0 n+ U- g: b: ?2 M: V' k一些演员私下告诉我，他们盼着立法赶快生效。: i3 ~- B1 Z8 t$ z- g
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制片人说，这对雇员没有任何好处，只会迫使制片公司搬到海外、或者转移到地下去拍片。观众想看的，就一定能看得到。* [" C2 Y5 D! a
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宝碧也有同感。事实上，这也正是她开始脱衣服、准备开拍性爱场面之前说的告别词。 & S" N- {7 O. t! _4 c5 @1 d1 e9 F8 N4 K) A- \
我想，我看的已经够多了。我悄悄地离开拍摄现场，重新回到淅淅沥沥的小雨中……. 6 T8 Z$ ^) y4 f- @7 E) B2 g 3 ^4 k" u0 Z2 t$ d+ b# ~8 Z; v+ Z' H( ?. q) U
Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles : C" r1 G9 Q1 A/ M; U) }/ |. b+ X& d! O" J
California's adult movie business is under pressure - internet piracy and the economic downturn have slashed revenues, while state regulators seem set to win their long battle to make actors wear condoms. 4 H/ V" Z2 ?0 w7 w2 K1 w( s) N* X
Light drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles. & `; ]) q# E* `! S8 A ! [/ J' o$ Z4 ]& e" pI had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things., G. X3 z. D9 U( g s% h4 b
. P' R9 Q8 g+ w4 M qWhat I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect.; n1 q8 z; d. O. S& D
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The porn shoot was Star Trek, the Next Generation - a triple-X parody, billed as a humorous tribute to the iconic TV space saga.: U3 Q# F" A% K2 G; A
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Performers in body-hugging Star Trek outfits, some with prosthetic noses to resemble aliens, wandered around looking slightly bored as a weary crew worried over lighting arrangements. . O0 s* l; J( I+ f" Z J6 r Z6 a " R% s6 v5 k3 \1 i0 cThis morning was devoted to dialogue, I was told, although - as Sam, the film's artistically minded writer-director, explained to me with clear regret - there was not too much of that to be had. 7 J, K' G' K) w ; K* d: x' G- f. n O6 MOnly 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed. 9 S, h* H# c" B9 | 9 d! z5 p! V% @' J' [Fantasy! \( U9 ]4 c. D& `5 \; f; o" ]
' c) U" B+ }4 x6 oThe demands of porn may not allow Sam to be the groundbreaking film-maker he clearly aspires to be, but at least there are films to be made. 6 r9 ? v7 @5 v 9 L" g% J" ]" q0 G; ]2 w% PThe problem, increasingly, is revenue.2 j$ y& n7 R3 t! {8 h1 t
( D" z# Q; q! u, s& _3 R3 l& W/ G. v6 uLike the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch. e( n1 f* ~& D. p$ R6 [
+ Y3 u. S- O/ y; Y! d: kDVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free. 7 y; Z! Y& M% }( m, Q 6 v, k( f9 `# B' c% M4 YAnd the economic downturn does not help. % Y( C5 E% x* U- h& k/ \0 F* Z; s. Y
"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully. : J. r# c+ u) q, o0 _ e' i2 D8 f6 k- \( b1 ~; o1 q. |5 H! T
The economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations.. ~% y: y0 G) a* V# \' F1 I
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For years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms. " e! E9 z9 Z( C0 ^9 {. O # j" r0 G% z) K0 cHealth scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set. # d% n' N/ P' T1 G/ K- @8 O0 Z: B; B" e. V$ \: C: v
But the industry says wearing condoms on-screen is a turn-off. The public do not want it, it will kill the fantasy, they say. 3 ?6 s$ V8 N/ m6 c / o8 E* d' |" n$ d. K6 B; D+ _Gonorrhoea 9 ^& h; y2 T# {8 D% G - ?& T" q0 n% fBack on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers. * v4 f! ]* p- i6 M( R& X7 H( P; f0 a! S1 ]) A) |
A college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years.9 H: N$ f+ N/ N8 z/ J
6 l0 C' A% {8 @( OShe turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure. 0 Q6 s& H0 x) L3 U! H7 {: a4 m; p2 L* O
"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?"! T. O" I) {8 i' v
2 j. C: b1 C+ u# M8 ~, P" H. O& ^Her packed schedule today involved a couple of lines, then a four-hour sex scene. Then a costume fitting on Tuesday and she was off to have her monthly health test after that.8 P4 L* x+ N3 W9 b
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Each day would be 15 hours long. ; B2 W+ U: l2 g, R $ V: `% M9 x" v! Y2 t/ c+ C, a"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested. * n- S1 [$ z% W' q' [2 n, `2 J # r7 I7 v( Q1 B' h$ J"You get used to it," she smiled.1 n5 S! ^# B5 J4 A8 g$ u, U
- b) d2 @3 f# q% f9 E5 |"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?" 3 N, {6 G4 z# X" P; ] ' g3 u, ]8 Q# ~0 K"Well, just chlamydia a couple of times, gonorrhoea - nothing much. Anyway, we test each month so, when you're diagnosed, you just take your medication and you're good to go. No problem." 2 ?9 z( W" ~. v. |5 A3 k1 a ; P$ r& P' q5 b$ x7 _) ?There was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided.* V) H" G5 f f2 x0 B: c
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Expensive lawsuits 6 ?6 r: o Q, t! ] p, H# J# b9 s7 u5 d4 O4 E
In fact there was something very Californian about the entire business. 9 I- }( ^$ l' F' F. I- X# p: p( g, e; V! H4 j) F; J* z) |
A combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it.1 y" Y, O! c: t/ D
: x" x0 X# `" {It had taken a Supreme Court battle back in the 1980s to make porn legal in California in the first place, formally distinguishing it from common-or-garden prostitution. ( | R7 ~8 C$ ~% d' Q+ K( Z1 z3 ^! I6 B2 w/ Q* j
Now, many I met spoke of the right not to wear condoms as a key aspect of their constitutional right to free speech, as set out by the Founding Fathers.9 d# b. Z3 W: g5 {7 z l( C
8 k& E+ ~" C5 S8 E"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?"; i, U& K; y+ ^8 S# U/ n) {% A+ {- f4 u
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I struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment. % [1 }9 a4 J3 Q2 Y6 v9 o1 d! B' a
But then I also struggled to picture hordes of Star Trek fans queuing up to see Captain Jean-Luc Picard going hard-core with the crew of the Star Trek Enterprise. So what did I know? 4 j9 K& _! x3 d) h! I. F8 z, X, ?+ J8 }% V& n `
The authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection. * a* ]/ R* P; h; u; K. O' ]* x% i' z% h; E
It seems likely that porn will eventually lose its battle against the California regulators, not least because - as well as state penalties - the industry could be about to face some very expensive lawsuits brought by former performers.4 E( ^9 k# ]3 m3 z( {1 w
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A number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them.2 S* g8 a9 Z2 O- P* z" O8 x+ F" H
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The producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants. ' k* K( R/ s4 m+ x9 P0 H! [" j @/ v( j' n: B$ @& H0 _3 X
That view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene. / j) t' b8 U$ o2 ]& ?$ } . `% R- f# n8 R* kI decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain. / f$ ~8 S2 A: z * N' E4 n+ q& X, R; T* p ) g/ \0 Y! f* U1 n6 g- h" Y# g6 X( |; x8 `' R$ }( X' ~4 G5 I7 A; l ' I8 P0 Z. _0 p$ h$ E+ wCalls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004
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