" b' i7 o: G+ A2 O2 e, V, B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。" [* `$ i) |2 N' Y+ {% y" r
, y) a* C! M; S* [. u) o" \- W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？, ^3 Y; {: X0 A$ c; o
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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。 % }- R8 C1 V$ B8 s4 [ N% j& D) _; K8 `' \' F& W7 [
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。# Z0 ~0 Y2 I0 s- G% x n8 _
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一些演员私下告诉我，他们盼着立法赶快生效。 - }9 a9 A) ?9 ~/ B- c! F1 E, d8 m5 g / @. L/ E/ }8 Y1 V: Y* L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。 - S. I1 x; \1 [2 c5 ?$ s9 c6 T$ ~) J3 K4 T$ ~* w
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。 4 z1 v* T+ h& x8 E* |" Z0 k % O- n6 ~8 c# e: z9 _ f( S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……. 2 Z8 r* ]; Z9 H" F# u2 Z/ P . \1 W2 F. H7 J8 m1 D) C, Z7 E2 \ ~" I
Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles ! S) h$ X4 n( e0 F4 b ! S1 _; |9 N" z, i% k/ z2 y, aCalifornia'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.0 I; N( Y7 q% c7 D
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Light drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles.( S$ z: j2 I7 J0 P
H1 I2 c3 V' `- kI had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things.* {/ [* M' {' N5 {$ r
' U- s4 N1 Y9 }What I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect. 7 c' K4 ?; L/ q4 p* ]4 | # N' ?( U- x! P) v) y) X% e1 QThe porn shoot was Star Trek, the Next Generation - a triple-X parody, billed as a humorous tribute to the iconic TV space saga.# C, I: x! T/ P/ w6 `
$ J* r5 P; H6 q- sPerformers 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. ( m+ q/ R% T* q8 |+ K& I1 Q' s( Z2 d7 b, @+ W/ @" q
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. ' a8 |, }' U( c3 V0 B- [9 f . c2 x$ F2 j1 e0 A" ]+ o9 b: |& COnly 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed. $ P, p) L# Y3 W ; Z9 T3 B0 T; C- _5 uFantasy) ~- _0 ~# y2 ~! R, ]3 m/ ~) d
8 @* [+ m: ^ |: o2 a$ ~0 _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. + r, b& J9 H) n ~& o: K0 l+ O, P( O) P' G, t& f
The problem, increasingly, is revenue. 5 k J- E$ R: M0 l- K$ n% F5 w" a1 x8 s) D) ?" G2 l) K
Like the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch.* T) c0 G- ?3 g, n
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DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free. % `) A/ h0 @* P9 u ) [7 y9 [+ J: |3 [7 @8 `: f+ Y7 wAnd the economic downturn does not help.+ E/ a% f x# B% e; Y$ s
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"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully.9 x0 v7 \7 r2 G- g
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The economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations.$ p) E+ V5 s u. {& h7 o& I
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For years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms.: j$ _; B' x; [+ [' E7 w4 F
0 l- j+ x6 A* d- Q/ G7 d$ d9 oHealth scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set. ' Y7 k h5 a+ k: {9 R! ]( [+ t% v1 O/ \
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. & w; b' b$ M, E8 p$ h& k/ s2 a/ M7 D1 T: w2 m
Gonorrhoea 9 Y3 y. o" K+ s' n: }5 C 6 p H8 {6 Q7 [5 s$ u) c! c; T( Q( EBack on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers.& {7 t" }( v: h- `
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A college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years.! B' _1 j* B- W1 ]
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She turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure. 8 v, k: O5 f* X P, D; U4 I0 f! d
"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?"8 O$ [* f D: _& ?
/ z; | B8 i: k$ M v4 m5 \ vHer 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 j7 x8 p& l% |) ?+ B ( _. _( j' [9 Z( K( [Each day would be 15 hours long.) {% r6 Q# H. e" R0 m
' a) N2 u% ^- w6 j3 U7 t/ Y8 ~! Q"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested. - [/ W" q6 P( M9 R9 M# @7 o. j+ y y
"You get used to it," she smiled. T/ B; f: v3 X3 I D& X0 F( N0 [
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"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?"/ r( n2 b @' }8 b$ J! z: r9 D6 d
- u6 S y$ S+ e+ I, b- C2 A" I"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." 7 v5 \& @; W. v! ^0 \* B# b# ~( n! L0 J. z6 `1 W
There was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided. p. ?* k& X) u- I6 B
9 }$ n: U% o$ F/ K3 oExpensive lawsuits, k$ d: \: @9 }8 A4 `+ S
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In fact there was something very Californian about the entire business.# d. _% T2 z T) w2 a
& q7 K1 E7 y: ~0 UA combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it. 1 q1 C; v( n: t5 m' G " G) j: b! T5 @7 {3 r& aIt 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./ }4 ]* z | R- k3 n
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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.) e& c; ^7 A. `7 G! p
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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?"1 m5 K; d; a" a/ @, m% _
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I struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment.& @% D1 c1 d) D) B# C/ V
* U6 Q5 q: K* l4 x5 kBut 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? ! A( E* j0 j$ k' y' J" I1 m, k" j5 C% r
The authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection.7 [4 H, p: G- B q5 x
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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. 5 a$ y2 V, ?7 U* T' Y! H0 ? ' V8 ^( h+ G6 R T' u2 `A number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them. $ U3 B+ b5 N8 Q, v6 S( ?/ d" q! l8 z8 Z# R' Y2 w$ v8 Y1 l9 K
The producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants. " J* B+ w3 |' Z+ i) N% d0 a) B/ c; T9 Y
That view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene. 8 V- o! r* f9 [- Y, M7 u5 I 0 O2 H x+ e/ C$ u bI decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain.8 f2 ?. |! m$ d9 ~$ n U
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Calls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004
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