7 x P8 Q2 n1 k( b宝碧说，改行做色情电影演员，主要是为了追求性探险。她说，“这是找乐趣。身边的人都高高兴兴，你有什么可烦的呢”？8 A* b, G! T t3 T0 f
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当天，她的日程安排得很紧凑，两句台词，四小时的性爱。星期二试装，然后就去接受每月一次的体检。宝碧每一天都要工作15个小时。 " g( q7 @; ^2 }* k; @; U8 R$ w `9 q
我说，“你一定很累吧”？她微笑着回答说，“习惯了”。 . O q" Q* W& M ! |- f! |$ C4 A; c我接着问，“那么，健康风险呢？你经常被感染吗”？ 2 W9 L8 c' ?3 ]* O 2 Q" s" [0 `# }" E7 @+ N0 c% ]7 v2 t她说，“也就是染上过一两次衣原体，还有淋病，除此之外，没什么大不了的。我们每个月都体检，得了病，赶紧吃药，然后就又能回去上班了。没问题。”7 g4 G4 j- Z' q: M7 ]2 P
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我看，宝碧人很“加州”。进一步说，整个色情电影业都有点“很加州”的意思。有执著的热情、反叛的心态，还有一点点自由主义者反抗压力的顽强。 - W+ u C. c3 Q( x- }2 d; K6 @ 4 A: H8 D. U6 p4 y& c: V1980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。8 V* p, L3 L6 U6 y/ u- ~' O5 K$ ^
不戴安全套的权利 # H' n1 B0 `+ H- u ' {3 i% b* g7 w) r" y7 v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。 : \4 u1 ^7 r4 @, A) r7 ~8 ] 6 r3 W- Z e$ F7 @! P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”？$ J7 G `6 m. O* C% |
8 d. v u$ v- m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。 : ~0 t6 d: g- }$ Q) {! O8 k9 a & P( y2 q3 d* M% g# g+ i. ~) u( C( 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？1 u+ H+ E, D( n4 {' e. F
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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。0 B) X. E9 H: {1 M
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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。0 X! e1 b1 h- x; r: Z' v( K7 n' X
* Z; x, ~$ ^: p8 t$ o一些演员私下告诉我，他们盼着立法赶快生效。. O; [" r( j" A& e$ t# i# G' z3 Y
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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。% ^# Z1 A9 @! }0 w: x
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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。 6 M. z$ O, `8 j: n- P % q+ ^: ~. a f2 w: w/ e. w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…….8 {+ f- o! u! N' n) C8 U
# M3 f3 I5 h% H7 S * Y) ]# o4 C$ F D) G, D0 mCalifornian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles 7 M9 ]/ |4 j3 U) J# U' `9 X+ w; X0 J- B& d3 t7 `
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 o" _$ C" Z$ c0 F / O! V$ v4 g6 ]& a; n% G% [5 L' cLight drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles. ( Y5 O9 Q6 p. ?/ ^( g 6 H! t1 I) u3 U1 V5 T( Z9 ]1 AI had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things. / j- _: m. Q X$ `% _, j- T4 D3 s+ d0 G0 D( p
What I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect.* s; u8 }1 |! s: P+ |8 s
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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./ T" o- @$ p' i
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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.6 s% ?, a9 d- T; W: [9 J5 {9 X7 b' k
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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. 9 }" i0 ?: `, [; n9 G+ R* N 8 ]0 L- t5 A u5 R/ X! F0 D' {Only 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed.$ A) v% e: o3 b2 ?
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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. , g" ]' J, B p7 A) L8 u+ n2 X1 a6 G1 x5 E! v3 {( M* z
The problem, increasingly, is revenue. : ?0 S$ t2 [0 _! ?$ T2 t( Q + U7 n' N W6 ~: v' A# ]Like the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch.8 q7 a8 M+ {. y+ @
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DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free. N4 R1 C; T# t0 a' R' h
( @' B8 }( w0 S: P. I& \8 m+ b! SAnd the economic downturn does not help.: y3 s, q' k0 r* N( a- m
( [# t3 u& x8 ?# B% ^! l0 T( A3 p"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully.5 F; M4 W1 K. C4 k/ \1 d3 l" e
, O" j! f( T% D" wThe economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations.( f k# F+ b- I( X3 W8 |
4 [. \2 \( g: r6 I4 Z# GFor years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms.# a( Q2 {2 |! |: D4 {- ]
, U$ O$ o9 U+ q' K6 s. {4 w xHealth scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set. 5 C6 N) V3 l- r% I7 S: v! O. ^6 G' v# v. 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.: ?) ?& N& P3 r6 u
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Gonorrhoea ; J4 n- m5 W( I8 [7 W- ^: ^/ } ' N* K5 F4 \8 A+ ~Back on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers. . y/ E3 Q' H3 s, @8 R$ n; f7 \; `1 A* q/ f* V+ A
A college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years. / T: z1 F, ]/ Z5 h- }: f' [% x# Z2 V* i) h( x, b' |
She turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure. 0 m# w1 ]+ L0 j7 {+ N6 Q1 p) [# A5 J ' ^% _) _0 v7 B! `9 d. c6 }5 p"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?"+ h0 \1 {) |9 B4 q2 ^
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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. ( r) M& `- F# A3 Q& ]( \2 e6 J6 |8 M/ S- Z
Each day would be 15 hours long. " H( c5 b- a% E. N* @ X: F$ L+ N% G6 V0 z! ?/ r
"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested.% K; i2 ?8 D7 O( y3 Y! T
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"You get used to it," she smiled. 0 P( r, u2 V2 i1 U% x& K2 x w1 q. e/ S3 F: W
"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?" 5 Z% f1 N' ~' C7 S R ! T6 y) R8 }1 ?8 S' u"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 E' h6 Y( g3 P: D
0 E2 s- i4 x5 q5 R, r/ WThere was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided. ' G# p# @2 y0 m1 ^$ m, L # |0 P; D5 B8 ]/ b2 l) z. ?/ JExpensive lawsuits5 R6 N* D9 C; P* B/ u+ k* p
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In fact there was something very Californian about the entire business. 9 G2 S w" ?2 C: | 8 a! w) G) {: {0 e5 r+ B- m4 F/ e+ AA combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it. ( \* C1 [, b' h% H6 D; a0 f & c x6 K! v# V. nIt 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.6 y1 g7 E+ F( f. K% s. e
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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.4 Q" @. P. p: L) v3 b
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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?" o- ^0 r6 f$ i5 U! J 8 w) e0 G2 M3 rI struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment.; q' f6 e9 {$ i' U
3 U, j; w: Y' Y/ w2 ZBut 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 a& `( W1 `5 j5 d/ }' P' m
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The authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection. ' d- N. ]$ z, {+ y' C. f- E) h1 m; X% J* g* a
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. Y) h$ t! X& [$ x+ g) c; J4 i
+ s5 m3 x9 e3 B3 s/ {5 ^1 KA number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them. 4 V9 V V6 v& ]& L+ R3 u0 G0 x. c6 l' t' M2 w! b
The producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants. : E6 ?5 b& N" ~3 D& j3 t/ I* h ! _, Q# E) }1 M3 M% fThat view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene.& Z% Q5 D4 }* l$ ^) H
7 r8 V, z6 N/ ^8 qI decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain. 8 ~ Y# N7 P' E9 y! t 0 k. F& ~# P. |) ]% n+ ]6 r : A% f2 G9 r ]! q6 j$ K O, ~" _* U. n " B9 ?/ Q, h" }# h
Calls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004
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