PADM .. I also disagree that your views are failing to be heard on this message board . Plenty of people , Spanish , American , British etc .. share your views about the so-called cruelty . But you should use the discussion to put forward your opinions and NOT necessarily change those who enjoy the bullfight . And I think you do that calmly
It´s the same as religion in many ways .. If I have Jehovah´s witnesses ( Testigos de Jehovah ) or the mormons etc.. come to my door I am always polite !.. I´ll listen to their argument .. And some aspects of their argument I will agree with maybe , even if I do not agree totally with their religion . It´s good to talk AND to listen , but there are always going to be opposing arguments .
I love the bullfight but am still interested in hearing your side of the story .
And what is your family connection with the bullfight / toros ?
Steve

This IS an excellent topic and I'm glad that everyone has discussed it maturely, calmly, and respectful to other opinions. Thanks for that!!

The bullfights I've attended have easily had more Spaniards than non-Spaniards in attendance. There are complete sections of people/Spaniards whom you see in the same seats for every corrida de toros. Other sections have a higher percentage of foreigners. Sometimes you do have more than half the arena empty, though.

Saludos, MadridMan

Well MM .. we all know about the nightmare noisy guy in Tendido 7 .. hahahaha .. And if you get a seat up there ( in Ventas -Plaza de Toros de Madrid ) as i´ve done once it´ll be totally Castizo . Guys drinking their whiskey ( they have a guy .. with a big white moustache who sells it in the bullring "¡ Whiskey , Whiskey , hay Whiskey ! He shouts ) If you´re in the middle of a row you pass your money to your neigbouring spectators and the whiskey and your change come to you in the same way ... It´s amazing . And then the castizo guys and the real fans of the toros ( very conservative ) will be smoking their puros ( big cigars ) . Tendido 7 was a real experience of the die-hard , lifetime followers of the bullfight . Oh , and I do make it almost a tradition that in the 20 ( approximate ) bullfights i´ve been to I always order a whisky ( and it´s Scotch , Joe , but blended .. not a single malt unfortunately ) . I have smoked ( and I´m not a smoker ) the odd cigar .. very sweet .. much nicer than cigarettes ... but I can´t bear the smoke in my lungs ( though I have nothing against other people enjoying a smoke ! )

PADM , ive been an aficionado since I was a small boy living in Madrid . If we had stayed on in Spain I think I would have done my best to go to an Escula taurina . I returned to Scotland and didnt see a corrida for 20 years . the only real thing I heard about bullfighting in that time that my 2 heros as a kid where killed , Paquirri and Yiyo , and that was only a couple of years after I had left Spain .
When I returned to madrid 20 years later having lived in animal loving UK , I went to a corrida not knowing if i would still enjoy it , but the passion returned and it will never leave me .
When I was living in Madrid I hung about with expats and Spainsh kids but I was the only one who wanted to be a bullfighter .
Steve the cigar smell is something ive always associated with the bullfight and when i smelt one back home that is the memories it brought back to me .

Well , Joe , next time you´re over ( and I know you have family responsibilities now .. I hope the bairn´s doing well ! ) , maybe we could catch a bullfight and even enjoy a whiskey and cigar . ( I´m sure I saw much better whiskey in the bars around the outer ring ! ). MM might be on for that too ? And maybe some Rabo de Toro , Rioja , Chiprones etc afterward on C/Alcalá .

Last time I had a whisky in Madrid , it was an Oban , and I had visted the distellery only a few months before . I asked the barmaid to pour me one , she poured I said i was Scotsman keep pouring ( Like a Spanish nip isnt big enough) I eneded up steaming , thank god I didnt have far to get home .
There is corridas at Vistalegre In February if you are needing your fix , with the last 2 being very attractive .
I am coming To Spain in February but will miss them .

Yes, Tendido 7 is special, he, he, he, nothing is enough for that people (they consider themselves as the real "aficionados")...Once I dared to shake my white handkerchief sitting among them... uff, I still have nightmares.

I can feel the beauty of bullfighting. I remember Joselito in Las Ventas, or José Tomás,...wow, they´re special, but beauty cannot justified anything, and etc, etc... he, he, he, I won't repeat it again.

I just want to thank you all for your opinions. It's very difficult to find people whom you can discuss with.

So, keep on it (?).

Lots of times I went to a bullfight alone having bought a scalper ticket for a San Isidro feria corrida, and I was seated in the middle of about 20 of those cigar and whiskey old men. They actually treated me very well explaining endlessly their opinions about what was going on. I wish I had a picture of myself sitting with them. It would be funny.

On the other hand, there was a rather obnoxious Englishman another time who looked me up, down and sideways and said "women don't go to bullfights alone". That was 20 years ago. I'm sure all the El Juli female fans changed that situation.

I had a look around the Museo Taurino in Madrid on my recent visit. I hadn't been in there for awile, and they rearranged it with a lot of new displays. The traje de luces that El Yiyo died in has been put on display since I was last there with all the blood still on the shirt. It was a shock to see it, because I'm sure I saw him perform in that same black and gold suit. Not on the day he died, but another time not long before. The suit looked brand new when I saw him, and it looked brand new displayed at the museum.

I also stayed up until 5 in the morning watching an endless TV program about the life of Jesulin - all his women etc. It was like a real soap opera, but I couldn't stop watching. The program went on for hours.

I agree with MadridMan that this has been a good discussion. Most discussions on this subject get out of control pretty quickly.

There certainly is a segment of the Spanish population that has no interest in bullfighting, but there are also segments of the American population that have no interest in baseball or rap music, but these things are extremely popular. Everybody can't like everything.

Joselito is one guy I wished I had seen in the flesh instead of just on video .
You used to be able to go and watch classes pratica's at Batan the Madrid bullfighting school , and it was funny seeing all the young girls tarted up to the nines hoping to bag a young torero .

Steve just came across that Fran goes to Santos , so i wouldnt be surprised if thats were Cayetano goes as well .