11/9 Urmston- "Celebrities and the Red Carpet"

We’ve all seen it at least once in our lives, whether you’re watching from your television at home, browsing the internet, picked up a magazine, or are lucky enough to attend it in person. 

The limousine pulls up as the crowd’s already eager tone is now at an uproar. The car door opens while the flashes from the cameras are rapid in hope to capture something glorious. Then there is the exit and walk, which creates the loudest sounds of all.  

Red Carpet events are momentous. 

“The red carpet” was first mentioned back in 458 B.C. for the Aeschylus play Agamemnon, the story of “a Trojan War hero who returns home to find a crimson carpet rolled out for him by his wife. The protagonist balks at the prospect of “trampl[ing] upon these tinted splendors” because he—“a man, a mortal”—does not believe himself worthy of strolling the gods’ walkway.” (Vanity Fair).

Although it was unrelated to Hollywood celebrities at the time, “the red carpet” was often used as a startling entrance for royalty, presidents, and dictators of all kinds throughout the earlier centuries. Some today might argue that celebrities are all of those things… (Sorry, Kanye. You are not god). 

However, the best-determined history of “the red carpet” goes all the way back to 1902 when the New York Central Railroad used them to guide passengers onto the 20^th Century Limited passenger train. (History of the Red Carpets). Finally, the idea of “the red carpet” tradition was born when late Hollywood Showman Sid Grauman rolled out “a crimson-colored walkway in front of his Egyptian Theatre for the first-ever Hollywood premiere, Robin Hood starring Douglas Fairbanks, in 1922.” (Vanity Fair). 

Since then, the carpet was used on various occasions—even when television screens were still in black and white and viewers couldn’t tell the difference. Before the age of pushy, relentless paparazzi and overly aggressive fans, “the red carpet” was a magical place where movie stars would hang out and sign autographs as they entered premiers. Sure, these characteristics are still used today—but thanks to tabloids and the internet, there is a much larger crowd and a lot more screaming. 

Soon, the Oscars, Grammys, and Academy Awards were created, giving “the red carpet” a whole new meaning. Celebrities were in control of what they wore, and since the 70s, style on “the red carpet” became a complete game-changer. (i.e. “Who Are You Wearing?” and “Who Wore It Best?”) It was clear that one strip of carpet was more than just a place to walk. Instead, it was a place to shine. 

Image source

The color of “the red carpet” symbolizes power, fame, and importance. It is used for those who are well known and succeeded in something great. It is meant to make the person walking upon it feel their own worth and remembered. 

Those who walk “the red carpet” are to stand out among the crowd and feel every bit of magic that comes with it.

Works Cited

"Custom Red Carpets." History of the Red Carpet. Web. 9 Nov. 2015. 

“Red Carpet.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 9 Nov. 2015. 

"The History of Hollywood's Red Carpet, From Douglas Fairbanks to the Mani Cam." Vanity Fair. Web. 9 Nov. 2015.