The Bullfight

This stuff really pisses me off! People have been killing each other for decades, but does that make it right? No! Bullfighting is so wrong, and so is consuming meat (or any other animal products) in my opinion. Stop the Cruelty, Go VEG

i thought that the piece was beautifully shot,but on the other hand the tradition is a not something that i believe in, crualty in any fashion is still crualty.

Some people call killing a tradition and art.
Shame on those bastards!

i had no idea how deep this issue went. i had no idea the bulls were even being killed...this is truth!

There was no artistry to a public hanging/execution. There is no artistry to an animal torture/execution. Period!

The people who train to kill the bulls and watch to kill the bulls all deserve to go to Hell. They all better watch their backs.

My twenty five year old son and I went to a bull fight when visiting Madrid...The "festival" started at 3:PM. The crowd was small with mostly only the Americans there, for we didn't know there were many more fights extending into the evening and televised to boot...
After three killings, my son and I looked at each other and left...Approximately 200-300 other Americans left as well...It was amazing...We were speechless....No Excuses Can Justify This Brutality...Sorry...I was proud to be an American that day...It is so pathetic to view this torture...I guess for some strange reason I thought the bull had some sort of a fighting chance to be freed...The bull is mortally wounded and half dead before the Matador takes the field...The bull is always mortally wounded and half dead before the Matador takes the field...Some sport, some tradition....The "kids" will stop this, you can bet on it! I'll never was the the same after such a shameful experience...All animal blood sports must stop....I know, I know, then you sissies will take the guns away from the hunters...No real hunter, and I am one, would ever torture their prey willingly...Real hunters who wound an animal only to have it escape are sick to their stomachs...We take a good shot, we want it to be a fatal shot...Not even close to bullfighting....Yeah, there are lousy hunters......Isn't it all grand, this human-animal relationship....The predator-prey relationship....

how is killing a bull in public any worse than killing many animals unseen in slaughter houses? i hope all those anti-bull demonstrators are also vegetarians.

a tradition that will eventually disappear...

I enjoyed how the pod was made, taking differing points of view and ultimately leaving the final decision up to the viewer. The creator didn't try to persuade us to sway toward one side or another. While I do not agree with the killing (and dragging) of the bulls, I do; however, enjoy the continuation of cultural traditions. Maybe if they didn't kill the animals, it MIGHT pick up again.

This is one of the best pods I have ever seen on Current.
It was excellent, very well done.

It presented the most important viewpoints on the issue respectfully and without bias.

Wow. Really powerful Pod. I just always accepted bullfighting as a part of Spanish culture and never gave it much though other than I would prefer not to actually go to one. I never realized the controversy just within the Spanish population itself.

very well done pod
and i would also like to say that my father grew up in spain and when i asked him about his opion on bullfighting he told me that, "theres a difference between a good bullfight and a bad one. in a good one the bull is killed quickly and cleanly and a bad one no one wants to see."

awesome pod, very well done, i love the points of view shown by this pod.

Thanks Taniazapata, Got the words of my mouth.
In my opinion it is Public Demonstration of Animal Abuse. I do not like it, I never did not matter what animal you are using to show your weak human behavior. I think to this point everyone should look and learn how to do this in the "kosher" way. There are lots of things that the Jewish Culture can teach you in regards to that. Go talk to a Rabbi and he will tell you the Spiritual Genetic Mutation of a bad DNA. From this point on I will let this issue for my Jewish Brothers and Sisters to finish it.

This pod was really well done. Before watching, I didn't know that they actually killed the bulls after the fight. Very informative. Great job covering a controversial issue!

This is one of the best pieces I have seen on the controversy surrounding bullfighting. As a kid living in Spain some time ago, I was both horrified and fascinated by the bullfights I saw. The pomp and ceremony during the grand processional was always exciting, and the interaction between the crowd and the toreadors, picadores and bandalleros was palpable.
The spectators go to see a star matador in action, but not unlike the spectators at a NASCAR event, they go also with the hope of seeing something spectacular and unpredictable. I still remember the time when a bull jumped the barrier and ran through the corrida or inner ring on the floor where the bullfighters hang when not out in the arena, and the time a bull lifted the picador and his horse and its armor up on his horns and dumped them on the ground. It is the possiblity of the unplanned death and the surety of the planned death of the bull that draws people to the fights, and hearkens back to a time when animal sacrifices and the ceremonies surrounding them were an integral part of the people's lives.

Love it, music is excellent

Great job, well balanced and informative. Muy bien.

Think!

Intense fucking pod bru, totally awesome, that's some sick shit. But there is art in it I suppose, but it's to much. Thanks for the good stuff.

someone in spain pass this message along for me:
whats good pablo ruiz?
you gotta girl?

I liked your response MadXMedic. This was a very well done pod.

I lived in Malaga, Spain for a summer and went to a bullfight in Marbella. I was hesitant to go at first because I get weak at the sight of killing or generous amounts of blood. But alas, the draw to have the one time chance to experience an age old tradition and art in this country convinced me. While I appreciated the art form, I just couldn't get over the fact that "innocent bulls were being killed and their bloody bodies being dragged nonchalantly over the dirt and out of the stadium. They went through 5 different bulls and only at the 4th one could I finally watch the whole thing without wincing.

