Monday, April 26, 2010

It was one of the cruellest things I had ever seen.

But first some background.

A young lady of Spanish Heritage was taking television viewers on a tour of Spain. I just happened to click on the channel. She browsed flea markets, ate some disgusting food like pigs ears- with hairs intact, swimming in a sauce of what looked like sewer grunge. She even munched on suckling pig in a family restaurant. That was pretty awful. Little pigs- less than 21 days old, are gutted and roasted complete with head and legs and set on serving platters. The meat is touted as being extremely tasty, moist and well- succulent. The restaurant owner brings a trio of piggies to the table and to show just how moist and tender the meat is, he slashes into the carcasses with a plate in a style reminiscent of Jack the Ripper. Restaurant-goers applaud and he throws the plate crashing to the floor.
Bravo!
The young host can barely “tuck” into the chunk of juicy piggy meat that sits on her plate- tiny, cork-screw tail still attached.

The documentary moves to a Catholic Cathedral professed to be the spiritual centre of Spain housing extremely ornate statuary, flecked with gold. The documentary crew however, does not enter a nearby Synagogue and Mosque, leading me to believe that the crew is either of the Catholic persuasion or shooting video inside is not allowed.
Having these non-Christian buildings and their congregations near the supreme Catholic Cathedral is basically what started the Spanish Inquisition. In the true fashion of Christianity “if you can’t join us, we’ll beat you down one way of the other”-
The Spanish Inquisition was born.

Of course there’s a museum in this Spanish City, home to the original building where the inquisitors held court. On display were thumb screws and a noose that held non-Catholics by the ankles- sending them several metres up in the air, only to be sent plummeting to the ground breaking bones in the process. Of course the ever popular “rack” was on display as well. This was a cruel reminder of how Christians- Catholics in particular, convinced others to come to Jesus Christ. Perhaps even today these practices are in place- all in the name of another religion, in countries like Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq.

The video tour of Roman Aqueduct, built in the year 79- just after the tumultuous events that make up several Chapters in the “believer’s Bible”, was impressive. Massive stones configured without glue and still standing today as a reminder of Roman ingenuity and oppression.

Now. The cruellest part. The young Spanish-English speaking TV host decided to attend a Bull fight in Madrid. After roasted piggies- only a few weeks old being slashed to tasty bits in front of her, she obviously thought a bull fight would easy to take. She tells the audience that she was unsure about it all but wanted to make up her own mind. About what? She couldn’t even say it. She was met by a young, enthusiastic blonde lady who lived for the Bull fights.

She was able to go “backstage” and talk and shoot video of the various handsome men, all part of the bullfighting spectacle. Most of the guys looked like they were ready to “soil their undies” as they stood there praying and crossing themselves all the while dressed in their tight little “gaunchy” costumes.
Let me explain.
I don’t believe I had ever seen Matadors filmed up close before. Most of the time I have seen them portrayed in a black velvet painting over someone’s couch. By the way, that form of décor has always been wrong and always will be.
Now, we all know that a young man, say in a tight, little Speedo swimsuit, leaves nothing to the imagination. Well, check out these guys. There’s this huge bit of extra padding right over their “knackwurst”. Depending whether they dressed to the left or right, it was there for all to see.

A few frames later comes the bull. He gets stuck with these fancy spears high up on the back. Blood flows and the bull is not happy. He’s in pain. Now, if you don’t know it, these bulls are set up to be killed. The Matadors just don’t simply play around with their stealthy opponents. Yes, they wave their red capes, causing the bulls to charge, allowing them to snap their capes with a flourish and look like total “dandies”.
Good God!
And I’ve been called “faggot” in public. These guys are “real” men to the Spanish.

So eventually after they’ve played with the bull, this other guy is supposed to shove in a sword for the kill. Well, this nineteen year old kid who was interviewed before the fight, doesn’t do such a good job. The bull is in tremendous pain with blood oozing from the holes in his back, dripping down to the sawdust at his feet.
He pulls the sword out of the bull’s back and sticks another in.
This one does the job.

I admit, I had to flip off the channel at this point. It was just too gruesome and ugly. This is sport you understand. Although, I didn’t see the bull with a sword in it’s hooves slashing back at the young man.
I flipped the channel back on to view the final indignity. The dead bull was lassoed around the neck and dragged around the arena by three or four horses with riders all decked out in flamboyant Spanish colours.
How pretty!
The crowd was cheering but not for the young man with the sword. He lost favour because of his sloppy kill. These people were cheering for the body of the dead animal being dragged around the arena floor.

How disgusting.
In the same moment we are told that the Spaniards truly “respect the bull”. It’s a tradition.

So just agitate the bull by making funny faces at him. Wave a red flag at him. Let him charge. Flip your cape and take a bow.
Why kill the bull?
It’s a sick tradition and needs to be stopped. Although she didn’t out and out say it, the young host seemed disgusted as well.

Thanks for reading and have a "succulent" day!