BULLFIGHTING has made a comeback on state TV after being banned for six years.

In a highly controversial decision TVE has reversed an earlier move to stop broadcasting bullfights due to the high costs involved along with child protection reasons as the fights coincided with ‘Children’s Time’.

The state-owned station showed live coverage of fights at Valladolid Feria on September 5.

It comes after the public broadcaster struck a deal with the bullfighters, their managers, and the rancher Victoriano del Rio to waive their rights, meaning TVE will only have to pay for the technical costs.

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69 COMMENTS

  1. @cricket

    Your friend may have been an expert, but you, clearly are not. No Spaniard has ever called it a sport, nor is it written about in the sporting pages of the newspapers.

    Nor did it originate with the Minoan – Cretan, not Greek- bull-leaping. It actually really began with the Moors, who introduced not only a horse capable of allowing a joust with the bull, but also brought in cattle to cross-breed with the indigenous strain. The matador, ‘killer’, was a servant of this mounted knight who finished the bull off.

    Now, it is a tragic performance spectacle containing a ritual sacrifice. Hence it is written up in the cultural pages of the Spanish press (as is my work, whatever you assume – clearly without reaching so far as Google – my level of expertise is.)

  2. @ alexander
    “Your friend may have been an expert, but you, clearly are not. No Spaniard has ever called it a sport, nor is it written about in the sporting pages of the newspapers”

    I havent said I am an expert, and I havent said I am a spaniard either, I have said what I have said because I have “unfortunately” been witness to many bullfights, and out of respect I have not gone into any more gory details than I have had to to express my disgust at this whatever you want to call it. But since you seem to be so conversant with the spectacle, please let us know what you think of this. To me it just as abhorrant when the shoe is on the other foot.

    Where did this originate? In Rome? What would you call this? An Art? A sport? A tragic performance spectacle containing a ritual sacrifice? People paying to see this?

    “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat%C3%B3n”

    The owner of Raton apparently wanted to have it cloned! Would it then have become another “tradition”?

    And its not a wikipedia invention! You can find it in many links. I chose this one for the benefit of english speakers.

  3. You can give over now Alexander. Your views and opinions on this subject are irrelevant, now we know you have a muleta to grind. As for reading your blog, more interest would be found on a graffiti-clad street. You really do fancy yourself old chap.

  4. It ain’t Cricket – “Where did this originate? In Rome? What would you call this? An Art? A sport? A tragic performance spectacle containing a ritual sacrifice? People paying to see this?”

    I don’t know if it has a direct historical link to Rome, but I’ve always imagined bullfights being a lot like the gladiator sports (man and animal) of Rome. But it’s probably all of the above – sport, sacrifice, animal torture, Mediterranean tradition, etc.

    Actually, even since I was little I often wondered why people didn’t still have some version of gladiators. At the very least you’ve got two consenting adults – which is more than can be said for one consenting adult and an animal.

  6. Remember the old ‘karma’,maybe the matadors could be reborn as a tortured bulls, if bullfighting lasts that long!, also if bullfighting was banned then the matadors could just take up ballet, similiar moved without the blood.

  7. Pity I was’nt there at the fall of Rome in WW11 – first up the demolition of that nasty ugly Colliseum – the place where much of Europe and north Africa’s wildlife were slaughtered and next the Catholic mafia’s HQ – good honest work and would have been well enjoyed.

    Bread and circuses – not much changes does it.

  8. First it was…

    At cricket “Your friend may have been an expert, but you, clearly are not”

    Then came the…

    At stefanjo “The truth is never irrelevant. Which is why I am paid as a journalist, whereas you are confined to the comments section.”

    Guess that puts everything into perspective wouldn’t you agree Stefanjo? lol! Let us all bow down to the superior knowledge of the gentleman.

    @ Alexander : Let me put it to you this way..

    “Anybody can be a politician…but that does not not necessarily make you a good one!”

  9. Diane o brien – “Remember the old ‘karma’,maybe the matadors could be reborn as a tortured bulls, if bullfighting lasts that long!, also if bullfighting was banned then the matadors could just take up ballet, similiar moved without the blood.”