Unfortunately at this particular venue, I witnessed a horse get stabbed in a back thigh by a bull. The bull was a small one and therefore his horns were low enough to get under the armor on the horse. A major artery was hit and I saw it later surrounded by the most blood I have every seen in my life. They quickly realized they had to killed it quickly and not let it suffer.

I think that while it was once appreciated as a skillful art, the human conscience needs to rise above this type of tradition.

Very interesting and well done film on bull fighting in Spain. I was in Spain doing a documentary on the Running of the Bulls Festival, which is the other side of bullfighting - consider it the bulls revenge, as they run through the streets goring tourists.

Of course at 5pm on the same day the people have their revenge, as the bullfights start and almost always the bull is killed in the ring.

It's all quite complicated in Spain, this relationship with nature and bulls.

The video URL on the bulls run is below
http://current.com/items/88846006_running_of_the_bulls_festival_pamplona_spain

Let me know what you think

Absolutely beautiful and thought-provoking. The interview pieces you chose were so eloquent and visuals... simply stunning. This is my favorite too Grace.

Manueirda- The activist that we interviewed was a full vegan and was against all forms of animal abuse.
After working on this piece I thought, I would rather be a bull killed in an artistic ceremony than live my whole life in a little pen, in my own feces, and wind up a hamburger... At least the bull goes out with a little glory. As they say in the piece, the blood causes modern society to want to reject bullfighting.
But there are certainly other, possibly more brutal, animal practices in use that we rarely question.

In other cow news: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ib5V7z9A-ocCTOvoaRCq9Ohbl9SAD8USBB880

wow! *echoz gives pause*

that's an interesting perspective manueirda. =D

great video!

were any of those anti-bull fighting activists vegetarian? If they were, I can see their position but if not, very ironic that they are willling to send the cows to the slaughterhouse but they can´t stand to see the bull die (with more dignity dare I say) in the ring.

I´ve been to bullfights and even though the killing of the bull is my least favoueurite part, It´s quite a good show.

I´m a vegetarianmyself,ut I still support bullfighting! its one of those things that has "escaped" globalisation.

cool vid ... ive been to madrid

I feel sorry for this girl...

http://girl-survives-bull-goring.hillbilly.com/

but this has to be one of my favorites of all-time =P

ouch!!! (take that matador!)

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/420878/guy_gets_a_bull_horn_up_his_ass/

There is something very beautiful about the art and tradition. I can see how there are those that are passionate and don't want it to die.

Wow! This is an amazing peice. I felt sorry for the bulls. I Love the footage.

...sometimes the bull wins, no? =D lol

bullfighting is just like baseball. just watching the bullfighter brought me back to my days of facing an opponent on the other team while i was pitching a ball to a batter. this 'sport' is just as adrenaline pumping as facing an competitor that is five times your size. i guarantee if i were to grow up in this area i would become a bullfighter instead of becoming an artist, thats what growing up in iowa will get you. sorry if i affend but i kill animals- to survive, i eat them.

great work..im against bullfighting but i don't think is going to stop any time soon

I honestly didn't know how serious bullfighting was until your pod. I was literally sitting in my room going, "They kill the bulls?!"
Thank you for showing the true reality of bullfighting.

es muy interesante. muchas gracias.

It might be a well executed piece, but I dislike the fact that it supports bull fighting. Although it might have a beautiful technique, this type of tradition is immoral and unjustified. I would've preferred a pod that would make people think a bit more about this issue. Bull fighting may be a well respected ancient sport, but in modern times it has no more value than an anachronistic tradition.

This is a great piece that I will share with many people. It has movement, a great story with historical value, and the interviews were great. Soskin knows what it takes to capture the human element. I had no idea so many people were against bullfighting. Current International is one of my fav. topics to watch.

WELL balanced pod, the interviews were not lost in the video.As always, tradition will prevail in the hearts of the true belivers; but, Man is changing. Animal sports such as bullfighting, cockfighting, and dog fighting are too brutal and sadistic to continue and I am glad of this.

One problem is the english term - bullfight which denotes at one time an actual fight which it does not and seems to the observer to be a completely lopsided affair. It's a tragedy that goes back to primitive animal sacrifices. If these were being done in Borneo or in the depths of the amazon the same critics would probably be harping on its spirituality
Anyway I prefer the portuguese one where the bull isn't killed.

Excellent pod! Glad it made it to TV!

A great piece of work. The music, the movement, and the various perspectives make the pod a very balance piece. The pod didn't express any bias and/or prejudice about the topic, but present it in a very objective manner. I love how Josh was able to touch upon the individual and societal impact of bullfighting. Also, the conflict between tradition and social values is expressed very well in the pod. This conflict illustrates that the issue regarding bullfighting isn't just black and white, but that the issue has multiple dimensions: tradition/modern, sports/slaughter, artistry/butchery, etc. Lastly, the pod presents the unknown future of bullfighting.

