The professor stood in front of the class, a kindly gentleman with light from the powerpoint glinting off of his thick glasses. I sat about ten rows back from the front in the big lecture hall, taking in the day's discussion of the circulatory system. "And does anyone know what color the blood is when it's deoxygenated/" the professor asked, almost as an afterthought.
I raised my hand meekly. Upon his recognition, I offered "blue."
"Blue?" he shouted, demeanor shifting instantly from kindly to disdainful. "Blue?" he repeated, spitting the word out as if it tasted bitter in his mouth. "Blood," he declared, "is never blue."
"But I...I...I..." I began to rebut before being cut off.
"As my kindergartener would tell you, blood is red. Always red. In what hillbillery did you receive your secondary education, hillbilly? Venous blood may appear blue when viewed through the various layers of integument and connective tissue, but the blood itself is red, as everyone in this room except you likely realizes." Following this outburst, the professor, now red in the face, announced, "That's enough for the day. I have had enough of this," and slammed his powerpoint controller down on the podium before storming off. I could feel the whole class staring at me, some in disgust, others just finding my ignorance comical. Burying my head in my hands, I waited for he lecture hall to empty out before gathering my things and slowly walking home alone.
So yeah, thanks a lot, Ms. Coleman. Venous blood is very dark red, not blue.