In the Ancient Greek play Agamemnon, written in 458 BCE, the titular king has a red carpet pathway set out for him when he returns from the Trojan War. A brief history of red carpetsĮvery year around the Oscars, movie stars are taking part in a red carpet tradition that’s believed to date back thousands of years. Rather than referring to carpets of any kind or color, getting the red carpet treatment in these cases may mean something as extravagant as having a party meet the person at the door or something as simple as being ushered to the prime seats in the house. People roll out the red carpet for special guests, while those who are held in high esteem can get the red carpet treatment at events and restaurants. Today, the red carpet is loaded with metaphorical meanings tied to respect and honoring a person. The growth of what the red carpet means and stands for doesn’t stop at celebrities. The definitions are connected in this way, though for celebrities the red carpet is almost exclusively for awards ceremonies. We do, however, have celebrities who capture about as much, if not more, of our attention as royals do in some other countries. Or people who work for the Queen of England may stretch a literal red carpet from her car to the door of wherever she’s going.Īmerica doesn’t have royals. The United States president, when traveling by plane to another country, may have a red carpet laid out on the tarmac for him to walk from the plane to the building, for example. Another definition for red carpet is a strip of carpet (red, obviously) for high-ranking dignitaries and royals so they can avoid having to walk on the ground the rest of us use. The red carpet wasn’t always so tied to awards shows. Regina King may be stopped for a quick question on what designer she’s wearing on the red carpet, for example, or all eyes might be on Janelle Monáe walking the red carpet before taking her seat. You know the type of action: interviewers shouting questions about what people are wearing, camera lights flashing, and video cameras rushing around to film as many people walking and standing as they can. This is the area where people watching the event from home catch all the pre-awards action. The red capet, in the celebrity sense, is “an area abutting the entrance to a building, usually carpeted in red, where celebrities gather and walk before participating in or taking their seats at a big event.” What’s your favorite red carpet event? If you love the Golden Globes, read more about them here. To fully understand all that the red carpet means and has come to mean, let’s roll out the red carpet and give the phrase the-what else?- red carpet treatment. But this association has a much longer history. Hollywood’s big night, the Oscars, is a prime example. When you hear the phrase red carpet, what comes to mind? Chances are that it’s not the questionable red shag from the ’70s that covers the living room in your relative’s aging home.įor many people, the red carpet is synonymous with prestige, status, celebrity, ceremony, and a whole lot of pomp and circumstance.
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