Rolling Out the Red Carpet

Red carpets probably make you think of glamorous Hollywood stars, like Tom Holland and Zendaya. But walking the red carpet is not a new tradition. In fact, the first known mention of walking the red carpet was nearly 2,500 years ago, in a Greek play called Agamemnon. In the story, King Agamemnon, who’s/whose been away fighting in the Trojan War, returns home and walks down “a crimson path” laid out by his wife.

“The red carpet” was not a spectator event until 1964. That’s when producers of the Academy Awards decided to broadcast more footage of celebrities as they arrived to the event. Back then, the red carpet was a place where fans would gather to catch a glimpse of their favorite stars before they went inside for the show. Reporters and photographers kept a respectful distance. Today this is not the case. Celebrities—who’s/whose red-carpet experiences have become pretty intense—now have to deal with hundreds of reporters and photographers all shouting for their attention. Sorry, Michael!

Today we say that a person who’s/whose being treated really well is getting “the red-carpet treatment.” This expression most likely dates back to 1902, when the New York Central Railroad wanted to make the passengers who traveled on its most expensive train line feel special. These passengers, who’s/whose expectations were often quite high, were welcomed aboard with plush crimson carpets (as well as with other luxuries, like oysters and fancy drinks)