Does the Color Red Really Make Bulls Angry?

Photo by Mat Reding on Unsplash

Spanish matadors have been using a red cape in bullfighting since the 1700s so we naturally believe there’s something about the color red that makes the bulls so angry they want to attack it. But is this really true?

The MythBusters wanted to check this myth. They put fake matadors in an arena and each of them was holding a different-colored flag. They then waited to see if a bull would pick the red flag to attack.

What they discovered is that all the flags were attacked equally – weakly – when they were held still. What makes bulls angry is actually the movement. A flag that’s waved causes them to rush towards it aggressively, regardless of its color.