/ R. a" S6 U- F加州色情电影业压力重重 BBC中文网 记者艾德•巴特勒 Ed Butler - A% m8 E, \8 }. @# r
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说到加州电影业，好莱坞并不是一枝独秀，这里也是世界色情电影之都。但是，BBC记者巴特勒说，色情电影业现在也面临重重压力：经济萧条的冲击、网上盗版的泛滥，和立法人对阵最终很有可能打败仗……/ v* [1 p/ [$ W3 d
2 B3 ~/ ]7 H8 T小雨淅淅沥沥。洛杉矶北部，在一间位于低层仓库内的制片厂的大门外，我停下车来。 . M+ O6 G; n) a3 L2 C e1 ^4 D% G
他们告诉我，直接来就行了，“看看我们是怎们办事儿的，很好玩。”5 \8 [ X" x4 Q2 ~8 d; t' ?3 g
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, x$ m. v" }, I. Y Z( q, C ( n+ f, y+ J7 g* W% I首先映入眼帘的一切，并没能满足我的预期值。但是说实话，我也不知道自己到底指望着能看到什么。 2 g& r- Q) Z& M" F( ]* e, x0 C9 M. G3 x1 f
那天拍摄的是三级片《新一代星际迷航》。据说，这是描写太空探险的经典电视系列剧《星际迷航》的搞笑翻版。 ( M! f# N ^6 O ! q2 A7 z, g x; _演员们穿着紧身太空服，有些脸上还贴着外星人状的假鼻子。他们逛来逛去，满脸的无聊。一个疲惫的工作人员不停地摆弄着灯光。 - J5 U9 O$ U7 R w9 o- d8 ^5 A% H& M, Y! G5 Z4 U6 G
负责人告诉我，这天早晨，主要是要拍人物对话。颇有艺术修养的编剧兼导演山姆带着明显的遗憾解释说，影片当中其实没有多少人物对话。; X6 n9 g- @3 j' k- s5 q
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他叹了口气，说，两个小时的电影，只有三十分钟有故事情节。 C, f* V3 g8 p% l. X( C: \! F
扼杀观众的幻想 8 j- g0 J$ p5 I / o$ ?1 s% d- K+ k! X色情电影的特殊要求也许不会给山姆提供成为他长期渴望的、具有划时代意义的电影制片人的机会，但是至少，他还有电影可拍。 " G0 _4 D# m# ]% W0 }3 w # L4 A7 z9 v) |1 r越来越紧迫的一个问题是收入。和音乐界一样，色情电影工作者也在挣扎着说服观众掏钱看戏。 % `. ]( i% q! I1 g3 s6 B6 K6 k. r9 M- K! l$ M9 m0 \
DVD光盘的销售一落千丈。互联网上，可以免费收看的色情片多的是。 + y# M1 j0 O$ i. V. o: N6 Y; M; B2 M+ W
经济不景气，让色情电影业屋漏偏遭连夜雨。' A# _+ R" |- o6 S4 E
; t' `; ^( _; S f! U) x0 G* b+ z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 E1 z Z: d) I9 E0 q+ d4 d
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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？6 x% }9 k% N* G
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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。/ I: I, j+ ~0 o$ S2 @+ V7 Q- V* J
9 I; Y" C& Y; q5 S7 n6 J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。 : }! O0 i/ p% H. P" d% O [0 ]: w9 B- V+ B$ [& e
一些演员私下告诉我，他们盼着立法赶快生效。5 ?! M$ R/ P t
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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。) R9 @/ {$ r2 z3 P' g( P
8 E8 ~, P4 d/ Z. b* s, O3 d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。7 v) U; r1 H$ G
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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…….+ {+ {5 c2 Z" q
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Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles 6 B* f }& s l o* I0 v& t6 G! ~% K2 u# T m+ t
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. . J* g% C& D( k: }- _- l- @, l" T3 y: J5 @
Light drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles.; w4 n, z; i# O, G& z
2 j+ a3 p. P/ @I had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things.* a0 P9 T- e7 Q- l
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What I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect.8 U O4 a, ?2 l+ G* R/ U+ z. z
8 U |' v' y! E1 a1 ?The porn shoot was Star Trek, the Next Generation - a triple-X parody, billed as a humorous tribute to the iconic TV space saga. ) t5 W- d" n9 C* T4 S/ H6 Y, U; D) D( e7 h% ]- g2 J" F) n
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.% \7 B, d* D+ p) E
1 b# \2 U6 g3 B7 W/ ]! W9 b, YThis 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. , B( w' F* I4 E4 v5 g& T6 f ( a+ E+ B% ]7 @Only 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed. 4 Z4 Q3 o8 T" c2 P8 K ( f, @+ Y# w1 |! l: F# kFantasy0 n" d9 {. f. m& l
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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.# A+ a8 y R1 [: R9 p1 d' t
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The problem, increasingly, is revenue. : x* ?' G6 x: ~7 N4 w" h/ l : N Y5 Z& a6 P; b+ XLike the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch.2 r& ]- l2 a8 H& }/ \+ T