    Actually the original idea of karma was related to dharma; you will complete, or have good karma, if you fulfill your dharma (duty) in life. So if you are a warrior and you want to be reincarnated to a higher level, the very best thing you and to is be the best killer there is. I would think the dharma of a bullfighter is to kill as many bulls as possible. And the dharma of a bull, I suppose is to do their best job trying to gore a matador in the face.

    Right on about ballet though. I was always surprised at how incredibly feminine all of the matadors dress/look/act.

    Not that there is anything wrong with that…

  11. Fred – “Even better karma would be Reality coming back as the bull.”

    If I were reincarnated I would much prefer to be reincarnated as a sport bull than any other livestock animal – meat cow, dairy cow, pig, chicken, etc. All of the latter have it far, far worse. To me, a good life and a painful death is better than a painful life and a fast death.

    But I guess for us meat eaters, as long as we don’t have to see the suffering then it’s a-okay.

  14. The continuing Spanish barbaric tauromachia (WHICH OUGHT TO BE BANNED) is emblematic of modern society’s fascination with contests generating emotion. Twenty-two men wearing shorties run in a stadium after a plastic ball which they attempt to kick from them. Their efforts excites onlookers and hooligans beyond belief. This idiocy is strongly supported by governments, awarding the clubs millions in tax money. A small elite travels around the planet carrying a bag containing a towel and a tennis racket, with which they scoop rich earnings. Our culture has become completely obsessed with staging contests, from beauty contests where girls parade in bikinis, to contests in painting. And no one knows the reason why, for after all, life is decidedly NOT a contest.

  15. Blimming heck – I see this thread is still going on. I only came on originally to say how extremely SICK bullfighting is. If they could just jump over and around them, and not kill them that would be a progression. or maybe resurrect gladiators as a new ‘sport’ with loads of matadors running in a circle screaming for their lives while we all cheer when each one gets skewered!! …sorry, thumbs down… DIE!!! HOORAY!! clap clap clap clap clap clap

  16. I am happy to say that the bull “Raton” has now apparently been “retired” after “glorious” years of performances and three kills. Unfortunately his son “ratoncito” has apparently picked up where his “dad” left off. Another bull “Botonero” is vying with it to become “Top” of the bill in this, what now seem to be fast becoming another “tradition”, where supposedly “intelligent” human beings stand in front of a murderous bull just for the thrill of it. I have not posted links so as not to hurt anyone’s sensibilities. If anyone is interested in what I am writing about just google Toro Botonero. The sad sad sad thing is people are actually paying to see the spectacle! What is this world coming to?

  17. It is a shocking statement (I know: Freedom of speech and all that!) Mr AFH makes in your latest edition. My opinion is that he is an “attention seeker”, he likes to score points for his ‘new’ career with his article. Likes to be the centre of attraction. He is without a doubt trying to baffle readers with facts, figures, percentages and all sorts of other rubbish to impress them (has it anything to do with his book, I wonder?) like bullfighting is the finest thing under the sun. Fact: It is the brave and innocent bulls who are seriously being tortured, never mind having a great time before the brutal, barbaric and sadistic killing. The awful part is they make HEROES out of all these ‘people’ and the majestic bulls are being reduced to ZEROES! It is a strange world isn’t it? Well, I really wonder how long Mr AFH will last in the ring. I also do enjoy reading news when this sort of category of the ‘human’ race finds a bull one day who will defeat his torturer. Good luck, Mr AFH.

  18. Jeff – “or maybe resurrect gladiators as a new ‘sport’ with loads of matadors running in a circle screaming for their lives while we all cheer when each one gets skewered!!”

    I know you probably did not mean this seriously, but ethically it would be better than fighting bulls. There is no reason that two consenting adults should not be able to sign a waiver and fight to the death if they decide to do so for sport. At the very least human beings would know what they are getting into and can consent, which is more than can be said for an animal.

    Same is true for duels.

    Pro-gladiators, pro-dueling, but anti-bullfighting.

  19. I like the idea in Portugal of just jumping over healthy bulls… man against bull.. or bull runs that take the bulls back to their field after. no problem at all with that, but Spanish bullfighting has millions of people suckered into thinking this is a tradition to keep practising and it’s a brave thing to do. It is not a brave thing to do at all and anyone involved in, or had anything to do with, this ‘sport’ should be totally ashamed of themselves! The specific person on this website can justify this ‘sport’ all he wants using his schoolboy Oxbridge dissertation skills he so fondly misses!

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