BRENTWOOD, Tenn. - A survey conducted by lawn mower manufacturer Murray Inc. revealed that given their choice of a property to mow, men chose the White House lawn, and given the choice of a celebrity to mow their lawns, women chose Tom Cruise.
The company’s first ever Murray Mowing Survey showed consumers' hidden desires about yard- keeping. It was conducted nationwide by independent research firm Market Facts with the results based on the responses of 1,000 individuals.
A PRESIDENTIAL CUT. Men were asked the location they would choose if they could mow the grass at a national landmark or sporting venue. Topping the list was the White House lawn, capturing more than a fourth of the overall vote, followed by Pebble Beach Golf Course along the California coast. The Rose Bowl in Pasadena finished third, while Yankee Stadium came in fourth. Rounding out the top five was Graceland, Elvis Presley’s former home in Memphis.
Here's the official ranking:
- White House Lawn: 27.3%
- Pebble Beach Golf Course: 16.4%
- Rose Bowl: 14.8%
- Yankee Stadium: 10.3%
- Graceland: 9.6%
- Augusta National Golf Course: 8.7%
- St. Andrews Golf Course: 7.1%
- Lambeau Field: 5.9%
- Dodger Stadium: 5.5%
- Fenway Park: 4.4%
While golf courses and sports stadiums ranked high in the Murray Mowing Survey, two national landmarks - the White House and Graceland - made the top five.
"When you think about it, it makes sense," explained Nicki Brooks, a spokesperson for Murray. "Our customers have always told us that having a terrific-looking lawn is a great source of pride among American homeowners. In the end, both the White House and Graceland are just really amazing homes."
CRUISING FOR CELEBRITY LAWN CARE. Women respondents in the Murray survey were asked an open-ended question about what celebrity they would choose to mow their lawns. Responses generated more than 200 different names, but actor Tom Cruise was the top vote getter with nearly 12 percent of the vote. Mel Gibson followed at 9 percent, while Brad Pitt garnered 7 percent. Rounding out the top five were Denzel Washington and Tom Selleck. Not far behind was President George W. Bush, who received as many votes as Kevin Costner and surpassed Sean Connery, Bill Clinton and even Oscar-winner Tom Hanks in popularity.
Here's the top 10 list:
- Tom Cruise: 11.5%
- Mel Gibson: 9.1%
- Brad Pitt: 7.3%
- Denzel Washington: 3.2%
- Tom Selleck: 2.7%
- George W. Bush: 2.5%
- Kevin Costner: 2.5%
- Sean Connery: 2.4%
- Tom Hanks: 2.4%
- Bill Clinton: 2.3%
Among the other remaining potential groundskeepers, Rush Limbaugh slightly outranked Ricky Martin, Garth Brooks and Michael Jordan.
"We're not surprised that women are influenced by the ‘hunk’ factor," said Brooks. "What is difficult to discern is why people like President Bush, former President Clinton and radio personality Rush Limbaugh made the list. Do these women truly admire these figures, or do they just want to see them roll up their sleeves and do some manual labor?"
MOW MONEY. A final intriguing result from the Murray Mowing Survey is that people who mow the family lawn as teens tend to show up later in life in the higher income brackets, and they also tend to have the highest education levels. "Mowing grass is a natural way for teens to learn the value of responsibility and hard work at home," Brooks observed, "and it seems to pay off with success later in life."
For more information about Murray Inc. visit the company’s Web site at www.murrayinc.com.