Here’s a Jello commercial from 1979. Plot: a family reunion briefly turns sour when the hostess says she hasn’t made dessert. But things change when she adds that she made Jello! Out comes a frightening round mass of red goo molded into the shape of a pie. People are amused and play with it. It shakes and shimmies like some sort of too-cute sci-fi creature. Everyone’s happy.

Plot issues: nothing about this food looks like it would make anyone happy. Indeed it might have been better off if the hostess had stuck to her story about not having made dessert and then everyone takes a bonding family walk to the local ice cream place for Sundaes and Parfaits and Shakes and Malted’s. Certainly I’d feel better about things since I can think of little as unappetizing as the bowl of red gelatinous goo that she foists upon her family. Conclusion: are the happy smiles because this is definitely the last family get-together forever?