Red Carpet

(Red Carpet Premiere of "Bourne Ultimatum")
(Red Carpet at Potsdamer Platz, Berlin)
(Matt Damon)
(Julia Stiles)

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The 20th Century Limited - an express passenger train for the upper class and business travelers heading from NYC to Chicago in 1902 to 1967.

Known for its speed and style, the elite guests were invited to board on their swift journey by way of a plush, crimson carpet.

So began the red carpet trend, and so it continues.

My question: Can the paparazzi free walk the walk?

In my mind, they are the real show.

The red carpet premiere of "The Bourne Ultimatum" (starring Matt Damon and Julia Stiles) at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin tested the fate of the unknown film screen faces.

As the reporters, producers, and photographers sluggishly stood around - checking battery and tape, teasing their hair, and fiddling for the arrival of the stars - I could not get my eyes off the crimson red.

Nearly one-hundred people cruised by and their stature, demeanor, and look told it all.

Some walked with a significant other, and though they appeared to be engulfed in a comical conversation, one could easily see it was pre-planned banter - chuckle every 30 seconds, tell me about your day, and we will reach the end before we know it.

Others walked solo, with their eyes cast towards the horizon, waiting for the dark entrance into the theater where they could disappear.

Some tried to play the role. Decked out in gowns, high heals, and a permanent smile, they looked to the sea of onlookers and showed off their porcelain gleam.

Or there were the ones who looked like they pounded a bottle of champagne beforehand and were racing in a 100 meter sprint to the restroom.

How would you walk the carpet?