Bring out the Bulls

Plaza de Toros, Madrid

Katie and I ventured over to the Ventas metro stop to check out Madrid’s bullfighting stadium and museum. Unfortunately the museum was closed for renovation, but we still got a good look at the Islamic-influenced architecture of arches and bricks that build up the stadium.

Bullfighting is a prominent part of Spain’s culture. It’s been a tradition for years, and they really look at it as a type of art form, as represented by the glitzy suits the fighters wear. The “toreros” (aka bullfighters) are celebrities of the Brad Pitt level over here. In the words of Mercedes, “They have great bodies, and they are so masculine,” so naturally the girls fawn over them. The bullfighters also strictly stay out of politics so as not to interfere with their fan bases,

Historically being a bullfighter has been a risky job. Even though it’s unusual, some have been stabbed by the bulls or even killed. Families and friends always get nervous before fights, and a chapel for the fighters is included in the stadiums for their anxieties as well.

There are two types of bullfights – the toreros can either be on foot or on horse. On foot is much more respected and more entertaining. Each bullfighter takes on two bulls per fight, and the fight continues until the bull is killed.

The fact that the bulls die has created a lot of controversy. Bullfighting is now outlawed in Barcelona, and it will be interesting to see how the tradition fares in the country’s future. From what I gather, the general population is split. It’s definitely losing less prominence with animal rights, but it still has a large following.

I will not be attending a fight because I don’t feel comfortable paying to watch the bull die. I did, however, go to the bullfighting ring in Ronda with my parents. Our tour guide told us a lot of interesting information.

For example, bulls catch on so quickly to human movements, that they have to be raised out in the fields where they have no contact with humans. During a fight, the red capes are waved to distract them, but the bulls quickly realize what is human and what is cloth, causing them to charge at the human. This is the point where the human kills the bull. Pretty interesting that they have to take so many precautions to disadvantage the bull from the get-go. If the fight were fair and square, I think the bullfighter death rate would be slightly higher.