Comments on: Bullfighting's Blood Brothers

60 Minutes Interviews A Star Matador, Who Is Then Nearly Killed In The Ring

This is in response to comments from poster ?joshh76? at 11:17 PM : Apr 20, 2009:

?People need to lighten up. Spain is a great country, with a lot of history and traditions. This was an interesting story with charismatic personalities. If you don't like bullfighting, then don't watch it.?

Indeed, Spain is a great country with a long history and traditions. But that is not the point. The point is that if 60 minutes had a piece to glorify dog fighting in Japan or cockfighting in Virginia, then we as viewers have every right to watch it and complain about the brutality of these blood rituals. The history of 60 minutes has been to present both side of an issue, but what Bob Simon did was to present the fluffy side of bullfighting and disregarded the reality behind the scenes (bulls are given sulfur to induce diarrhea and dehydration, are beaten to sap their energy, their horns are shaved to disorient them, and Vaseline is rubbed into their eyes to blurred their poor eye sight even further).

?But to condemn it as cruelty if you are someone who enjoys eating beef is absolutely hypocritical, considering that these bulls enjoy an infinitely more rewarding life and honorable death than any of the cows that create the hamburgers and steaks that millions of Americans eat everyday. If you are a vegetarian, then post away. If you eat beef, then look in a mirror.?

The notion that death to the bull in the ring is better than death in the slaughter house is a classic bullfighting fallacy. Clearly there is a difference between killing an animal for food and killing and animal for entertainment. It?s incomprehensible why the ceremonious slow painful death of a bull in the ring by thrusting, poking, stabbing, and jabbing the animal with lances, barbed darts, swords, and daggers for 20 minutes is more noble and honorable than a quick, sterile death in the slaughter house. In the end, how does honor server the bull (a human term that obviously the animal can't understand) when it is tortured to death in the ring?

[Philanthropissed]

Since men who torture animals are known to be underendowed with small *******, they might be bachelors, but certainly are not the most "eligible".

[globalcitizen]

It is appalling to me that in this day and age, bullfighting is still considered a "sport," a form of entertainment...How barbaric it makes us seem, as humanity. We should be ashamed, really. It's like the morbid fascination with watching fighting of any sort...We are better than that (humanity.) Certainly it should not be glorified on a t.v. show, although one could say that 60 Minutes brought it to the show to raise public awareness. I am really sickened by the whole story, but all for the sake of the bull. The poor bulls have no chance. It's as bad as dogfighting, really. Why shouldn't bullfighters and the entire "industry" be punished, as Vick (the football player) was, for dogfighting? What is the difference???

[cenrique]

Animal cruelty at its worst!
6 harpoons (each a foot long) on the back
Speared several times from a horseback
Killed by sword (quickly if lucky)
Killer (matador) gets bull's ears and tail as a trophy
Killer trains for years before starts the killing
Bull sees a person on foot for the very first time in the arena

[GingerBurr]

How can you help glamorize such a brutal and hateful activity (it is by no means a sport or an art) as bullfighting? The bulls are tortured before they ever enter the ring -- just one example of that is the blood we see pouring from the poor animal's shoulders -- to render them nearly defenseless and certainly terrified. It is appalling to see people watching with great delight and, worse, worshipping these bullfighters. Have we, as humans, lost all compassion for living beings? Bullfighting should be ended forever, but I suspect you just had a great hand in boosting its popularity. How sad!

[Stephen_Neri]

I don't see how anyone can make a living off of this "sport". I agree that it is a good story and it will attract a lot of readers but for this guy to recieve a medal is not only stupid but wrong. I no way shape or form is bull fighting an art. If it was fair then the man would fight the bull with no swords or anything. But what these two brothers do doesnt make then brave. It makes them both have a death wish and both of them are cowards. What happend to their father is sad yes but he was an idiot for doing this and both of them are aswell and if they both just so happend to end up like there father as well the only person that i am going to feel sorry for is there mother. not for losing 3 men in her life but for having those 3 idiots ruin hers.

[vinsue]

I am thrilled to see the response this piece is getting. "60 minutes" viewers are an intelligent audience,and compassionate as well. I am a vegan,I don't wear leather so I suppose I am "allowed" to protest animal cruelty as one comment complained. I would like to see a rebuttal to this piece,or at least an acknowledgment to the amount of outrage it has generated. It's too bad animals have to suffer before someone speaks up for them. How many dogs are murdered for fur trim? Maybe if you do a story about the Chinese fur trade,those animals would generate an outpouring of sympathy as well. Give the animals a voice on your very influential program, Thank You

[Stu_Cohen]

Your "report" glorifying the slow, cruel killing of bulls was reprehensible.

The activity is nothing more than the barbaric slaughter of an animal in front of a crown of ignorant people.

These matadors aren't heros. They are criminals and should be jailed for animal abuse.

Typically 60 Minutes reports all sides of a story. Why didn't you report how that the animal is mutilated with its back and neck muscles cut? Why didn't you report that at the time of the painful death, the animal is exhausted and has already suffered great blood loss?

This wasn't a news magazine story; this was a disgusting commercial for bull fighting.

Present the other side next week.

