A load of bull
I watched a bull fight on a TV in a Spanish bar once. The menfolk of the small town were in there too, drinking little bottles of beer, smoking and throwing rubbish on the floor, as is their wont. Bull fighting is, you won’t need me to tell you, a fairly barbaric thing. I don’t particularly agree with it, if we’re going to have a debate about it, but while I was sitting in a bar in Spain amongst a large group of people watching it, I wasn’t going to ignore it. It was such experiences I was in Spain to absorb, as it happened.
The thing that struck me most about the reactions from those around me was the nature in which they regarded the spectacle. An enthusiastic bull fight spectator, for example, is not so much concerned with the fact that an animal is being killed for his or her pleasure, but rather the style, grace and skill with which it is performed. Sounds sick, in a way, I know, but I was enlightened to discover that it’s not simply about watching a display of man conquering beast – some would conquer but with disapproval from the audience, the style, accuracy and resulting swiftness of death not to their standards.
Why am I going on about this, I hear you ask. We certainly don’t get much bull fighting in Manchester. Well, two reasons really. 1. I like reminiscing on my time spent in Spain – give me a bike and four months free and I’d be back there in a shot. That is purely coincidental however as the reason my reminiscing has been given reign of indulgence today is thanks to 2. This video. It’s a little gruesome, if you are of the type that gets a little squeamish watching a man have a bull’s horn shoved through his face, but it’s a rather fascinating thing nonetheless. And I’m sure the anti-bull fighting lot will enjoy the chance to have a little ‘serves you right’ moment.
If you can’t be arsed with the video and just want to get to the point (no pun intended), this is it:
The thing that struck me most about the reactions from those around me was the nature in which they regarded the spectacle. An enthusiastic bull fight spectator, for example, is not so much concerned with the fact that an animal is being killed for his or her pleasure, but rather the style, grace and skill with which it is performed. Sounds sick, in a way, I know, but I was enlightened to discover that it’s not simply about watching a display of man conquering beast – some would conquer but with disapproval from the audience, the style, accuracy and resulting swiftness of death not to their standards.
Why am I going on about this, I hear you ask. We certainly don’t get much bull fighting in Manchester. Well, two reasons really. 1. I like reminiscing on my time spent in Spain – give me a bike and four months free and I’d be back there in a shot. That is purely coincidental however as the reason my reminiscing has been given reign of indulgence today is thanks to 2. This video. It’s a little gruesome, if you are of the type that gets a little squeamish watching a man have a bull’s horn shoved through his face, but it’s a rather fascinating thing nonetheless. And I’m sure the anti-bull fighting lot will enjoy the chance to have a little ‘serves you right’ moment.
If you can’t be arsed with the video and just want to get to the point (no pun intended), this is it:
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