History Main / BullSeeingRed

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 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, expect to see many deconstructions and aversions, with the characters pointing out these significant bits of information.

* In one episode of ''Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena'', shortly after [[ItMakesSenseInContext Nanami turns into a cow after wearing a cowbell for several days]], Anthy finishes the sweater she had been knitting the entire episode and gives it to Utena. A red sweater. Which results in Cow!Nanami becoming enraged and Utena using the sweater as a bullfighter's cape.

* ''Series/EmptyNest'': After Harry is visited by his carefree globetrotting brother, he decides to travel to [[ItsAlwaysMardiGrasInNewOrleans Pamplona for the Running of the Bulls]], [[ItMakesAsMuchSenseInContext wearing a red sweater and no sunscreen]]. The episode ends with him frantically trying to remove the sweater as the bull herd approaches.

This idea was started by bullfights in Spain, Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, where a matador would wave a large red cape to get a bull to charge at him. In real life, it's not the color of the cape the matador's waving that makes the bull charge; it's the fact that the matador is waving the cape at all. In fact, the cape being universally portrayed as red in the first place is actually a DeadHorseTrope by itself: modern bullfighting is mostly done with a ''[[RealMenWearPink fuchsia]]'' cape (called ''capote''), and they only switch to a red one (called ''muleta'') for the last third of the round.

This idea was started by bullfights in Spain, Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, where a matador would wave a large red cape to get a bull to charge at him. In real life, it's not the color of the cape the matador's waving that makes the bull charge; it's the fact that the matador is waving the cape at all. In fact, the cape being universally portrayed as red in the first place is actually a DeadHorseTrope: in real life, modern bullfighting is mostly done with a ''[[RealMenWearPink fuchsia]]'' cape (called ''capote''), and they only switch to a red one (called ''muleta'') for the last third of the round.

This idea was started by bullfights in Spain, Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, where a matador would wave a large red cape to get a bull to charge at him. In real life, it's not the color of the cape the matador's waving that makes the bull charge; it's the fact that the matador is waving the cape at all. 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 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, expect to see many deconstructions and aversions, with the characters pointing out these significant bits of information.

The actual reason for the use of red in RealLife bullfighting is to mask the bull's blood, as covered by BringMyRedJacket. See also RedIsViolent and BrutishBulls.

The actual reason for the use of red in RealLife bullfighting is to mask the bull's blood, as covered by BringMyRedJacket. See also RedIsViolent.

In real life, it's not the color of the cape the matador's waving; it's the fact that he's ''waving'' it. 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 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, expect to see many deconstructions and aversions, with the characters pointing out these significant bits of information.

* Busted in one episode of ''Series/MythBusters''. 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]]

* In ''Literature/TheBerenstainBears'' cartoon this trope was averted when the characters are told to distract the bull by waving their brown scout hats. As the smart one points out, it's not the color so much as the motion that the objects that makes them upset.

* In ''Literature/TheBerensteinBears'' cartoon this trope was averted when the characters are told to distract the bull by waving their brown scout hats. As the smart one points out, it's not the color so much as the motion that the objects that makes them upset.

* In the ''Literature/BerensteinBears'' cartoon this trope was averted when the characters are told to distract the bull by waving their brown scout hats. As the smart one points out, it's not the color so much as the motion that the objects that makes them upset.

The actual reason for the use of red in RealLife bullfighting is covered by BringMyRedJacket. [[spoiler: It's to mask the bull's blood.]] See also RedIsViolent.

* The best live-action example has to be from ''PeeWeesBigAdventure'', when the red shirt-clad bully chases our hero into a Texas rodeo.

* In TopTen, they mention that bulls are ''colorblind''.
* The same happens in a DonaldDuck comic story, ''"The colorblind bull"'', where Grandma Coot has a - [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin yeah]], and said bull starts rampaging at the sight of anything that's ''light blue''. The ''real'' disaster happened after the bull won the ''blue ribbon'' at a fair, and Donald (who still didn't understand what the problem was) got the bright idea of sticking the ribbon to the bull's forehead...

The actual reason for the use of red in RealLife bullfighting is covered by BringMyRedJacket. [[spoiler: It's to mask the bull's blood.]]

[[folder: Anime & Manga]]

[[folder: Comic Books]]

[[folder:Film]]
* The best live-action example has to be from ''PeeWeesBigAdventure'', when the red shirt-clad bully chases our hero into a Texas rodeo.
* Danny [=DeVito=]'s character in ''Film/JohnnyDangerously'' is whacked by handing him a Schlitz malt liquor and a red smoking jacket. Sure enough, the Schlitz Bull comes charging through the wall at him. Which, for those not aware, is a ShoutOut to Schlitz's famous late 70's/early 80's ad campaign where a bull would do a Kool-Aid Man wall crash at the end of each commercial.

