It is important to note that gelatine molds first came into common use in the late 1800s, so there was a significant degree of novelty involved in their appeal. There was also a fair degree of competition among the affluent regarding the elaborateness of the mold itself.

Further, the popularity of things like tomato aspic and salmon aspic attest to the fact that at least some people must have enjoyed eating them.

Jello molds enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in the 1950s, and it was indeed common to see cookbooks with recipes for jello molds whose ingredients seem to defy modern sensibilities. It is undoubtedly true that novelty again played at least a part in some of these creations. However, it is also true that some jello molds actually tasted good.

With multicolor/multilayer molds, the time factor involved may well have been a kind of display of leisure time or artfulness.