A wiggly, translucent gelatin dessert made by mixing gelatin with fruit juice or flavored liquid and letting it set in the refrigerator.
Jello is a trademarked brand name (from 'gelatin') introduced by Pearle Wait in 1897 and popularized by Orator Frank Woodward. The brand became so dominant that 'Jello' became a genericized trademark—people use the brand name instead of saying 'gelatin dessert.'
Jello became a symbol of mid-century American domesticity and prosperity—it was affordable, colorful, could suspend exotic fruits and vegetables, and embodied modern convenience. But it also became a punchline for bland suburban conformity, showing how the same product can represent both progress and anxiety.
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