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Bullfighting in Spain - the cloning debate

Reliving that Death Time and Time Again

If you are horrified by a single bull being slaughtered with heartless bravado, get ready to multiply your horrification: that same bull can now be killed ad infinitum thanks to the miracle of cloning...

Cloning Bulls

If you're horrified by a single bull being slaughtered with heartless bravado, get ready to multiply your horrification: that same bull can now be killed ad infinitum thanks to the miracle of cloning. I’m a bit confused here, wasn’t cloning originally conceived of as a “life-giving” not a “death-giving” technology?

Anyway, this is the plan: clone Alcalde, a stud that has sired many of Spain’s most virile bulls. Next, raise his progeny to adulthood, set aside one for reproductive purposes, and “Olay” with delight as the other “Alcaldes” die time and time again. Morbid fascination has never been so fast, easy or consistent.

And is that what those involved are looking for? I've heard of people campaigning for “quality of life” issues, but never “quality of death” issues. What? Watching a given bull tremble uncontrollably, vomit blood and then completely collapse isn’t enough? They want to see the "stunning superiority" of this performance season after season? Couldn’t they just hit replay on the video camera?

Hold it! Cameras – that’s it! While we are at it, why don’t we clone Javier Bardem? His lineage as an actor is unparalleled and his performances universally applauded. The Oscars on Sunday were such an emotional night for all of us and the best part is - it doesn’t have to end! Imagine, we could experience the thrill annually as Javier's multiple selves win next year, and the next, and the next…

If you are thinking, “What a bunch of bull”, I couldn’t agree more. For now, I think all of us are better off with just one life and one death and I strongly suspect all the "Alcaldes" and all the "Javiers" in the world agree with me.