, Z! ]1 N+ y8 g; K( C我接着问,“那么,健康风险呢?你经常被感染吗”? 0 v! |0 V X- f0 a7 U4 m # ?- }/ }# M# e4 i! X: h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。”; I2 l1 k9 X7 Z z4 ^, G& q. ~* r
- I+ b5 r# C2 j o+ I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。 ( s. r8 l: d' i# }* i4 A/ @( T2 X& @' V! f4 M/ K0 u
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。7 k; K, {& ]. B* j) E+ i
不戴安全套的权利 1 d( J5 Q \" `7 ^4 n x$ @/ b2 b* T0 u; c9 M+ q, v# r
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。 % E. G9 o8 h% C. y2 l8 I P6 b) @! q7 w9 k; S/ W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”? + h; y% c8 i# J" |& X5 ^4 D1 z, f* O
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。 ) X" A' r' V6 C9 |# E2 i ' J5 S3 H' C* x2 N7 }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? 9 G- F7 l# k: K* _$ z. E3 ^5 } ) o. i1 m( c9 R% s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。 1 d( O8 m' c9 g4 R, A3 \6 o" ^6 t# z. q+ U4 D# 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。: d. |6 Q& m% ^- O7 v0 l
& Q8 {& T1 L! u5 m4 t( ^一些演员私下告诉我,他们盼着立法赶快生效。* `/ ]% d4 Y7 }9 g
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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。 " }5 C4 x/ t+ L" P0 j / t$ y) W- E( C# _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。/ b n& D9 ^$ I u
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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……. 6 Y! l/ L: w$ j# z. H5 \% o3 n# t; }: o2 f" U; r; w5 I( {( i t
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Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles , L: t8 R1 p4 y3 Q* f # |2 m; d4 Z. s. L; BCalifornia'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. ' r- u e. [% m6 A7 m6 `/ o' w" I. Z8 O' ]* j# b2 F- B2 x H/ d
Light drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles.* H- E# u2 i( V* A2 A
/ c' e: \5 M: F5 I- S- mI had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things.! R) D% N- k% g: s
. W: J4 m1 k( x; q3 |2 VWhat I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect.$ {2 W% U; n |3 H
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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.0 R o% W* L( p4 \- u
1 x1 W$ F& E/ Z; GPerformers 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. / u0 F# Q+ |; N7 y! j- |9 F. g9 m+ L
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., c) q( _) Y( E+ n) k, P
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Only 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed. 9 ~* `$ A$ q) @' m# H" n# R; q7 ]% X
Fantasy . {1 F" e4 ^1 }" ^/ {6 E1 Y3 J/ Q \+ a. B6 G# c; y/ u lThe 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.' N# Z9 Y1 L3 E& y
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The problem, increasingly, is revenue. 1 s A+ E3 |0 Z/ U( Y+ M4 k: I7 c' } o
Like the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch.3 b1 q7 d3 o' ?$ Q( P" u5 X4 m
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DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free.3 t9 Y1 {$ O2 |- u& _1 o
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And the economic downturn does not help.8 x0 S. i9 |1 d3 [
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"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully. ) U. n5 f! H5 f0 R% p0 H9 Q S+ _" O; s" o( x7 R0 Q# LThe economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations. 9 ~; K. G: a3 J! ~1 W4 R2 \! J/ v& Q- W7 W9 u0 y/ r, x; E
For years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms.( E& _. E/ m3 A4 b4 y
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Health scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set.+ J5 [. [( C! H/ ?; C+ s/ q
6 D3 q' ]( U6 r$ L2 F# b( _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.7 }6 ?6 ?* k5 U1 g1 |
" K7 O; M: g4 \4 i6 `2 YGonorrhoea ; \# O+ E# F8 g. d) j) v& }6 H, S. d8 p% Y6 S( K4 n
Back on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers.- f$ l8 X& f0 {5 b& X4 b
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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. - \+ T4 p0 T9 p. E$ x& W' v! H . `5 U9 g* h- ]6 Z& kShe turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure.3 Y3 ?+ G: o E/ N/ g1 h3 V d B; D
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"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?"( @% ` |8 k! U) y `) N
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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. " n c% V8 a3 {; V3 ~1 o \3 e$ v) O: Z x* l6 h, f0 D
Each day would be 15 hours long. 5 R n9 T; w- i/ g( T, ]2 g8 P6 T3 e6 R- J X( c: E
"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested.7 |; y2 i }2 Q+ }# `$ n* [# x; r/ d
# S+ W! e4 ~3 V"You get used to it," she smiled. : _& g. a5 X2 C3 d) r" R . x6 r7 w! D) S& h"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?" : n: [; ~9 q: l( k# \" ^0 u, }: z$ k4 ^3 U6 r, u5 M/ G- g
"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."3 J$ t0 D( W# P- Y
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There was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided.3 y: e. Z S1 B; m1 `' m; k% T
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Expensive lawsuits3 j, _/ w# N4 j" |
, N# ^/ ]3 @: w& ?; m& x/ x0 fIn fact there was something very Californian about the entire business.; X2 ]. X0 x% l
0 q' W. Q' o/ E5 p4 X& ?2 LA combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it.) U+ @$ Z1 B* X4 J
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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. ! E7 h4 \! h" ~6 P$ G* ~ G: U7 P
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. ! l9 [/ b6 Q% o5 c2 Y$ c$ F. Z+ J1 K" e7 K' b; R0 P# H8 Q5 a
"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?"& r( H5 G+ r9 Q4 L1 D
2 K9 e9 X' X. K* J0 g. F7 J- xI struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment.& W9 p9 e1 W& ^$ Q- H
- S0 B- w- C5 w5 Y' Q6 N/ rBut 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? ( q6 b3 @6 V" ~: ?+ ^6 z , H H: o! p1 S. B/ qThe authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection.7 z" }& W2 ]7 M% k! G2 d8 X! m% h% X
7 ], ~7 p( d" ` U5 k3 X f' g* zIt 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.4 Y: N, H/ h2 x( p- O% C2 b
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A number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them.) q( k$ x% Q/ Z
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The producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants.* E$ w5 V9 f; Q, k6 A2 C
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That view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene. 9 ~* s O$ O$ `# M0 {5 l8 B$ x5 _
I decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain. 1 _; X& z3 ]3 W- u5 d3 H ^8 a0 k/ M) T* g' | 8 y0 {$ i7 M. C$ Z2 c& A* R' t; D; I2 b ' ]( N" N% b" \' y
Calls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004