Ared carpetis traditionally used to mark the route taken byheads of stateon ceremonial and formal occasions, and has in recent decades been extended to use byVIPsandcelebritiesat formal events.
History
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The earliest known reference to walking a red carpet in literature is in the playAgamemnonbyAeschylus,written in 458 BC. When the title character returns from Troy, he is greeted by his wifeClytemnestrawho offers him a red path to walk upon:
Now, dearest husband, come, step from your chariot.
But do not set to earth, my lord, the conquering foot
That trod down Troy. Servants, do as you have been bidden;
Make haste, carpet his way with crimson tapestries,
Spread silk before your master’s feet; Justice herself
Shall lead him to a home he never hoped to see.[1]
Agamemnon, knowing that onlygodswalk on such luxury, responds with trepidation:
I count it dangerous, being mortal, to set foot
On rich embroidered silks. I would be reverenced
As man, not god. The praise of fame rings clear without
These frills and fancy foot-rugs;[1]
Renaissance paintings often show rugs and carpets in oriental patterns,with red often the main background colour, laid on the steps to a throne, or on a dais where rulers or sacred figures are placed.
A red carpet was rolled out to a river to welcome the arrival of United States presidentJames Monroein 1821.[2]In 1902, theNew York Central Railroadbegan using plush crimson carpets to direct people as they boarded their20th Century Limitedpassenger train. This is believed to be the origin of the phrase "red-carpet treatment".[3]
By the late 1920s the red carpet had become synonymous withHollywoodand filmpremieres.A crimson-hued carpet was used for the first ever Hollywood premiere, the 1922 premiere ofRobin Hood,starringDouglas Fairbanks,in front of theEgyptian Theatre.For the following decades, the red carpet was one of the few places the public could catch a glimpse of stars likeClark Gable,Jimmy StewartandGrace Kelly.[4]
In 1961, the red carpet was introduced at theAcademy Awardsat theSanta Monica Civic Auditorium.In 1964, the broadcasters of the ceremony opted to film outside the venue, showing the arrival of guests as they stepped out of their limousines. From this point forward, the red carpet became a globally acknowledged focal point for actors and actresses to make a grand entrance and showcase themselves at the Oscars.[4]
Publicity events
editA red carpet is also used in gala celebrity events such as theAcademy Awards,Golden Globe Awards,Grammy Awards,Met Gala,andBAFTAs.While the awards take place inside, much of the publicity and excitement takes place outside with journalists discussing thered carpet fashions,what designers are being worn by which stars and photographers taking pictures in thepress line.This is now a spectacular international product placement arena of great importance to the fashion industry. Red carpets are often coupled withpublicity backdropswhich contain brand logos or emblems for photography purposes.[5]
Other colors
editCarpeting in other colors may replace red in some instances to honor a certain cause, such as a "green carpet" to promote environmental awareness; or, for a sponsored event, the sponsor's logo colors, such as theNickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards,which uses an orange carpet to match the network's primary imaging color;[6]TheMTV Video Music Awardshave similarly varied, with some editions having used black (2022),[7]white (2016),[8]and blue (2017) carpets.[9]
In 2019, the premiere of the filmDetective Pikachu(2019) used a yellow carpet to match the color of its title characterPikachu.[10]The premiere ofSonic the Hedgehog(2020) used a blue carpet to match itsnamesake character.[11]
At the95th Academy Awardsin 2023, the organizers chose a differentchampagnecolor for the first time since the red carpet was introduced, as part of an attempt to better reflect a "day event into the night".[12]
TheJeopardy! Honorsevent, which was held annually since Season 39 on the eve of theTournament of Champions,featured a blue carpet, in order to match the color of its background used during clues and dollar amounts shown on the clue board, from inside the Alex Trebek Stage atSony Pictures Studios.
Phrases
editMore generally, "red carpet treatment" and "rolling out the red carpet" usually refer to any special efforts made in the interests ofhospitality.[citation needed]
Airline lounges
editUnited Airlinesoperates a series ofairport loungesat major airports that were formerly known as "Red Carpet Clubs".[citation needed]
See also
editReferences
edit
- ^abAeschylus (26 July 1973).The Oresteian Trilogy.Translated by Vellacott, Philip. Penguin UK.ISBN978-0-14-190629-4.OCLC1004977950.
- ^"A brief history of Georgetown County (South Carolina)".Archived fromthe originalon February 11, 1998.
- ^Henderson, Amy."What is the Origin of Hollywood's Red Carpet?".smithsonianmag.
- ^abBaker, Lindsay (22 February 2016)."Where does the red carpet come from?".BBC News.
- ^Jeff Schear (October 11, 2010)."Red Carpet Misconceptions".Chicago Now.RetrievedApril 2,2015.
- ^Carly Ledbetter (March 28, 2015)."Kids' Choice Awards 2015 orange carpet style was brighter than ever".Huffington Post.RetrievedApril 2,2015.
- ^"Lil Nas X Shuts Down the 2022 VMAs Black Carpet in a 'Heavy' Feathered Headpiece: 'I Feel Amazing'".People.Retrieved2023-07-26.
- ^"Blue Ivy and Mom Beyonce Flutter Down the White Carpet at the VMAs".ABC News.Retrieved2023-07-26.
- ^Gray, Yasmine (2017-08-28)."12 of the Best Red-Hot Looks From The 2017 VMAs".Billboard.Retrieved2023-07-26.
- ^Silliman, Brian (3 May 2019)."Talking favorite Pokémon, sequel hopes on Detective Pikachu's yellow carpet".SYFY WIRE.
- ^D'Alessandro, Anthony (17 February 2020)."'Sonic The Hedgehog' breaks video game pic opening record with $70m & reps 4th-best Presidents' Weekend debut – Monday Update ".Deadline.
premiere on the Paramount lot featuring games and activities for kids on a blue carpet.
- ^Gardner, Chris (2023-03-10)."Oscars 2023: Why the Red Carpet Isn't Actually Red".The Hollywood Reporter.Retrieved2023-03-12.