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DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free. # M" L; |+ F( ]: M9 u+ F: i - s& _0 a! }8 O# C* h `1 SAnd the economic downturn does not help.: s: Z, ^; z* ]$ ?9 _) U
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"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully. & h; K# v N1 e4 {3 U$ V2 G. g7 t
The economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations.2 \" m5 W9 e0 d. F% h2 H8 G
5 h& v! K7 m1 [6 M. x# @8 @For years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms. v8 _# ]. V6 y! X2 ?" j) G, _0 p
3 v1 J% c) O( O) M' O: CHealth scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set. / A( n) c$ @6 B% H! D/ E1 }6 u) ~4 }4 q: U+ c, |( S4 U5 N
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. " @% Z0 e% { K9 }& l - A. k1 Q( [, v; W. WGonorrhoea- U$ B' O1 e9 n) _7 S$ e
6 S# V* S. `! K7 l# M+ W- |Back on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers.# H. I+ z; d* n4 e* D; n. J
8 _- p% c: X/ ?: vA college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years. ) ?6 E5 L! j0 @3 O7 A" e* e , y0 M4 ?7 R& q/ f4 `/ `3 L( j, G1 oShe turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure.! |+ J8 P2 x2 P F' N
! B6 j4 E5 q8 E! t9 h |9 ^1 v"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?" ( t% I: o4 a$ Z; S# {6 K ? ]- O% l! ]
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.* T; P( X8 m. j
* v% \* \4 v" U' Y7 F3 JEach day would be 15 hours long. 2 }9 F, B( I9 Z# V4 K% |( F( R/ f- Y 8 N, w; J' u% p, D- M"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested.5 n+ X; k# W e3 a
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"You get used to it," she smiled.. [' }3 G5 ^% ^) E6 i9 g& J! Y+ z: |
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"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?" % }" z/ O& ~4 B7 t2 T% w. f0 g- L X0 E- p3 c5 e, r
"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." 1 J: F$ u- p- o1 v k ' a! ~+ s4 I$ U. B% B) }0 ?There was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided.5 f) U' a$ }2 e5 B
% v [" f! C! CIn fact there was something very Californian about the entire business.: w S2 E( O8 q5 S
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A combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it.( z( d: K, y% a4 m1 l
- c6 p' ~ S; }+ w8 F; V5 h k; x) gIt 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. 2 K+ V9 R' V% L3 K , D- J% @5 ]; X/ _, bNow, 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.5 Q/ Q0 U% r# g; k* ?
" O% y" ^3 A6 v0 Y' a: t) L"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?"! D4 W2 t* S/ A: M9 J. G9 K
0 [1 G2 u }) I) O& S2 n) nI struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment.7 D$ z4 y/ a* ~1 a) h9 e/ n/ ?
! E) ~ x7 i2 W, C: z. w3 S( [7 hBut 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? \) K6 C6 v0 D+ w
5 ^ y+ F+ N" n/ t: mThe authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection.+ T) G3 H! F- C7 y8 [9 R+ \9 m
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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. : Z; G6 R+ c# u* Q ( Q4 w" c! V, F' U+ w# |0 uA number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them. * o4 z. a- T5 z3 V; }9 b) ^/ a2 z6 J; d+ S1 g. [0 N
The producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants. ) A# o& ]- \0 Z6 ^- {7 g $ Q0 _# c. m- C0 v) ]That view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene.0 q5 S! P3 Q$ {, M' f
2 a+ Z4 D' P9 ` m, U j" O& ~( tI decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain.' w% z/ t! N, v& v- z
2 K! N* R& A4 W2 j # B% U9 U* q% E X2 ` ) E2 ~8 }. ?: l; a9 @! V! L d, [) S5 z" M / r. w8 V# x/ z1 ^, \Calls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004
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