'She Wasn't Tall Enough and Breasts Get in the Way': Why Would a Woman Bullfighter Retire?

In 1999, the first Spanish woman bullfighter, Cristina Sanchez, retired after performing as a full-fledged torero for only three years. In this article, I examine the circumstances of her success and of the curtailment of her short career as a case study in how an emergent feminine identity can be created and established through the conscious actions of a woman in the public sphere. Through an analysis of ethnographic and media materials, I will demonstrate how in this context of changing Spanish gender Cristina Sanchez's career and retirement made the Spanish gender debate public and explicit through a performative and media manifestation of women's agency. This work is based on ethnographic fieldwork in Spain from 1992-1994, media analysis, and a series of return visits since that time.

Keywords:

• Gender
• Media
• Bullfighting
• Spain