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Don't take them to hospital
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- Mar 2008
- 20915
- The House with the Golden Windows
- Fast falling out of love for football.
- WasPlain Hobnobs
And we're in Jo Brand and battery acid territory here, aren't we.
Except we're talking about people who are deliberately torturing animals for their perverse entertainment, rather than people we regard as having views we regard as repellent.
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Admission time: I've been to the festival and had a fantastic time there, spending the night drinking kalimotxo and then inbetween times crashing out on the grass somewhere after watching part of the run in the morning (there was never any chance of yours truly lining up with the runners). I was with a friend and we had a great craic.
I don't like bullfighting yet I enjoy the spectacle of the Running of the Bulls, so that's me marked down as a hypocrite, but I'm trying to be as honest as I can here, I suppose if only the animals didn't get killed in the end...
In general there's a lot more opposition to bullfighting than many people would imagine in Spain. But the right-wing press have it covered as one of the sacred traditions of the nation and while the PP and even worse vermin such as Vox have anything to do with it the "fiesta nacional" will keep stumbling along.
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Spanish state televisión devotes around an hour and a half to this every morning.
Starting at 7.15, there are various short pre-recorded reports along with live ones interspersed by comments from the experts in the studio. Over the course of the fiesta these reports might be dedicated to the clothes worn by the runners, to how the bulls are reared and how potentially dangerous this particular “manada” is; how weather conditions affect the run, and maybe something about the physical preparation required to be a successful runner. The other morning there was a piece on how the local hospitals and Red Cross etc are set up to deal with casualties. A military operation if you ever saw one. It’s clear: if you are ever gored by a bull Pamplona is probably the best place in the world where this could happen to you. The road to the hospital is clear of traffic and the hospital entrance cleared of any obstructions. Specialist doctors are waiting (I’m not joking).
There are short interviews with some of the runners, then as we draw towards 8 o’clock there is the “Cántico a San Fermin”(sung in Spanish and Euskera) seen here:
The run itself is done without commentary: just ambient sound. When it’s over, however, there are discussions about how “clean” it was, how quick it was; there are repetitions using cameras from many different angles; shortly afterwards, a spokesperson from one of the medical teams gives a rundown on the day’s first known casualties (lots of dry medical vocabulary used in this bit).
Often, a runner or two will be interviewed to get their impressions of how things went. The run is replayed again and again and individual bulls running styles commented on.
However, Spanish state TV does not show the bullfights. These are only seen on subscription channels.
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- Mar 2008
- 20915
- The House with the Golden Windows
- Fast falling out of love for football.
- WasPlain Hobnobs
Originally posted by Hot Pepsi View PostI understand that impulse. Spain’s mistreatment of animal’s for the entertainment of tourists is appalling. But I can’t wish a violent death on anyone. Their real sin is just being young and stupid.
When we've got people like Nigel Farage, David Cameron, and Kate Hoey.
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