Not everyone’s a fan of the ritual
GALAPAGAR, Spain - Bullfighting is an acquired taste, and certainly not for everyone. Its attraction is unfathomable to many outsiders, and to more than a few Spaniards as well. A poll last year showed only a quarter of Spaniards had any interest in the ritual, which has existed on the Iberian peninsula, in one form or another, for 2,000 years.
The invading Moors of North Africa formalized it in the 8th or 9th century, and for the last few hundred years, bullfighting has not changed substantially. The season today lasts from March to October, with an estimated 2,000 events involving the killing of at least 12,000 bulls.
For many, the ritual is nothing more than the slow torture of an animal, who is taunted, made to bleed and then killed, for the pleasure of a cheering crowd.
Animal rights advocates and other critics say the bullfighting industry institutionalizes, subsidizes and encourages cruelty, and creates a national, generalized tolerance of brutal abuse of animals.
“Only in Spain is the phrase, ‘You are a good killer’ - ‘Eres un buen matador’ - a compliment,” said anti-bullfight crusader Arturo Angel Perez.
But bullfighting advocates, who include patrons as powerful as the king of Spain, point to the detailed choreography, costumes that include flamboyant suits embroidered in gold and sequins, and music such as the trumpeted “paso doble,” all of which combine to create what they regard as a unique art form.
A brilliant matador “is like a sculptor who is molding, not clay, but the animal,” said Isabel Carpio, secretary-general of the 102-year-old Union of Fighting Bull Breeders and a veterinarian. She said she sees beauty, not pain and suffering, in the ring.
The ritual, and all that goes into it, is also a $2 billion industry that employs 70,000 people, the union says.
Each year, a few dozen bulls are spared if they put up an especially brave fight. The meat is also considered a delicacy.