$eeing Red
Blood. Anger. STOP. Danger. Fire. Evil. Seduction. Love.
The sundry of polarized metonyms for the color Red defines it’s lack of neutrality, connoting an all or none attitude. Peculiar that faces become flushed when experiencing opposing feelings like anger or arousal. Attraction or repulsion to an object upon seeing Red facilitates emotional stimuli. Blood-stained walls indicate danger and fear, but Red sheets cue seduction and love. Strategically utilized Red infers the latter rather than the former.
Use of Red = Sex + Romance
Cognition of Red = Love + Passion
Notice that women wearing red lipstick at a bar are more frequently approached? Neither do I, but this is what researchers found. Red acts as an aphrodisiac for men. This magnetism to scarlet clad ladies stems from men deciphering them as more sexually receptive. In this sense, Red seems to be evolutionarily retained in mating rituals.
Scholars deduce that applying Red lipstick and rouge is a technique to simulate organic carnal arousal. The Red-sex link essentially traces back to our primate ancestors. Body zones of female non-human primate species become red when attracting mates.
If ever in confusion about the polarity of Red, meditate on Rothko’s Orange and Red on Red. Note how fast you hit the breaks when the light turns from yellow to Red. Feel how your Red blood boils when you’re angry. Smell the Red roses on love day.
Bottom Line: Love it or hate it, who really needs lab coats and ANOVA stats telling the world that Red is an arresting hue that stimulates desirability and conjures romance?
Researchers Who Researched:
1. Elliot AJ and Pazda AD (2012) Dressed for Sex: Red as a Female Sexual Signal in Humans. PLoS ONE 7(4): e34607
2. Gnambs T, Appel M, and Oeberst A (2015) Red Color and Risk-Taking Behavior in Online Environments. PLoS ONE 10(7): e0134033
3. Kuniecki M, Pilarczyk J and Wichary S (2015) The color red attracts attention in an emotional context. An ERP study. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 9: 212
4. Tracy JL and Beall AT (2014) The Impact of Weather on Women’s Tendency to Wear Red or Pink when at High Risk for Conception. PLoS ONE 9(2): e88852
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