This book investigates the popularity and success of contemporary women performers in bullfighting culture, which has been framed by a discourse of 'traditionalist' masculinity. This examination of the changing situation of women in the bullfighting world is used to explore the ways in which gender is represented, enacted and negotiated in contemporary Spain. The bullfight in the 1990s is in an ambiguous position: it is a 'traditional' performance in a changing consumer society. In order to survive, it needs to adapt itself to a wider social context and, in particular, to international media coverage. It is in this context that the current success of women performers is located. However, women performers are a contested phenomenon in the bullfighting world: there is heated debate over their acceptability, much of which focuses on the body. Moreover, the entry of women into the bullfight questions existing definitions of the sport's ritual structure and of gender relations in Spain. Thoroughly researched and compelling to read, Women and Bullfighting addresses these issues and argues that existing traditionalist approaches to gender, bullfighting and ritual in Spain need to be revised in order to locate women bullfighters in the context of a richly varied culture which is increasingly affected by the media and contemporary patterns of consumption. This provocative book will be of interest to researchers and students of anthropology, gender studies, sociology, cultural studies, media studies and Spanish studies.

This book investigates the popularity and success of contemporary women performers in bullfighting culture, which has been framed by a discourse of 'traditionalist' masculinity. This examination of the changing situation of women in the bullfighting world is used to explore the ways in which gender is represented, enacted and negotiated in contemporary Spain. The bullfight in the 1990s is in an ambiguous position: it is a 'traditional' performance in a changing consumer society. In order to survive, it needs to adapt itself to a wider social context and, in particular, to international media coverage. It is in this context that the current success of women performers is located. However, women performers are a contested phenomenon in the bullfighting world: there is heated debate over their acceptability, much of which focuses on the body. Moreover, the entry of women into the bullfight questions existing definitions of the sport's ritual structure and of gender relations in Spain. Thoroughly researched and compelling to read, Women and Bullfighting addresses these issues and argues that existing traditionalist approaches to gender, bullfighting and ritual in Spain need to be revised in order to locate women bullfighters in the context of a richly varied culture which is increasingly affected by the media and contemporary patterns of consumption. This provocative book will be of interest to researchers and students of anthropology, gender studies, sociology, cultural studies, media studies and Spanish studies.

"Muriel Feiner's Women and the Bullring is a ground-breaking work--a feminist treatise sprung from one of the last bastions of male dominance and chauvinism."--Allen Josephs, University of West Florida, author of Ritual and Sacrifice in the Corrida: The Saga of Cesar Rincon The presence of women in the bullring was literally banned in Spain until 1975, when the country's political transition to democracy recognized equal rights for women in every aspect of society. After centuries of brave and relentless crusading, women have managed to make inroads into this male domain. The story of Women and the Bullring is one of daring and determined women who overcome countless obstacles and sexist barriers to realize a unique dream--that of becoming a "matadora de toros." In the first English translation of this award-winning book on the subject, Muriel Feiner chronicles the struggle of women to become matadors--not only Spanish and Latin American women but also American, French, and British--from the 17th century to the present day. She also includes women who have attempted to make inroads into the bullfighting world as bull breeders, journalists, photographers, managers, artists, and impresarios, as well as a section devoted to the wives and mothers of some of the most prominent male toreros. Feiner's extensive research included interviews with noteworthy authorities and with the protagonists themselves. The text is complemented by an extraordinary collection of historical and recent photographs. Feiner's investigation into the fears, frustrations, determination, and motivations of these remarkable women provides a unique insight into an often misunderstood spectacle. Muriel Feiner is a freelance editor, writer, and translator living in Madrid.

La Gitana and the Lady Bullfighters of Mexico is the thrilling true story of real women matadoras, whose bravery defied tradition and death to take up the cape and sword in the bullrings of Mexico and Latin America in the 1940s and 1950s. With more than 300 actual photos, La Gitana presents the real-life drama of these valiant women -- Gloria Martinez, La Gitana, the gypsy herself, Angelina Medina, and Teresita Andaluz, along with their heroic comadres -- as together they overcame every obstacle that a machismo society and a blood sport dating to Roman times could aim at them. In skillful prose, La Gitana shares the danger, threats, struggles, and triumphs the ladies faced, unfolding their riveting story from formative years and the training they endured -- to their excitement of being lady bullfighters and the adulation they received as maestras. La Gitana takes the reader into their private world, explores the psyches that drove these daredevil ladies into the ring, and reveals the bond that kept them together through one death-defying experience after another in country after country. La Gitana and the Lady Bullfighters of Mexico is a rare reading and visual experience -- of women fighting their way to the very top of a man's business, exhibiting astonishing courage, and prevailing dangerously against all odds. La Gitana says '#metoo' more than 7- years ahead of the game, setting a standard of steely nerve and valor for generations of women to follow.

Flamenco dance and bullfighting are parallel arts with shared traditions, performance conventions and vocabularies of movement. This volume introduces readers to an ongoing discussion in Spanish scholarship about the links between these two quintessentially Spanish arts. The author--a dancer and a student of bullfighting--describes the informal practice of both arts in private settings and their emergence as formal public rituals in the bullfighting arena and on the flamenco stage. Key bullfighting techniques and their influence on flamenco dance style are discussed in the context of understanding the worldview and kinesthetic culture of Spain.

Concise Encyclopedia of Mexico includes approximately 250 articles on the people and topics most relevant to students seeking information about Mexico. Although the Concise version is a unique single-volume source of information on the entire sweep of Mexican history-pre-colonial, colonial, and moderns-it will emphasize events that affecting Mexico today, event students most need to understand.

A true classic with a timeless message! All the other bulls run, jump, and butt their heads together in fights. Ferdinand, on the other hand, would rather sit and smell the flowers. So what will happen when Ferdinand is picked for the bullfights in Madrid? The Story of Ferdinand has inspired, enchanted, and provoked readers ever since it was first published in 1936 for its message of nonviolence and pacifism. In WWII times, Adolf Hitler ordered the book burned in Nazi Germany, while Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union, granted it privileged status as the only non-communist children's book allowed in Poland. The preeminent leader of Indian nationalism and civil rights, Mahatma Gandhi—whose nonviolent and pacifistic practices went on to inspire Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.—even called it his favorite book. The story was adapted by Walt Disney into a short animated film entitled Ferdinand the Bull in 1938. Ferdinand the Bull won the 1938 Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Cartoons).