Watch it wiggle

Once billed as the most popular dessert in the United States, Jell-O had lost its luster by the turn of the 21st century. Sales of the gelatin product slumped, and people shared – and mocked – images from garish and weird 1960s-era gelatin desserts. In an effort to regain fans, the makers of Jell-O have a new invention: the JELL-OMETER, coming soon to an arena near you. The company is using this device as a method of measuring crowd energy at sporting events.

To do this, a large molded Jell-O dessert sits atop a specially designed plate that senses sound pressure from the crowd’s cheers (and perhaps their stomps too). The intensity is measured in “jiggles” on a scale from 1 to 10. A 1 on this scale is equivalent to a microwave oven, while a 10 is allegedly similar to a small earthquake rumble. Kathryn O’Brien, the Kraft Heinz Company’s head of marketing for desserts, said in a statement: “With the JELL-OMETER, we’re bringing the iconic Jell-O jiggle to sports to give the fans something they’ve long waited for—the opportunity to secure bragging rights on who has the most passionate fanbase.” 

Will this fix Jell-O’s woes? It might if it adds to the uptick in interest due to the TikTok trend of using Jell-O as a weight loss tool. There is also renewed interest in Jell-O shots, with some high end bars serving zhuzhed up versions of the 90s party staple. I am partial to Jell-O since it played a big role in desserts when I was growing up, but today I tend to eschew the neon-colored, artificially flavored versions for something more refined like mousse. But I’ll never turn down a bowl of Jell-O if someone offers it to me (60s tuna or cottage versions excluded).