' K `3 Y4 \2 j6 ^/ D6 @5 ~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。9 v$ Y. d0 w# T2 r1 N
- I/ ^3 T. |+ y3 X+ I. `, ` i8 A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。 ! L1 K0 ]6 m% |% z5 m% K) K! ]( \$ K+ A. J7 @
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。# L: f9 I2 W" p; p7 L" P& w
“没什么大不了的”3 {: d0 \& {, w: A6 A' d
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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。 % r: t3 U% L$ L 8 v5 L/ U, F' A: K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”？ " G y- k- r. {* A3 g / T9 J8 `4 D l0 z Z9 d; b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。 : P8 U6 Z e; f" Q/ d3 A$ C$ _ 0 q! G& @3 p# |我说，“你一定很累吧”？她微笑着回答说，“习惯了”。 ) k) { `) ]& H: q. h' c! \/ v# U
我接着问，“那么，健康风险呢？你经常被感染吗”？5 U3 M, ^ i# O0 g
1 v) Y$ Z/ @7 o! w0 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。”4 t$ p$ }; v1 W6 S4 \' f/ s2 X
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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。 - A& z/ _5 E0 z4 i! ] ! @# T: x$ H7 c2 J. e; n1980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。 D4 n: V; g5 B: ^1 K不戴安全套的权利 ! c/ B+ \+ P1 Z. L6 L8 w* V- y! h6 G+ E# C. `8 J) f6 A$ m
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) E! V s2 Z! p* Q ( b* x% B+ `' K. k3 [% @) M6 v; 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”？6 w8 p% O4 m o
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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 a) |7 n- ^7 b, n0 c6 P& A# U" I) S1 `7 Z% C
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？% s4 A2 C* G! n+ m4 N! }& t
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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" O- I3 m) L L% W2 C
$ W4 O3 H8 t' L) W- L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 E$ c# Q- q) b5 |) x2 K z. B6 [! L* R6 S( |5 I, e
一些演员私下告诉我，他们盼着立法赶快生效。 4 | ]3 L0 f4 z+ D! B$ c: v/ S . ? @5 L9 ~/ t8 ^6 C( K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。 {4 c) q; C1 X6 n3 g2 k+ x! |4 V
# }5 U; [ } n( b$ _: ^! m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。 ! o+ a9 @1 V" |% N: M9 w2 r2 P! v. b- W- O& N3 n
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…….& O6 X1 x$ s& R1 n1 O/ i
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Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles " ]9 z3 L$ L/ i & Z6 K% P' D6 ^4 _1 YCalifornia'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.' r0 o- L" F0 L
. `1 n0 M; L8 O4 P. O' w( \0 MLight drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles. $ v" b: G- e/ X/ O P) ~" o0 Y6 |6 W2 s8 i
I had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things.: l9 k, A& Y1 @
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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. + S6 D0 |0 e7 d! T* V" L& M3 Y4 ]; g: H8 o& P6 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.# K, w/ O! P- Y; [
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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.! b' |' a1 a1 s$ ]8 p
: E( _4 k4 z+ ^7 w6 EThis 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.) U1 k U0 `4 e& q
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Only 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed. 3 X9 w% t" W H, Y% Z9 Q- Y/ r& h, X3 d$ J2 K7 C( C
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# n: g5 `6 Z+ TThe 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.* m% V/ D6 i1 }8 Y3 M
' _5 [0 }+ g. oThe problem, increasingly, is revenue. ! w1 B g" e! r9 t! p/ m 2 u) U7 d# Q! x! p6 H3 H+ aLike the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch.* i1 v3 e/ R: U, n
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DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free. , y& h/ j& N! p2 k, O" w( Q+ t2 U1 K e$ h( s- U
And the economic downturn does not help. + J0 j( R; O7 @, R, }; [! K; \) C) n
"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully.4 s! @; F- D s9 D! q, i
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The economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations.! }% K: d5 i# A2 _! z! c: e
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For years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms. : e% Z; t! E: U3 |0 E6 {( b4 l; \5 `) e
Health scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set. ( g( t. W# H$ g+ y7 M$ L. m! G+ D7 I; _2 w
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." S/ b: [% ?1 a. h# G
5 E- X, E; ~+ x- S) pGonorrhoea 1 y- J+ x. h4 Z! h. T( W * v5 ^: l- a4 r( x; w& f+ C2 C. OBack on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers.* a8 Q( I- q0 {+ w7 n1 W0 V
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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.7 J2 n. a- C6 b/ u
! v. ^8 ?: ~# g" K* xShe turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure.: m( v' S& i- N$ O3 `
2 l0 _% Y* O" W$ D3 ?( h"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?" # A* G9 A) f4 |: K1 t4 j ( F7 a, J$ B- ~7 Z$ q" r( c9 V/ ZHer 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.3 C! v/ C( R( ]& l' ~" P
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Each day would be 15 hours long.- G8 b6 x" @9 S4 Y( N- i1 I
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"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested.$ ]8 X1 N" z5 @
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"You get used to it," she smiled.: O' a% S/ y: @5 w% R, z. O
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"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?" 8 Q( }# r1 \8 ~& m4 @6 A' ~) m! E' R4 X
"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." , m5 N, _* A' c( k- H, _8 F 6 H1 z+ W7 N2 |6 I' Z% \There was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided. 5 j1 K1 i) M0 e/ m+ I) {. K: d" n1 C S
Expensive lawsuits 6 B' c6 H% v- ]( N% p , V/ E9 \5 a: Z( s2 j% C: DIn fact there was something very Californian about the entire business. , F' `! y/ p9 Q) E7 W* d6 @* x$ r Z* f
A combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it.+ `: o$ R# r8 Q) N7 X7 N
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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.8 ~: v5 w, P/ b/ 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.$ P, ?/ S0 {8 J# { t
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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?" $ e9 z$ _" p8 E8 u: i) W7 g7 R! O 3 }# E2 ~$ Z+ j/ nI struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment. 9 }: O3 c8 v# a) Z; T7 H ! F* h+ K2 R( _/ v" O8 t, K) g4 TBut 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? ~! I; N* i7 ^' S8 O
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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. * T1 m* N* H% H4 B! L9 o$ B R* F+ x, q4 W @, ]* t
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.0 V+ @7 c% L* \8 y& T b
2 m; E! m/ a# P$ M, h, a2 IA number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them.- `) {$ }2 P5 g ]
1 {" G$ Q- f/ K! J, MThe producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants. & ~& v; N i- C( w4 ]& y7 a/ B7 ?) Y' E& [7 K0 t2 y
That view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene. 2 V1 K0 K- M5 K7 j8 c; g- R! V3 c: D b& f
I decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain. , P1 ~/ Z0 o, H* B' [$ V, n! K/ i, S8 w. V2 c ! |* ~2 R" a( X) P6 H9 |- C) W2 W 9 w& i; R5 T/ ~ 0 J/ ^# d7 ^; t. @7 X3 m) {, Y" UCalls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004
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