[[folder: Live Action TV]]
* Busted in one episode of ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}''. 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]]
* In the Adam West ''Series/{{Batman}}'', the trope is subverted when Batman escapes a deathtrap of being tied to the ground to be trampled by a herd of bulls. He frees himself and waves his cape to make the charging herd avoid him. When Robin notes he was able to do that without the cape being red, Batman tells him that cows are [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cattle#Vision colorblind]] so the color of his cape didn't matter.

[[folder: Video Games]]

[[folder: Western Animation]]
* The ClassicDisneyShort "For Whom the Bulls Toil" features a bull which only moves when {{Goofy}} produces a red handkerchief, with results that land Goofy in a Mexican bullfighting ring.

* In the Disney short "Mickey's Rival", Mickey Mouse's animate car lures a bull away by waving its red turnlight.
* In the BerensteinBears cartoon this trope was averted when the characters are told to distract the bull by waving their brown scout hats. As the smart one points out, it's not the color so much as the motion that the objects that makes them upset.
* ''Film/SpaceJam'' had Daffy painting the rear end of one of the Monstars red. This elicited great laughter from the Toons in the audience, until the Bull from ''WesternAnimation/BullyForBugs'' notices it, which is what Daffy was going for all along. Cue one Monstar going airborne ''in''voluntarily.
** "Bully For Bugs" itself never mentions this trope - the bull is just angry.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' episode "Robot Rodeo," ''robotic'' bulls go absolutely insane at the sight of a red balloon. Oddly, [[RuleOfFunny it works quite well]].
** FridgeBrilliance applies here: The bulls are, as stated above, robots. They were probably programmed to react that way to the color red because that's how a couple of kids assume bulls should behave.
* The ''ComicStrip/{{Popeye}}'' cartoon "For Better Or Nurse" has Bluto deliberately trying to injure himself (as is Popeye) so he can be near nurse Olive at a hospital. He tucks a red towel under his chin and taunts a nearby bull. Unfortunately for Bluto, the bull is smitten with the cow mascot of a dairy product ad billboard. When that script was [[RecycledScript recycled]] for the cartoon series that renamed Bluto as "Brutus", Popeye paints himself red to taunt a bull. Brutus pours invisible ink on Popeye to make the bull miss him.

-->'''George:''' Ringo, look out!
-->'''Ringo:''' Why? These little nippers can't hurt you! (''after the bull passes and tears the blanket with its horns'') Hmm. They wasn't ants after all. They was moths!

* Used as the conflict for the Mickey Mouse short ''WesternAnimation/AlRojoVivo''. Pete once again tries to have Minnie to himself while Mickey is shoved into the running of the bulls and has to avoid the bulls, which is hard for him because fate seems obsessed with making him end up in areas with red objects.

* In one ArchieComics story taking place at a rodeo, a bull escapes from his pen and it looks like he's about to hurt the cowgirls -- but then it sees Archie's red hair and goes after ''him''. Afterwards, Archie is applauded for [[AccidentalHero "distracting"]] the bull.

* ''Film/SpaceJam'' had Daffy painting the rear end of one of the Monstars red. This elicited great laughter from the Toons in the audience, until the Bull from ''[[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Bully for Bugs]]'' notices it, which is what Daffy was going for all along. Cue one Monstar going airborne ''in''voluntarily.

* ''GreenLantern'' #52 reveals that [[spoiler:the Rage Entity is a red bull]].

* The same happens in a DonaldDuck comic story, ''"The colorblind bull"'', where Grandma Coot has a - [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin yeah]], and said bull starts rampaging at the sight of anything that's ''light blue''. Then a light blue hot air balloon appears...
** Oh, the balloon was far from the worst part. The ''real'' disaster happened after the bull won the ''blue ribbon'' at a fair, and Donald (who still didn't understand what the problem was) got the bright idea of sticking the ribbon to the bull's forehead...

* In the casual adventure game ''Botanica'', you need to dye a hang a piece of red cloth in front of a bull-like animal to make it charge. The cloth is white initially, so you also have to gather items to ''dye'' it red first.

* Discussed in the [[NoExportForYou second]] ''AceAttorneyInvestigations'' when examining a particular object in the first case. Kay wonders if a bull would be drawn to Edgeworth because of his clothes, and he points out ([[ShownTheirWork correctly]]) that it's not the color that draws the bull's attention, it's the movement. She then retorts that, in that case, the bull would still be compelled to charge at Edgeworth because of his cravat.

--> '''Tory''', ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}''[[note]]Because the Mythbusters ''aren't'' TooDumbToLive, the actual test involved foam mannequins.[[/note]]

* In a case of this trope applied to what ''used to'' be a steer, a restaurant customer in a Tums antacid commercial uses his red jacket to deflect the attack of a giant animated ''steak'' that's symbolic of heartburn.