/ d7 U2 ]+ m/ i+ h过去许多年，当局一直要求色情影片中的演员在拍摄过程中必须使用安全套。 e9 b, i' k2 `2 E8 ]6 b+ i5 S1 o' ]" E2 C0 q) ^9 o
演员健康受损害的案例中最著名的一起是在2004年，三名演员感染上艾滋病毒。这凸现出演员中交叉感染十分严重。 9 o1 E) ^! X/ B. ]+ \ * Z o) r- O& P但是，电影业坚持说，演员带安全套会扫观众的兴。他们说，观众不愿意看，安全套等于扼杀观众的幻想。$ b1 W; K S8 ~( F4 O, ~
“没什么大不了的” 2 ~$ |7 C& ~. a ^' y W+ E Q& a5 t1 o/ b9 l/ H$ B5 v5 o Q# j
重返《星际迷航》的拍摄现场，我和主要演员之一宝碧·斯塔尔聊了起来。宝碧是大学毕业生，以前是国家级游泳运动员，专业的双簧管手。短短的27年，她的一生真可是阅历丰富。% _4 E4 A2 }* I2 C, Q
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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”？' Q2 M- g' U% r
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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。 + x) L! ^/ w9 M, `. k5 w8 X" ]8 @8 _$ n4 c
我说，“你一定很累吧”？她微笑着回答说，“习惯了”。 ) z" K4 Y2 K! }+ E& S% I ; g6 m" y( a- q1 W8 y/ q$ v我接着问，“那么，健康风险呢？你经常被感染吗”？ . R4 f/ W" z+ z- Q6 p5 l- m% w$ D4 J: ]1 \: o
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。” % ^- k" D0 |; Y- q/ z 4 k9 c7 [7 K7 D4 F* u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。 ; M; c& B, Y/ t2 ]% a. R" H% w0 y3 }7 e- J1 z+ V3 Y: C1 L8 l
1980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。 : } }9 ^! M* B3 I; C5 b0 i不戴安全套的权利 ( Q4 {5 S! K3 a$ y: A) v' G: o3 m Y4 M" t( N6 P' v: u
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。 * L' P p5 N7 l5 _: A 1 O y0 M3 C( l: v3 g2 Y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”？ $ r( T9 N/ i4 O 7 b' Y4 o. }- k/ t1 Z! g$ y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。 $ W n1 Y! |( m; q2 _ / H" B `% W* d6 f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？+ `- T5 t2 L( e9 e, g& \ Z
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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。 . N, l7 J1 Q9 ~. X 5 W! F* z8 C$ f1 L/ F" p+ O1 O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 W/ t4 i7 q+ P9 e/ a! X" G! x: x9 d4 j3 B7 t, c* K$ n5 X
一些演员私下告诉我，他们盼着立法赶快生效。 k* Q! a7 i) Y# u0 P4 S: r% p) S8 V8 _) Q" U1 `+ e0 _1 N
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。% D# {# x) s' v( i! `1 j
( h2 E3 l+ H8 c' ]! V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。 5 e ~* z+ k6 s# [$ k9 s% j+ k1 e' N, b" t) l- m1 v; p
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……. 3 y2 m3 F' b @# W2 u( S # {; }; Z8 \, ?; e ) r/ ]; j& y* g, aCalifornian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles 5 h9 Y& A1 S+ B* z+ f, }; u2 \* J # f8 z. e0 }0 K' J$ OCalifornia'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.% p* y+ e! R" ?2 d I" f
% \: g7 x2 B( V& H N2 c, ULight drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles. " S5 T4 `- E& U , }" D" {+ O5 Z8 w2 z6 N9 E8 y3 kI had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things.2 {* B6 _+ _5 s* { h
: L% I" ^$ A" O, t; J* ~What I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect. ' B( T, q' I7 H8 ^8 G2 k7 [& Q9 h# t; H+ i+ Q
The porn shoot was Star Trek, the Next Generation - a triple-X parody, billed as a humorous tribute to the iconic TV space saga.. S+ V: c# C/ T% R
+ Y: Q) a0 R2 }0 ePerformers 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.; X) j( w( D$ [. w, T' Y( v; Z4 @
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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.: {, q: I D5 q7 {
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Only 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed.( [$ y2 a$ r1 `2 q# t
! [7 h& S; i; F. p" dFantasy# |$ e0 f2 A% a; D9 Y
2 w. d5 I6 C' vThe 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) h$ ?, i3 P3 k- Q% L' J# K( N0 O2 Z% P
The problem, increasingly, is revenue.1 @" i* v2 }" A
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Like the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch. 8 ] E+ Q" o" g* D: T* Q; |! d ! j" T3 z$ ^0 Q% l* E" H( mDVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free.4 n* n( a2 n6 D3 R7 _8 O
