Gelling agents and gelatinous compositions

A gelling agent comprising an organopolysiloxane having a silicon-bonded organic group Y represented by general formula (1) and an optionally substituted C9 or more univalent hydrocarbon group Z:

• wherein R1 designates a group containing metal salt of a carboxylic acid represented by formula —COO−(Mn+)1/n, where M is a metal that has a valence of 1 or higher, and n is the valence of M;
• X's designate the same or different C2 to C14 bivalent hydrocarbon groups;
• and p designates an integer from 0 to 10;
• wherein the organopolysiloxane is a linear-chain organopolysiloxane represented by general formula (3):
• wherein R is a C1 to C8 alkyl group except for the organic group represented by general formula (1), Y designates an organic group of general formula (1), B is R, Y or Z, the subscript “s” designates an integer in the range of 10 to 100,000, “t” designates an integer between 0 and 50, and “u” designates an integer between 0 and 1000, and wherein when t=0, at least one of the two B's is Y, when u=0, at least one of the two B's is Z, and when t=0 and u=0, one of the two B's is Y and another is Z;
• and
• wherein (s+t+u) is an integer from 20 to 5000, {t/(s+t+u)} is in the range of 0.001 to 0.05, and {u/(s+t+u)} is in the range of 0.001 to 0.30.