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Lego is one of the most recognizable toy brands of the 21st century. These iconic building blocks tapped into human imagination and allowed users to construct intricate masterpieces. The almost unlimited ways in which the different pieces could interconnect meant that even playing with the same Lego sets was never boring. The popularity of the brand soon saw it collaborating with some of pop culture's biggest franchises, such as Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Harry Potter. The toy giant has also opened a series of Lego-based theme parks around the world in countries ranging from England to Japan.
Lego is a huge part of many people’s childhood and becomes a huge source of nostalgia deep into adulthood. As a result, the blocks have a strong adult following and are an enthusiastic hobby for many. Reducing any potential risks that could arise from having adult and child fans of Lego interacting is a top priority for the company. With the release of their Lego Life app, the developers have taken many steps to ensure that it is as safe as possible for its primarily juvenile users. Some of the measures include anonymous profiles, account verification, and strict moderation of both text chats and video/ photo uploads. There is verified parental consent and revealing personal information or sharing unsuitable material will result in an instant ban.
Concerns for child safety have similarly influenced their theme park policies. In Australia, the country’s first Legoland Discovery Centre forbids entry to any adult unaccompanied by a child of 17 or under. This decision has led to outrage amongst adult Lego fans who believe the strategy is discriminatory and violates human rights laws. As a response to the backlash, the Legoland resort will hold monthly adult-only nights where older fans can enjoy the fun on offer.
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Living the Gnome Life
Unfortunately for those who choose to keep them, garden gnomes aren’t guaranteed a long life. An easy target for drunken revelers, gnome theft is far from uncommon. Intoxicated young people have a tendency to pilfer on their way home. Considering drunk people will steal any useless junk, from traffic cones to ‘For Sale’ signs, garden gnomes are comparatively fancy. Furthermore, these garden knick-knacks are perpetually at the mercy of the weather and often find themselves the unfortunate victims of a mishit football.
Whilst every gnome enthusiast is sure to have their favorites, people don’t tend to become overly attached to their lawn ornaments. After noticing one of her garden gnomes missing, Bev York presumed that they had suffered a similarly unfortunate fate to that of many that came before it. Presuming it was lost forever, the British Columbia resident was stunned to see it not only return, but have a riveting story to accompany it.
It took eight months for the missing gnome to return home, reappearing on the porch with a photo book showing every stage of his wild adventure. The book brought the ornament to life, giving it the name Leopold and giving the gnome’s first-person account of a desire to expand his horizons and experience something aside from rainwater and mud. Leopold’s jaunt saw him visiting some of America’s most famous landmarks, such as the Grand Canyon and Route 66. The lucky gnome even got a taste of what it’s like abroad with a short stay in Mexico, all of which have photo evidence and show little Leopold loving every minute. Bev was so charmed by her gnome’s homecoming and the story that went with it that she posted the story online, which soon garnered a lot of attention and went viral. We could all take a page from Leopold’s book and have a bit more spontaneity in life.
