By Susan Wloszczyna, USA TODAY
Consider the lowly garden gnome.
Whether mud-caked, faded or battered by adverse weather, they are steadfast in their silent sentry ship. And, much like their cousins in outdoor décor — the plastic pink flamingo — they often elicit strong responses.
Some find the wee, hirsute statues with their pointy caps, jolly demeanor and peasant attire to be irresistibly cute. Others simply dismiss the stone imps as tacky yard clutter.
There are also those who find them downright creepy. Actress Emily Blunt, who provides the voice for the gnomish version of Shakespeare's heroine in the new 3-D animated comedy Gnomeo & Juliet — which sprouted $25.4 million at the box office this past weekend — has confessed that the sight of little bearded men loitering about the lawn scared her as a child. Not surprising since, as folklore has it, the ornaments often come to life whenever humans aren't around — a key element in Gnomeo's story line.
In fact, websites such as Garden Gnome From Hell and How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack (which has inspired a handy manual sold on Amazon) present a portrait of the creatures that is far from benign.
Gnomeo director Kelly Asbury understands the polarizing nature of such apparently innocent objects of kitsch. On the bright side, "gnomes are supposed to be good luck in a garden, protecting against pests and diseases. A mythic gatekeeper, in the way a Kitchen Witch is."
But a darker nature exists as well. "They also are believed to have sinister properties," Asbury says. "There is a little bit of the same stigma that is attached to ventriloquist dummies and clowns. The dead eyes and the blank stares and the painted smiles. We exploit that in the movie."
Perhaps the more aggressive stance ascribed to gnomes these days is partly a defensive measure. Back in the '80s, it became quite trendy to rudely "liberate" gnomes from their habitats and send them on trips around the world. Pranksters would then taunt their distraught owners by mailing photos of the statues posed at famous landmarks.
First manufactured in Germany in the mid 18th century and later popularized in England and France, garden gnomes have never really been considered all that hip, despite appearances in such Oscar-nominated films as 1997's The Full Monty and 2001's Amélie. The closest they came to achieving any kind of cool was in 1976, when two Dutch authors exposed the lifestyle of their supposed flesh-and-blood counterparts in Gnomes, an international best seller.
Like many people, Elton John, the executive producer of Gnomeo & Juliet, never paid much attention to garden gnomes, despite having one at his residence in France. That is, until he got involved with the movie.
"Ever since, I keep seeing them on store shelves, in gardens and on T-shirts," the musical superstar says. "I believe there is a secret invasion in the States. They are out there, like aliens."
A Google search that generates 420,000 hits suggests that John might be right. Gnomes are everywhere, from socks and PJs to Halloween costumes. Those in statue form range from cheeky gnomes who moon passersby to those attired in the uniforms of sundry sports teams.
One of the surest places to find a gnome? Travelocity commercials. The Roaming Gnome, voiced in a high-pitched "pip-pip-cheerio"-type British accent by comic Harry Enfield, has been the whimsical mascot of the online travel agency since 2004.
This stouter variation — whose likeness is sold both in retail stores and online — continues to be quite the celebrity, says Andrew Donkin, senior vice president of global marketing and media. "When I came to Travelocity, I didn't believe how popular the Roaming Gnome was," he says. Until they went on a business trip together. "I took him to San Francisco and people went crazy. They were waving and beeping and wanting to be photographed with him."
A rock star among gnomes who regularly pops up on the reality show The Amazing Race spent New Year's Eve at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas hanging with Jay-Z and Coldplay. In fact, the Roaming Gnome has been enlisted to help promote Travelocity's tie-in with Gnomeo & Juliet: a sweepstakes for a getaway for two (details at travelocity.com/gnomeo).
This summer's movie version of The Smurfs, based on the blue, elflike beings from the '80s cartoon series, might offer some competition for Gnomeo and his short-statured brethren. But John knows where his allegiance lies: "I'd rather have a gnome than a Smurf in my garden any day."
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