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RE: What's your opinion about bullfi... (in reply to HemeolaMan)
Richard’s informative post goes to show that sometimes a necrotic thread can be successfully reanimated to a meaningful end. If the end is to subject the subject to the cleansing effects of Sol rather than allowing it to fester in the Sombra.
RE: What's your opinion about bullfi... (in reply to yohan)
It's bad and cruel. Just because it's a part of the Spanish culture and you like their flamenco, doesn't mean you have to like everything about it. There's this subreddit: https://old.reddit.com/r/TheBullWins/ where you get to see how much it hurts the bulls..
RE: What's your opinion about bullfi... (in reply to Richard Jernigan)
well , here in the "corrida" the horses dance (if the knightrider asks to) to the rythm of the music , trumpet and or just rythm. Its a very nice part of the thing. dont want to talk the rest, altough "A few years ago neuroscientists discovered a particular set of neurons in the brain. When we observe with interest someone doing something, these neurons are activated. They send impulses to other parts of the brain, as though commanding them to mimic the observed actions. Thus when we focus on the matador's bravery and panache, it is as though we were ourselves in the ring with him, experiencing the adrenaline rush of caping the bull, basking in the admiration of the crowd."
Adrenaline of the animal , and natural quimical reactions are key to understand the pain , or as the cientific Theory calls lack of pain. Well , lets not get into this . I just say only this , those who dont change , will end , and thats what will happen to this culture .
Regarding the repertoire with the guitar , it allways sounds cheesy , like music from Zorro , kind of mexican . I dont like that much , even the Montoya playing the most or one of the most popular song , sounds too cheesy They re mainly Paso Dou. , so i guess there no way around do it without sounding Zorro cheesy .
RE: What's your opinion about bullfi... (in reply to estebanana)
Tauromaquia
I’ve read a lot about the corrida, I have gotten immersed in art depicting it, Picasso, Francis Bacon, Goya, but I’ve never seen one. It’s an abstraction for me, a theme which poetry, art, film ( Matador by Almodovar) and novels are inspired by. I’ve never seen a corrida and after reading about them, and the corruption I’m not sure if I will ever see one.
It’s mainly the corruption and the point of a spectacle that makes money with a corrupt aspect that turns me off, not the actual pure act of the ritual if the ritual is transformational. I can see how it could be a sacrifice that has a profound impact on cultural cohesion, like the way American, both north and south continents like a rodeo type of gathering.
Whatever it represents in culture and the ritual, drama, mystery, music, for me gets communicated through art about the event. Goya’s etching of an angry bull jumping into the stands and goring an audience member is adequate for me.
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RE: What's your opinion about bullfi... (in reply to estebanana)
its not supose to put the animal dull with medicines , everyone wants a good show , no one wants a dull animal , they dont give a good show , and thats also lame for the "ganadaria" (animals provider).
Thats why they tired the animal with multiple strategies , like with the most hated (for those who dont like the "show") worker on the show , the "picador" , picador is a guy on the horse that his main task is to stick the animal with a long pointy stick during the show.
Sometimes the animal enters the arena kind of dull , also for multiple reasons , like he got distrations for the environment , so theres the need to get him focus , sometimes with sucess , others less , others so or so. Other reason its the nature of the animal , not suficient "brave" for the show , thats why they souldnt **** cows for quite sometime or ever..., still sometimes is the nature of the animal , like us , some are more wild , some are like sheep.
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Joined: Jul. 12 2009
From: Washington, DC
RE: What's your opinion about bullfi... (in reply to Manitas de Lata)
Long before I had seen my first corrida I had read Ernest Hemingway's "Death in the Afternoon," which, in my opinion, is still the finest narrative explanation and historical record of the meaning and great names associated with the "art" and "ritual" in Spain (at least up to the time it was published). I appreciate what the corrida has meant to the Spaniard, but it should be recognized that although matadors must indeed be brave, there is much more to the ballet taking place than just the brave matador facing the bull.
