymc. i've heard the trampoline one too.

― The Amazing Jaxon! (jaxon), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 03:45 (twenty years ago)

i only like JELLO JIGGLERS.

― gunther heartymeal (keckles), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 03:47 (twenty years ago)

i broke my ankle on a trampoline after primary schol

― anthony easton (anthony), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 03:50 (twenty years ago)

Don't forget basketball.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 04:28 (twenty years ago)

How much do they love their Jell-O? Well, consider that prior to the start of the Olympics, the "Jell-O Museum" was THE biggest attraction at a nearby mall.

Did the olympians eat it all or something?

― Sasha (sgh), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 05:01 (twenty years ago)

It's all because of their magic underpants.

― StanM (StanM), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 05:14 (twenty years ago)

maybe they like jello wrestling?!?

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 05:18 (twenty years ago)

magic underpants?

― dahlin (dahlin), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 10:13 (twenty years ago)

carrot shavings

WTF?

― tissp! (the impossible shortest specia), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 10:15 (twenty years ago)

carrots are sweet. and healthy. and add texture. maybe.

― dahlin (dahlin), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 10:26 (twenty years ago)

They are in a culinary time-warp maybe? In the 1950s and 1960s didn't mainstream WASP America all eat this way? (With pockets of whitebread protestants continuing well into the 80s?)

Is "jello salad" really no longer a familiar term to people? (I want to feign outrage, but I'm afraid that's a good thing if true.) When I was a kid I went to some churches where jello salads must have sometimes made up 25% of what was on offer at covered-dish suppers.

See: Whitebread Protestants

― RS (Catalino) LaRue (RSLaRue), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 11:03 (twenty years ago)

Maybe Mormon consumption of jello started as a plea for mainstream acceptance?

― RS (Catalino) LaRue (RSLaRue), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 11:05 (twenty years ago)

Mormon Magical Undergarments: prevent the wearer from uncarnal acts while asleep. Thought they were a rural legend first, but they're really real.

http://nowscape.com/mormon/undrwrmo-couple.jpg

― StanM (StanM), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 11:16 (twenty years ago)

prevent them from carnal acts, not uncarnal, obv.

― StanM (StanM), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 11:17 (twenty years ago)

wow. magical

― dahlin (dahlin), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 11:20 (twenty years ago)

you could still rub one off.

― AaronK (AaronK), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 11:53 (twenty years ago)

I'm now taking a whole new meaning from "Mormons and their Jello", and I don't like it

― tissp! (the impossible shortest specia), Wednesday, 29 June 2005 12:04 (twenty years ago)

i like it

― dahlin (dahlin), Thursday, 30 June 2005 07:52 (twenty years ago)

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