Patricia McCormick, Female Bullfighter

There haven't been many female bullfighters, and being a female bullfighter back in the 1950s made Patricia McCormick even more of an oddity. Wikipedia offers this brief bio of her:

Patricia debuted as a bullfighter in September 1951 in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. She joined the Matador's Union soon after and began bullfighting as a professional Matadora in January 1952. Throughout her decade-long career, she fought in 300 corridas throughout Mexico and Venezuela. Six times bulls gored her, once so seriously that a priest administered last rites.

Wikigender has some info about the history of female bullfighting:

Women have fought bulls since the 18th century, but a law in 1908 banned then from the ring on the grounds of "decency and public morality". The restriction was lifted in the 1930s but reimposed by the dictator Francisco Franco in 1940. It was lifted again only after his death in 1975. Women bullfighters still remain rare.

Read more about McCormick here and here.

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Posted By: Alex - Fri Dec 28, 2012
Category: Sports | 1950s

Comments

Brave woman, no way I'd face down an animal like that.

Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 12/28/12 at 07:58 AM

Tom Lehrer had THIS to say about Bull Fighting, I agree! :coolsmile:

Posted by Tyrusguy on 12/28/12 at 09:02 AM

I don't hold with bull fighting: it's animal cruelty at its worst. OTOH, she does nice things to that suit of lights.

Posted by TheCannyScot in Atlanta, GA on 12/28/12 at 09:40 AM

Frogs don't got no cajones next to this lady.

Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 12/28/12 at 10:49 AM

Thanks for the reminder Tyrusguy. Lehrer is brilliant and very funny.

Posted by Harvey on 12/28/12 at 11:49 AM

For a woman to wear pants was positively *scandalous* - before the 1920's. My own grandmother (who cross-dressed to work as a newspaper reporter in Baltimore in 1917) was arrested for Disorderly Conduct when she was caught wearing pants in public.

Posted by tadchem on 12/28/12 at 03:13 PM

"... the sight of a lone man facing, singlehandedly,
A half a ton of angry pot roast!"

I think that about sums up the whole picture.

Lehrer certainly had a quick wit and handy turn of phrase. 😜

Posted by KDP on 12/28/12 at 05:03 PM

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