I don't like bullfights, I don't think they are fair, but as a part of my culture and customs I accept them. I've heard so many times people (Spaniards) complaining about the cruelty of the bullfight and I agree, but you cannot try to kill something that is going on in Spain since ... 1700? (I don't know the exact century)
Anyway, I went to 2 or 3 just because I wanted to understand why people like them but I still don't get it.
Why do you like bullfights? Wouldn't be better if they don't hurt and kill the bull? (as in Portugal) Do you think that someday the association of the rights of animal will stop the "Fiesta Nacional"?
And the most important question...Is it safe for a woman to go to a bullfight? Ja, ja, ja

[This message has been edited by Nuria (edited 08-31-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Nuria (edited 08-31-2000).]

why wouldn't it be safe for a women to go to a bullfight i don't understand that?

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Missmadrid, it's just the running joke on this board: is it safe for a woman to go on the metro, is it safe to walk around at night, is it safe to watch storks from a boat in the retiro, etc. As for the bullfights... according to experts, the fiesta nacional has deteriorated so much it is no longer an art. Truly barbaric. I predict it will be only an attraction for tourists and a few old men, and will gradually decline.

Bullfights are a unique combination of artistry and power. The matador in his/her suit of lights vunerable to the ferocious beast is a wonderfully symbolic diplay of man's struggles to tame and shape his/her environment. The artistic maneuvers of the matador in the face of danger is much more than a spectacle for tourists( MM -I hate that word) and old men. Picasso used the bull as a constantly occurring image in his works. He too understood the symbolic nature of the bull, and to turn away from this powerfull synthesis of power and grace would be to deny the world of this magestic event under the sun.
I hope that Spain and the other bullfighting apreciative nations never elimnate this artform that dates back to the Isle of Crete many milleniums ago.Those who oppose bullfighting argue that it is a barbaric display, as the bull has no chance to prevail. These people have missed the purpose and the profound meaning that the Corrida brings to the minds and imaginations of those who are open to the deeper symbolisim of the event. To spare the bull, as is done in Portugal, would lessen the significance as the dramatic closure of the event would be eliminated. This would be akin to leaving a great novel without the final chapter. The first chapters would never be tied together in a comprehensive fashion.
The English translation of "corrida" to bullfighting, I believe is responsible for many of the apprehensions of the non-Spanish speaking community. Prehaps, we should refer to it in some other manner.

I'll see you at the Plaza de Toros

I said the spectacle has deteriorated in modern times to the point where real aficionados say it ain't what it used to be. Throwing christians to the lions was also sport. What is barbaric is defined by the times. And the majority of people think that killing bulls as spectacle is barbaric.

We are in agreement- Bullfighting is not sport. To lable it as sport would be to abase it to an event determined by the bounce of a ball or the accuracy of a competitor. No, the Corrida is much more. We must change our mindsets so as to view it as an artistic display equal to any Broadway production, and as impotant to Spanish identity as the remarkable Zarzuelas.

BTW, I plan on buying the recommended book on Walks of Madrid, Gracias.

I'll see you at the Plaza de Toros

I did a term paper on bullfighting many years ago, and although I am not a huge fan of the art, I believe that it is as much a part of Spain as the old cobblestone streets, or cave hopping.
At any rate, in most cases the meat from the animal is donated to local orphanages, and facilities to help those in need. While the meat is no chateaubriand, if you are hungry, it is a welcome meal. Plus.... I hear "it tastes like chicken!" heh, heh!

I began to like bullfights when I first saw a real bull (~500 kgs) in a little "plaza" at my parent's "pueblo". It's amazing how much strong is a bull, the power it has. I was sitting very near the arena, and when the bull is 2 meters from you, believe me, it really scares.

Then, when I see the "torero" standing there, and the things he can do with the bull, not even moving his feet (see José Tomás, for example), it moves me (well, sometimes...)

I'm not a great aficionado, but I just like bullfights.

Saludos.

!Ole, Shawn!
For anyone interested, here's an interesting, and quite well-informed, essay on the stages of the corrida.
http://www.geocities.com:0080/Athens/Olympus/3371/text.htm

(The writer uses the term "matador" which, in my experience, is not so common in Spain, torero, diestro etc being preferred. He also points out that very few bulls actually make it to the ring).

The corrida is a unique Spanish art form, combining dazzling courage and physical grace with the "rawness" that arty-lass refers to in her "What is it about Spain?" post. Its forms permeate many aspects of Spanish culture, from flamenco dance to the art of Picasso.
Here's an example. Go to missmadrid's website, click the icon on the left - the "flouncy" male dancer. It shows a video of a guy dancing (very well!)part 3 of a Sevillana (it's normally danced with female partner). His posture is "torero", and he may, more or less, "torear" his partner.

BTW missmadrid, someone did actually post "Is it safe for women to go to Bullfights"!

oh ya i know someone posted that question about is it safe for a women to go to a bullfight cause i answered it. I just thought that nuria was serious and I was like oh goodness another one, so nevermind.

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