% W+ x9 B4 H% S& Q+ }3 x9 W1980年代,官司一直打到高等法院,色情电影在加州才得到了合法化的地位,正式与普通意义上的嫖娼卖淫划清了界限。 ! q/ O9 n r6 [1 Z- j不戴安全套的权利 ; c6 {* G& G& X" \. r$ v: E: v. S
现在,我遇到的许多人都说,不戴安全套的权利是宪法赋予的言论自由权利的一个关键部分,正如美国的立国之父指出的那样。 m- f1 H/ v7 @, e& y
9 u- {# k( q$ {3 f/ `一名制片人告诉我,“如果你把我的演员都装在橡胶里面,作为艺术家,我还能怎样表述自我呢”?: @- N# ^! ~9 v6 k3 L
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我很难想象,法兰克林和杰弗逊起草《第一修正案》的时候,想到过戴不戴安全套的权利。 3 G% k, j2 Y. W . G1 q) g( Y- z+ o: P! |7 X8 ^5 E但是,我也很难想象,《星际迷航》的粉丝们排着长队去看皮克船长和“进取号”的船员们真刀真枪地“肉搏”。所以,我算老几呢? + l \/ A) ^9 ^: ^2 z- Q& y4 S) G8 J+ R5 V
但是,当局非常坚决。建筑工人必须戴头盔,矿工必须戴口罩,色情演员也必须有适当的保护。 * K9 Z& F" d+ C/ d: p5 o a5 g3 L# u$ f6 N# V: q' H6 v% F
和加州的立法人对阵,色情电影业最终很有可能打败仗。除了罚款,色情电影业也面临着一些前任演员们提出的代价昂贵的法律诉讼。1 I* l4 e' S: f0 ^4 b
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一些演员私下告诉我,他们盼着立法赶快生效。2 G$ n" ^' f1 W) @
: Y/ b' ^/ V, p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。 3 A/ k% B6 q, J* m; f5 g0 P8 f3 f- J4 `' w7 O2 X
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。 8 g1 V2 k4 h3 P! \, ?" G {; a; x! k5 |8 }4 h) n: H! o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……." k) `. s* b- I, z+ O
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1 B# F; l$ O) e( P* ZCalifornian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles - ~3 j8 R+ H/ q! O0 {7 c# K( i# K% V' v( T: d: l; u
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. % H" ^/ U* C* S; b5 f4 H4 F6 V8 f3 q0 ]# H
Light drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles. 5 U% p# K6 c, ]* {- L& s z5 _; s1 J3 q! K9 t* t- GI had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things. - U( Q$ x7 `/ j, n# D6 I2 w0 R5 U E } b; y) o
What I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect.; r5 I/ m1 m" z6 \! C
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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. & H7 S$ k# {$ Z' U* E # a/ Z" O. X2 g6 U! s4 XPerformers 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.$ Z0 P& {6 O; H4 M# u5 f2 h
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This 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 K* M2 W1 P- M) B/ ]& {
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Only 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed.6 w s4 r* W$ I3 t+ ~2 n* Y
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The 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. & w8 ]* o- L( @7 {6 \ 3 x* o6 s' X4 f5 w, mThe problem, increasingly, is revenue. ! e% H- J8 E; u. `3 h4 L2 Z. w1 I
Like the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch. x9 m( j1 m$ Q8 q$ C7 F6 h- q& l# J8 |
DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free.3 k7 z' N: B& R4 [
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And the economic downturn does not help.1 U4 a9 W1 T/ C: y# E9 [/ D$ f) k5 z
: C( U. r1 ^# q2 m, U"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully. G/ M1 S! b- V" V
/ u! e0 o2 x: k1 T1 B% _The economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations.) C: a: T7 J6 h* X" h! y# ?
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For years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms. ; Q: w2 G: c) c; K+ S E6 ~ h2 `" {* A) C) X% i% M' }: ^
Health scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set.! L" D( i2 J. M* j8 d0 E
/ c G0 ^) J. a# @2 X) `+ w. S2 pBut the industry says wearing condoms on-screen is a turn-off. The public do not want it, it will kill the fantasy, they say. & }8 ~# K1 g- x: j1 t0 k5 M# o + [. y6 n: o, \Gonorrhoea# B8 n' q4 H, w; u* m9 J/ Y: H
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Back on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers. ) f+ N" }/ Z5 a' k& e% V+ F/ f# f& }' c5 ?" D3 T2 p9 e
A college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years.& u; Q) d d; { ]
7 s8 {* K" p! hShe turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure. , {- q$ T6 a( p4 q m, L5 J) ^0 N+ Y0 x e+ A3 M3 \"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?" . y9 {* V' B) X! G$ ^; F! Y/ [ 3 P6 x/ l# M9 Z6 ?* G0 ]7 XHer 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. ; T9 q: S/ }1 w! c5 ^' Q7 e2 r; M& Q0 t% g6 w! w. P/ _( O; }
Each day would be 15 hours long.6 W6 U& G# v4 |& R/ A
" X0 ?. R9 z- {5 Z"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested.' P+ E2 M- ]& ~( J
. C) B+ e) I( y6 h4 b& @9 L. v"You get used to it," she smiled.* ]( g3 Z' f4 ~, c5 z' W/ t6 y/ M
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"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?" * D6 j# g9 X y/ K, _' t! l' u# ~6 t" ^% W
"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."6 o' a' X- E0 {- r D
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There was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided.4 D* y2 Y; o! j% {$ C* ]3 V
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Expensive lawsuits $ f* B8 ?3 \; ~$ |0 ?. I. ^7 {% ~+ s. V* r3 V+ R
In fact there was something very Californian about the entire business. $ [8 B4 i0 V4 f + K1 z- ]: u6 XA combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it.9 x: }+ q. U3 l! G# O+ N: L3 x
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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.. V( J! o. @/ i/ p
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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.6 v' w- a- f2 h% p8 c8 `6 @
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"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?"% G7 h9 A3 j+ y1 d( q+ w
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I struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment.. u- i9 P7 a6 ?6 ^) S( ]; U( r' `
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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?) r& I/ G& w" e* @
h$ D0 E) p, | w' `9 YThe authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection.% b' L; B; R6 T. L/ M& h8 Y
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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. ! F" \( L! N9 ^; Y+ E s9 d7 N; l6 M3 H. j3 F4 ~& g3 t; ]A number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them. " m# c1 ?: L2 g- ~# I4 R; h3 Y/ U. a6 E. w- n d
The producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants.9 z3 J* D- c6 t; A, w- w
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That view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene.. J7 C7 O, j/ w0 _
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I decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain.4 c- h- ~$ t3 c! G' }3 B' Z# T
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Calls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004