You, too, can be gored by a bull.

The running of the bulls is another form of natural selection. Nominees for the Darwin Award, start lining up!

 

I agree with you daniel... bullfighting is barbaric... but it's also part of Spanish history and culture. When I was in Spain a few years ago, I saw a bullfight. One is certainly enough to last me the rest of my life, but learning the history and culture behind it, and how it all plays out in the acts of the fight is really intriguing.

While the same could be said about the history and culture surrounding the running of the bulls... I would never get down in the street for that!

 

They may hate it, but that doesn't make it any less true. Modern bullfighting has been a part of Spain for almost 300 years. Even before that, some of the oldest indications of bullfighting can be found in ancient cave paintings and tombstones in Spain.

I will agree with you that bullfighting hasn't been limited to Spain. In fact, arguably its popularity spread to Spain from Rome (and then from Spain to Central/South American and parts of France). But i believe Spain may be the only place where members of the Royal Family attend regularly (the king even presides over bullfights occasionally!).

 

Bullfighting is right up there with the rest of the "machismo" culture - patriarchy, inequality, discrimination, racism, and homophobia.

I did think that the "running with the bulls" scene in "City Slickers" was good, though

 

I agree, bull figthing is a sign that in 2010 humanity still gets enjoyment out of acts of bloody animal torture.

Thank you for reminding me of one of my favorite movies, that movie is a classic in my eyes :rockon:

Luis

 

If you can't make it all the way to Spain, there is Elko NV.
Elko Euzkaldunak Club, Inc.

 

i've never been gored by a bull, but i think i've been bulled by gore on more than one occasion.

 

daniel - I'm not terribly surprised that you didn't get a warm welcome in the Basque area. The Basque separatists have been pushing for independence in that area for 40 years now, and are very much against foreigners. It wouldn't surprise me if the entire area shared some of those feelings, even though most of them aren't actually part of the ETA terrorist organization.

 

Tradition

 

San Fermin is one of the most fun festivals that I have attended. Yes I ran with the bulls, yes I bought the white pants and red sash, and yes I even bought a newspaper I had no intention of reading to hit the bulls with while they passed by. It was a rush, a release of different feelings that are often missing in the modern sterile world most people live in. I am responding only because it seems that no one else is talking about the good parts of the festival and cultural diversity in general. I don't really expect most of you to listen, or even understand if you have not experienced it. Everyone is over 18 and its their own fault if they get hurt. Around 15 people have been killed in 700 runnings in the last 100 years. I just want to add a little perspective so that if you are talking to a proud Spaniard, you don't act like an ugly American and lecture them about what is wrong with part of their culture.

By the way I found the basques to be quite friendly, but I did talk to them with out any prejudgment. Austinite's aren't good judges of friendliness, we get along with just about everyone.

 

I must have just misunderstood the comments. I enjoy the running, but definitely understand it is not for everyone. In fact that is part of the point of the festival. I didn't care for the bullfight. After seeing what goes on in factory farms, I hesitate in calling what I saw in the bull ring barbaric.

 

As a kid I remember my grandfather having a bad opinion of bullfighting. As a Spanish sheep rancher he was used to killing livestock but maybe that is one of the reasons he didn't like the way bullfights played out or what they represented. He emigrated from Spain in 1911.