Stu Cohen
Davie, Florida

[SSwann]

Shame on you for reporting on such an uterly brutal and disgusting form of animal cruelty!!! Would you think it was so entertaining and romantic if it was a human being tortured and slaughtered for the sake of entertainment?? And, really, what goes through the minds of those who enjoy watching an animal tortured and killed? Isn't that usually connected with psychopaths? Come on! So many people watch your show. You have a responsibility to society to solve problems, not add to them! I, by the way, turned the channel.

[joshh76]

People need to lighten up. Spain is a great country, with a lot of history and traditions. This was an interesting story with charismatic personalities. If you don't like bullfighting, then don't watch it. But to condemn it as cruelty if you are someone who enjoys eating beef is absolutely hypocritical, considering that these bulls enjoy an infinitely more rewarding life and honorable death than any of the cows that create the hamburgers and steaks that millions of Americans eat everyday. If you are a vegetarian, then post away. If you eat beef, then look in a mirror.

[CountBezukhov]

I saw the show right up to that segment then changed the station as I had no desire to hear CBS fawning over animal abusers. From the teaser I gather one of the matadors was gored and/or trampled and that this was seen as a great tragedy. I can?t see why; they?re trying to kill the bulls, the bulls are trying to kill them back. Seems reasonable to me, at least on the part of the bulls. And, after all, isn?t that where the excitement is supposed to come in for the fans?

In ancient Crete, I?ve read, teenage boys and girls faced charging bulls and, at the last moment, vaulted over them. Annoying to the bull, I?m sure, but harmless. And, unlike the matadors of today, that took TRUE courage. Maybe CBS will now have the courage to confront the disservice they?ve done to the cause of bringing an end to animal cruelty.

~ John Mayer

[jodyki]

Ghandi said "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

I believe this applies to news show as well.

[sunbob]

I agree with the comments that CBS owes us an apology for glorifying bullfighting. They also need to offer a background episode on the cruelty behind this so called sport. It is really disappointing that they felt they had to glorify this bloody specticle by appearing to do a profile on two eligible men.

[birdgherl]

Nothing about these brothers says "hero" to me. They are doing nothing to serve Spain or its people. CBS should be ashamed and embarrassed to air such a ridiculous story. Heros are brave and thoughtful people - a far cry from these pretty boys whose "job" is the equivalent of shooting fish in a barrel. They are heartless and cruel cowards.

[elgianne]

I'm appalled that CBS aired something like this without discussing how barbaric bullfighting truly is.

This is NOT sport, it is absolute brutality. Anyone who condones this, needs to take a look at themselves and think about the cruelty that is involved.

Shame on the people who participate.

[bobbeemurr_dotmac]

Que los toros vivan en paz, y al aire pleno.

[colleenKindness]

There is no "sport" in this blood bath. The bull never has a chance. He is made weak & blind behind the scenes before he enters the area. He is brutally tortured by numerous swords and has no idea why he was chosen to be taunted and tortured this way. What cowards to do such a thing. What thugs that enjoy such a thing. How sick it is to praise them on TV. I think they are cowards . I think they are batchellors who substitute for the life they can't make with the life they can take.They lost that "thrill" They can still get their swords "up" and stick it in a warm & living creature and watch it crumple & cry. What brutes!
60 minutes, time to air a segment on the real men of Barcelona who are working towards a ban on bullfighting. In 2004 the people of Barcelona voted to declare Barcelona a non bullfighting city. lets see that aired as follow up and praise the true modern day heros, not archaic thugs.

[critterlover]

I am amazed that the folks who are against the inhumane torture of an animal call bull fighting a sport. there is nothing "sport" about it. From the time the poor creature is run through the street to the ring, to the picador who stabs it repeatedly to create blood loss to the matador who goes in for the kill. as soon as i saw the subject, i turned off sixty minutes. Shame shame on them. that is a part of anyone's culture that the culture should be ashamed of. to show it on american tv is to imply approval. might as well show dog fighting or **** fighting. those are cruel "sports" too. As an American I am proud that we go after those sick, evil individuals who partake, promote, participate in events like these on USA soil. Now 60 minutes and all shows like them need to keep that crap off american tv. I am expecting an apology to the American people and a comdemdation(sic) of any and all events that are similar to this one (bull fighting, dog fighting, camel fighting, **** fighting, etc.)

[robolsson]

I expect that CBS will issue a public apology to those like myself who were subjected to the gruesome spectacle of a ritualistic killing without so much as even bothering to warn its audience before the fact. That CBS would air such carnage in the context of paying homage to the ?eligible bachelors? who are involved in it is beyond the pale. Any story about bullfighting should emphasize the utter brutality and cruelty inherent in it.

To Bob Simon, I pose the question: Would you honor Michael Vick with a story like this? If not, then how do you justify the praise and adoration you heaped on these two brothers?

A Former 60 Minutes Viewer

[lindatlittle]

I agree with most of you that bullfighting is cruel. However, I can't help but wonder why more of you didn't comment on the reporter's statement that Spain is a modern country that has accepted abortion and gay marriages. REALLY!!!! Think about it . Which is truly more barbaric--abortion or bullfighting? What kind of person would kill their own offspring and what kind of country legalizes the murder of innocents.