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And the economic downturn does not help. - M% C# e# f' Y6 t$ l 4 k7 G7 m. ?# H) e( Y, y"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully.' \4 ~$ _0 ^7 ^: j+ Y
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The economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations. 4 i3 ]9 v3 o# X" z) U, t % S0 n0 Z- g* u L8 ~ n6 a, MFor years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms.( U, @% M4 {0 E, ~* [3 o) `+ n
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Health scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set." f V9 ^8 r6 D7 }; N
3 G8 l2 c* U, y* Z2 ?, HBut the industry says wearing condoms on-screen is a turn-off. The public do not want it, it will kill the fantasy, they say. 7 H u3 y0 v" Q( u f ; j7 `' A7 Q$ V2 PGonorrhoea, h' {( B$ o* ~/ P7 o0 X5 X
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Back on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers. 8 C8 Y) s: c! f. x& h# I% P6 U1 q4 y+ d9 R" Q3 y) L L, I
A college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years.. r) s0 E! E: U$ x! L2 [& z
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She turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure. + y% A R% B, w F 2 l* m9 l# O$ Q# o3 s"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?" * u$ O s$ v' r7 P5 ]6 Y( {- v _6 z. E0 K4 O K
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. 5 s% W0 J0 Z$ v1 u! d 7 `8 l9 c ` f2 P6 vEach day would be 15 hours long.! x: ?+ @, M* k+ H( l7 O& b
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"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested.# l; @2 U y! T1 ]2 J8 l0 f7 J
! a" N; J) u- P; p* B, Q"You get used to it," she smiled. ' x# L9 H/ e0 Y" J5 T! ]4 r% \ 0 Z7 f% h1 s2 e+ d8 Q1 ~3 T"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?" % ]$ W2 h7 l2 @5 w" K" |# g' e# s$ y- m7 O& Z/ b! j2 E
"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." ) t, T C7 W. X7 D! x7 Y9 g: W4 J8 T R* \% {
There was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided. + ]3 [5 M+ z( S1 R8 f* w0 Z- h2 S+ O( P8 r$ Z" \
Expensive lawsuits 3 G3 m+ ?4 ?8 _) t+ {5 w `' w; G `/ u E$ u P
In fact there was something very Californian about the entire business. , x( \3 w5 r1 v j5 s$ t6 U! W$ J- U* S
A combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it. 7 I2 `; N( ^/ S2 n) }+ U' Y5 @& p, E" A5 R
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.' Z- H( u+ }( G, z* V
" B. v1 K3 S, T8 [/ S% Q6 ]6 ZNow, 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. " W7 c6 g+ c0 B* z) W' P + j1 d5 B% g% ~"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?" ) X0 T9 t8 t! g* H% [" }8 _8 H! x- {5 w" |) z T' v s/ b+ A
I struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment.! h! N6 A" t- h: G" 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? 3 I0 q' g. V- i) q( E- W5 D: u. o6 t. \1 N7 i6 w5 ~
The authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection.3 v r% Q) `5 \0 X' b) j; 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. - I6 D. m Q3 Y1 H5 M# {& U 1 l3 f8 k: ?& M1 W- l; j- QA number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them. + y9 {: _9 _" }" e; G- O9 Q % Q! \/ W/ [$ I0 f8 U; |The producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants.# V& s" d% I7 p; `0 \( b
& g& R2 w( m- X; _1 NThat view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene.% w+ o) C3 v( N; E; m2 q0 `9 y
; j- R- p% `3 S6 f% \1 G9 v: g6 nI decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain. % l4 h0 r, ^( w+ ]: o- l/ [$ n' K) u8 m) A* l$ T( i# K , c% n3 ~. K/ N' ]' ]) l
) j' h0 O1 [: [ 0 t2 A: C( G! \: Z9 ~Calls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004
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