Spanish+Bullfight+Controversy

Torero or Matador? The Controversial Bullfight Ban in Cataluña By Erin Dunn media type="youtube" key="zV08tITKFMM?rel=0" height="315" width="420" A summary of this page Table of Contents: History of the Spanish Bullfight  What is happening in Cataluña  Why people believe the Bullfight should be banned  Why people believe the Bullfight should stay

Historia The Bullfight or La Corrida began and continued to be a business. La Corrida as it is called in Spanish brings together bullfighters and their helpers, breeders, promoters, critics, and fans. It was established by the end of the 18th century but it grew in popularity around the 1890's. The growth of popularity led to the building of new bullrings and ranches. Seen above is a Torero or bullfighter in his pink traje de luz making a pass with his red and yellow capa. La Corrida began to take on many symbols that artistically represent the human struggle and triumph over death. The Toreros quickly became national celebrities and symbols of manliness at it's peak.  Corridas are used to celebrate special holidays such as Easter where you can see a bullfight everyday instead of once a week. A typical bullfight takes place in the afternoon, is two hours long, and involves three performers who kill two bulls each. Bullfighting is on a steep decline. For a long time La Corrida was the most popular past time of Spaniards, but Spaniards have turned now to soccer as the national past time.

The Ban in Cataluña Opposition to La Corrida is not a new thing. From the time the bullfights began arguments of why bullfights are wrong have surrounded the ideas of religion, economics, and morals. A survey taken in 2007 revealed that close to 81 % of Catalonians oppose bullfights. In 1997 the Cataluña Parliament voted that anyone under the age of 14 could not attend a bullfight due to emotional trauma. Later the law was altered into allowing 14 year olds could attend a bullfight with an adult accompanying them. At the end of July in 2010 La Corrida was been banned from Cataluña, España. It was a close vote (68 to 55) in Parliament to see if the bullfight would be banned. This means that no new bullfighting rings can be built and now fights can take place. The ban will take affect in January of 2012. This is significant for many reasons:
 * It is the first place where the bullfight has been banned in the mainland of Spain
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Barcelona which is in Cataluña is a well known destination for bullfights
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">The ban could spread throughout Spain
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Protests have occurred on the sides of pro and anti bullfighting

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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">An interview with Lisa Moran on her thoughts of the ban in Cataluña

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Why the Bullfight Should Be <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 22px;">Banned <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">The bullfight in Cataluña has come under attack from three main opposers:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Animal rights activists
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Cataluña nationalists
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Spaniards who identify with Europe more than Spain

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25px;">Animal rights activists apply a universal ethical standard on the treatment of bulls in the bullfight and oppose any treatment of animals they see as cruel. In 2006 there were over 11,000 bulls killed in professional bullfights in Spain. This does not include the number of bulls killed in the processes of training the bulls and bullfighters for La Corrida.

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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Catalan nationalists declare that the bullfight is a Castilian custom and not representative of the entirety of Spain. The bull itself is also a symbol of the Spanish state, which under Franco, tried to rid the country of the Catalan language and Catalonian customs and culture. Banning the bullfight would be one of many steps for Catalan to become separate from Spain. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Spanish entry into the European Union has reinforced opposition to the bullfight. Catalonians tend to identify themselves with Europe rather than Spain; therefore, they want to ban the bullfight to be more accepted as a European nation. The bullfight has already been banned in Argentina, Canada, Cuba, Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 160%;">Why the Bullfight Should <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 160%;">Stay <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">People who support the bullfight argue that La Corrida should not be banned for several reasons. The bullfight provides jobs to not only the people fighting the bull but also the bull trainers, stadium workers, and bull breeders. If the bullfight were to vanish many people would be out of work. The bullfight is also a crucial element of the Spanish culture. Parts of the bullfight such as the music of the pasadoble can be heard especially accompanied by the pasadoble dance. Those that do not want the bullfight to be banned view the bullfight as a beautiful art form. They choose to focus on the symbolism behind every action and how it evokes passion for life.

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By: Stanley Brandes [] || By: Dopico Black, Georgina [] || By: Adrian Shubert || Chapter 7 pp. 118-135 By: Garry Marvin || Chapter 6 pp. 121-139 Sarah Pink ||
 * References ||
 * "Torophiles and Torophobes: The Politics of Bulls and Bullfights in Contemporary Spain"
 * "THE BAN AND THE BULL: CULTURAL STUDIES, ANIMAL STUDIES, AND SPAIN"
 * // Death and money in the afternoon: a history of the Spanish Bullfight //
 * // The Anthropology of Violence //
 * // Ritual, Performance, Media //