History Main / BullSeeingRed

The fact that the bulls react to red [[JustForFun/TropesExaminedByTheMythBusters was proven]] long before the ''Series/MythBusters'' tackled it on their show. Characters may also occasionally mention that [[AnimalsSeeInMonochrome bulls are colorblind]], but this is also untrue (though the range of colors they can see is narrower than a human's). As this awareness has grown over time, [[DeadHorseTrope expect to see many deconstructions and aversions]], with the characters pointing out these significant bits of information.

* Creator/MartyRobbins: In "Utah Carol", a herd of stampeding cattle is further agitated by seeing a red blanket trailing behind one of the riders, prompting them into charging down towards her. Utah then uses the blanket to lure the herd away from the other riders at the cost of his own life.

The fact that the color is irrelevant [[JustForFun/TropesExaminedByTheMythBusters was proven]] long before the ''Series/MythBusters'' tackled it on their show. Characters may also occasionally mention that [[AnimalsSeeInMonochrome bulls are colorblind]], but this is also untrue (though the range of colors they can see is narrower than a human's). As this awareness has grown over time, [[DeadHorseTrope expect to see many deconstructions and aversions]], with the characters pointing out these significant bits of information.

* ''ComicBook/HowardTheDuck'': Howard runs into an [[SuperZeroes idiot in a bull costume]] who claims that his enemy is the color red when the two of them are standing in line to register with the government during Howard's ''ComicBook/CivilWar'' tie-in. Howard distracts him by claiming to have seen "something red down that hall", which causes him to go charging off to destroy it. When Howard meets him again on the way out, he directs him to head for the ObstructiveBureaucrat that had just been annoying Howard.

* ''Franchise/GreenLantern'' #52 reveals that [[spoiler:the Rage Entity is a red bull]].
* ComicBook/HowardTheDuck runs into an [[SuperZeroes idiot in a bull costume]] who claims that his enemy is the color red when the two of them are standing in line to register with the government during Howard's ''ComicBook/CivilWar'' tie-in. Howard distracts him by claiming to have seen "something red down that hall", which causes him to go charging off to destroy it. When Howard meets him again on the way out, he directs him to head for the ObstructiveBureaucrat that had just been annoying Howard.

* ''VideoGame/WarioWareIncMegaMicrogame'': Played with in one of Dribble's microgames, which features a matador taunting a... rhino. [[ExactWords Hey, male rhinos are called "bulls", too]].

* Played with in one of Dribble's games in ''[[VideoGame/WarioWare WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!]]'', which features a matador taunting a... rhino. [[ExactWords Hey, male rhinos are called "bulls", too]].

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'' animated short "El Materdor", Mater tells Lightning the story about how he was a famous bulldozer fighter in Spain (bulldozers being the analog of bulls in this world). The bulldozers naturally react to Mater's red cape, and later to Lightning himself:

* Lampshaded in a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGrot7YKXoQ Russian ad]], where a guy ends up inside a fence with a bull. One of his friends shouts from outside he's wearing red. The guy covers himself with mud... and then another one of the friends remarks [[OhCrap "Aren't bulls colorblind"]]?

* ''Series/{{Bonanza}}'': A human version in the Season 12 episode "An Earthquake Called Callahan," where Sandy Duncan's character Angela goes into a rage and attacks anyone that's wearing red, holding a red cloth, etc. This helps Joe (not so "Little" by the early 1970s) get his comeuppance against ranch foreman Dusty in the final act. [[spoiler: Explanation – Dusty had been jailed early in the episode for causing a disturbance at a professional wrestling event in Virginia City, and Joe went to Okaloosa City to find the wrestler (Callahan) that got into a scuffle with Dusty, and that he could explain matters so as to free Dusty. Joe and Callahan get into a huge fight and they, along with Angela, land in jail ... but in the end, Dusty arrives in Okalossa City explaining Clem, Virginia City's deputy sheriff, had dropped all the charges. Joe realizes his trip to Okaloosa City was completely unnecessary and is royally pissed, and now, knowing what sets off Angela and seeing a red kerchief around Callahan's collar, gets an idea ... .]]

* Despite not actually using bulls, an early episode of ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'' still invokes the spirit of this trope. [[BigCreepyCrawlies Scyther]] and [[ShockAndAwe Electabuzz]] are both said to fly into a berserk rage at the sight of the color red. It just so happens that Pikachu had discovered a love for ketchup in that same episode, so during a showdown between two rival gangs whose leaders used a Scyther and Electabuzz, a stray attack splits Pikachu's ketchup bottle open, splashing the stuff across both combatants' eyes. Since everything they see is now tinted red, they promptly start attacking everything in sight (including their trainers). The one time ''did'' do the Angry Bull trope, it was a herd of Bouffalant that instead charged anyone not having a FunnyAfro like them.