Thank you for addressing this controversial issue and presenting both sides. When I saw the bull being stabbed to death in the beginning, I cried. I believe bullfighting is barbaric--there are plenty of other ways to perserve culture and display artistry and courage without torturing or killing innocent creatures.

Bullfighting is cruel and bullfighters are cruel beasts.
They make humans look like the virus which should be destroyed. Shame!
Good job Josh with telling this story - great editing and all.

Very nice piece guys. Bravo.

Poor bulls.

Good stuff...nice to see more content out of Espana! I especially liked how you took us into the Bullfighting School, quite interesting.

What a great tradition even though it is disappearing in Spain it is still strong in many Latin American countries and I hope for many more generations. Good job in providing both sides of the issue.

beautiful peace josh,
i'm against killing da bulls,
so i hope you don't hold it against me.

DA BULLS.

i know Michael Jordan would cry!

Great job you guys! This looks beautiful and the interviews are really interesting. I've always admired bullfighting as a traditional art but had trouble stomaching the blood. This spoke to both sides. Congratulations!

The music is great!! The shots are great, and I like that it makes you think. That bull at the beginning that went down tugged at my heart strings! :)

Brilliant Josh and Grace!

So well done. Kudos to you both. Cinematography is incredible.

This is really good stuff...
Congratulations guys... : )

Great job guys! You got some excellent interviews and it's beautifully shot. Vale!

really well done Josh and Grace!

It was beautifully shot and leaves with the question of animal rights vs. tradition, I personally find the whole thing barbaric and disturbing, but it's not my culture and I think you were subtle in your treatment of the subject.

Very nice piece Josh

Bravo!

Poetic cinematography, well-balanced, you actually allowed it to breath (editing), which seems like an against-the-current approach...

The skills on the part of the matadors are amazing, and the crowd hates a messy matador, so there is that aspect of a quick death being applauded - but it is gorey and cruel, no one seems to be denying that...

Tough one...

Great job bud! Love it!

Josh and Grace - you are doing fantastic work!

Great job, Josh - really, really well done.

you should get an oscar for cinematography. SO beautifully shot.

but very very sad.

a beautiful tradition.

This is interesting because there is also bullfighting in my country (Colombia) specially in small towns where each year leaves victims and victims of stupid people that want to prove their "braveness" and end up injured by the horns or kicks of the bull...when it happens I feel good because at least the bull is getting back to the humans!!! and at the same time i feel sad because how Bullfighting gets to latin america is simple and degradating...The spanish conquerers that "disovered" america see that there is no bullfighting and they say that a place without bullfighting is aplace without a soul....so, my ancestors were considered soul-less creatures because they didnt have this GREAT MANIFESTATIONN OFF ARTTT!!!!....another interesting fact is that(and this can be another fact for the Black history month) is that black people ARE not allowed in bullrings..it was considered of bad luck and if a black person was to enter he or she would be kicked out of the venue coz because of them el torero(bullfighter) would have a bad artistic experience.....

i hope it ends soon....its just so ridiculous....the profbullighting community has the most irrelevant arguements...hiding abuse under the name of art is really horrible...they want to keep the tradition alive well because it attarcts tourist, because it gived a job to many peole that work for the bullrings..its just economical interest. It makes the rich feel richer and more powerful, more artsy...something for the royalty to brag about...the one guy said that just as this tradition will end so will the rest of the spanish traditions will end..well, he is wrong, good music is not gonna die!! the great singers and dancers will keep doing the real art not that crazy bull killing blood fantasia!!!

>.

Good treatment of an interesting subject, glad to see you looked at both sides of the argument.

Beautiful pod.

I'd like to comment that the only defense the pro-bullfighting faction can come up with is that bullfighting is a tradition and it's an art, and that alone is the reason they give for wanting it to carry on.

But the truth is that even traditions and arte, once they are seen by an evolved populace as being cruel and hurtful, lose their following and wither away. The argument is not that the youth have no interest in tradition. The argument is that the tradition itself is being surpassed by the moral values of the people.

For instance, cockfighting had a very long tradition in the United States. Even Washington and Jefferson are said to have participated in it. Today, it is illegal in 49 states. (The sole holdout -- Louisiana. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockfight)

I think the young people are right about this -- the coming generations will see the end of the bullfights. But don't blame the extinction of tradition on the young. It is because the people are evolving in thought and in compassion. For example, flamenco is a Spanish art form that is growing in popularity despite its archaic and folkloric roots. No animals are stabbed to death in flamenco music and dance. Ole!

The bullfight school patrón asks where is the "barbaric" part of him. The barbaric part is not in him -- it is in a cultural view that is ending. It's an old way of thinking that values "tradition" over conscience. The torture of the bullfight will someday be compared to the torture of the Spanish Inquisition. I am glad to see it go.

This pod had great characters, great interviews and impressive footage. I would have liked to see more interviews with different young people in the cities, even just sound bites. And I would rather not run the music all the way through the piece, but use it a little less but with more precision. And use the paso doble or flamenco music for the Spanish flavor!

All in all, well done and bravo!

Excellent, very well done.

this pod was so well done, i love it.
i feel bad for the bulls though