Before the matador even faces the bull, the picador on horseback has greatly weakened the bull by lancing the neck muscles. And the Banderilleros have further weakened the bull by placing their smaller lances in his neck. In other words, the matador is not facing a bull with full strength. Now that's something that would really take courage. Instead, he faces a bull that has been deliberately weakened to give the matador a much greater edge. With this in mind, one can conclude that the matador may not be as brave as he appears to be, knowing that he is facing a weakened animal.
Bill
_____________________________
And the end of the fight is a tombstone white, With the name of the late deceased, And the epitaph drear, "A fool lies here, Who tried to hustle the East."
RE: What's your opinion about bullfi... (in reply to BarkellWH)
I think you missed the point of the killing , hes honouring the animal putting him to sleep (killing) and end his suffer or you can see as part of the ritual. The killing itself requires a lot of skill.
Posts: 3487
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA
RE: What's your opinion about bullfi... (in reply to BarkellWH)
One major change in the corrida since Hemingway's day, and since my introduction to the event, is the modern equipment and conduct of the picadores.
When we attended the Corridas Goyescas at Ronda we stayed at the Hotel Reina Victoria. I first stayed there in 1975, and have stayed there each time I have visited Ronda. The hotel has changed ownership, and the rooms have been remodeled, somewhat economically. It didn't surprise me to learn that all the toreros stayed there as well.
On the day of the Corrida, the toreros and their entourages gathered in the hotel's courtyard and along its extended driveway, forming up for the half-kilometer parade to the plaza de toros. There were horse drawn coaches with beautiful young women dressed as majas, the coachmen and footmen dressed a la Goyesca. With one exception, the toreros rode in open landaus in their trajes de luces occasionally acknowledging the crowd's applause with a nod, mostly chatting and smiling among themselves in a display of sangfroid.
The exception was the picadores. On the first occasion I was a little surprised to see them, burly muscular men in their distinctive costumes and hats, mounted on fine horses, energetic and fit. I walked beside one as we strolled to the Plaza, and mentioned his horse. He told me it was his regular mount.
Although the old Duchess of Alba had passed away, there were still a handful of aristocratic limousines among the walkers. Cayetano's brother Francisco had been the son-in-law of the Duchess. The corrida critic of El Pais lamented the cessation of her fiestas. We contented ourselves with the special menu at the Reina Victoria's restaurant, and the convivial gathering at the outdoor bar on the edge of the cliff.
At the Corrida, during Morante de la Puebla's first bull, I saw the change in mounts and conduct of the picadores. They appeared on their fine horses, not the glue factory refugees of the past. However, instead of the puny mattresses that formerly concealed their injuries, the horses now sported very effective armor. No horse was visibly injured, though the bulls charged them just as in the past. No bull was lanced more than twice, with what appeared to me to be limited violence. In the past they were routinely lanced multiple times, often savagely, until the matador indicated his satisfaction.
However, in the utterly corrupt Corrida of the next year, the bulls were so severely drugged that the picadores' roles were effectively superfluous.
At the hotel the night after the drugged bulls the bar patrons didn't spill into the outdoors, and the few who were there were quiet and withdrawn, according to Larisa. I stayed in the room and drank cognac, fearing that if i went downstairs I might say something impolite.
My understanding of the purpose of the banderillas is not to weaken the bull significantly. Rather it is to correct any faults. For example a bull that is seen to hook consistently to the left is "corrected" by the placement of the banderillas, to make close passes to the matador's left side somewhat safer.
RE: What's your opinion about bullfi... (in reply to Richard Jernigan)
well , there were some rumours on the other way around regarding american rodeo , that some animals receive electric shocks(?). i think it doest make sense , those bulls have a huge preparation and are cherry picked to be on the rodeo , they are very valuable and normaly they do some seasons or a lot of them , so theres no point to armfull your cash earning and damage your reputation.
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