* ComicBook/HowardTheDuck runs into an [[SuperZeroes idiot in a bull costume]] who claims that his enemy is the color red whefarn the two of them are standing in line to register with the government during Howard's ''ComicBook/CivilWar'' tie-in. Howard distracts him by claiming to have seen "something red down that hall", which causes him to go charging off to destroy it. When Howard meets him again on the way out, he directs him to head for the ObstructiveBureaucrat that had just been annoying Howard.

* ComicBook/HowardTheDuck runs into an [[SuperZeroes idiot in a bull costume]] who claims that his enemy is the color red when the two of them are standing in line to register with the government during Howard's ''ComicBook/CivilWar'' tie-in. Howard distracts him by claiming to have seen "something red down that hall", which causes him to go charging off to destroy it. When Howard meets him again on the way out, he directs him to head for the ObstructiveBureaucrat that had just been annoying Howard.

* Despite not actually using bulls, an early episode of ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'' still invokes the spirit of this trope. [[BigCreepyCrawlies Scyther]] and [[ShockAndAwe Electabuzz]] are both said to fly into a berserk rage at the sight of the color red. It just so happens that Pikachu had discovered a love for ketchup in that same episode, so during a showdown between two rival gangs whose leaders used a Scyther and Electabuzz, a stray attack splits Pikachu's ketchup bottle open, splashing the stuff across both combatants' eyes. Since everything they see is now tinted red, they promptly start attacking everything in sight (including their trainers).

* ''Series/{{Bonanza}}'': A human version in the Season 12 episode "An Earthquake Called Callahan," where Sandy Duncan's character Angeline goes into a rage and attacks anyone that's wearing red, holding a red cloth, etc. This helps Joe (not so "Little" by the early 1970s) get his comeuppance against Dusty in the final act.

* ''Series/{{Bonanza}}: A human version in the Season 12 episode "An Earthquake Called Callahan," where Sandy Duncan's character Angeline goes into a rage and attacks anyone that's wearing red, holding a red cloth, etc. This helps Joe (not so "Little" by the early 1970s) get his comeuppance against Dusty in the final act.

* Lampshaded in a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGrot7YKXoQ Russian ad]], where a guy ends up in inside a fence with a bull. One of his friends shouts from outside he's wearing red. The guy covers himself with mud... and then another one of the friends remarks [[OhCrap "Aren't bulls color blind"]]?

* A rarer live-action example comes from ''Film/PeeWeesBigAdventure'', when Simone's jealous ex Andy chases our hero into a Texas rodeo. A bull then catches sight of Andy's red shirt and chases him right out of the movie.

* A bull themed monster from ''Series/KikaiSentaiZenkaiger'' had the ability to give people horns and force them to chase after whatever color he commands them to.

** Busted in one episode. The experiment culminated with a terrified Tory in a red jump suit standing very still in a rodeo ring with a temperamental bull. While rodeo clowns ran around distracting the bull, Tory was completely ignored. It did look for a time like he should have brought some [[BringMyBrownPants brown pants]].
** Further tested when three capes of different colors -- red, yellow, and blue -- were waved in front of a bull herd. Turns out that the bulls went after the yellow and blue capes as often as they charged the red one.

* Creator/MartyRobbins: In "Utah Carol", a herd of stampeding cattle is further agitated by seeing a red blanket trailing behind on of the riders, prompting them into charging down towards her. Utah then uses the blanket to lure the herd away from the other riders at the cost of his own life.

* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyBattle'': A single glimpse of the color red is sometimes sufficient to send minotaurs into a maddened frenzy, because it reminds them of the blood and bloody flesh that they obsessively hunger for.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheBeatles'': In the episode "Please Please Me", the Fab Four are having a picnic in Spain, and Ringo is shaking ants off their red picnic blanket. It attracts a bull, causing John, Paul and George to run.

-->'''Mater:''' They sure liked that fancy red paintjob of yours.

** "For Whom the Bulls Toil" features a bull which only moves when WesternAnimation/{{Goofy}} produces a red handkerchief, with results that land Goofy in a Mexican bullfighting ring.

* ''WesternAnimation/MonsterHigh'': In "I Only Have Eye for You", Draculaura notices that Iris Clops has a crush on Manny Taur (whom, as his name says, is a minotaur) and tries to set them up. Unfortunately, Manny Taur goes angry whenever he sees something red (although he wears a red shirt), which happens whenever Iris tries to talk to him. Draculaura convinces her to wear a red T-shirt; since Manny likes Iris, he calms down and even comments that colors looks good on her.

* Despite not actually using bulls, an early episode of ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' still invokes the spirit of this trope. [[BigCreepyCrawlies Scyther]] and [[ShockAndAwe Electabuzz]] are both said to fly into a berserk rage at the sight of the color red. It just so happens that Pikachu had discovered a love for ketchup in that same episode, so during a showdown between two rival gangs whose leaders used a Scyther and Electabuzz, a stray attack splits Pikachu's ketchup bottle open, splashing the stuff across both combatants' eyes. Since everything they see is now tinted red, they promptly start attacking everything in sight (including their trainers).