" p# t) N) G0 A w( b4 ^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。- B& S( m Y9 |, u$ z" K
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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”? 7 i$ |* }5 h+ t5 ~, n# z ! s/ E$ n. K* k( m" I6 Q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。 1 d2 w1 E+ b1 B5 l1 T% T: M/ F: L/ e7 Q: c0 |# \
我说,“你一定很累吧”?她微笑着回答说,“习惯了”。 - u4 Y z# _) S7 o& s9 p" Q& y: Z4 @) G6 P% o! _
我接着问,“那么,健康风险呢?你经常被感染吗”?+ ]# D' T+ {7 ]8 _
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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。” 5 S2 c7 D- o2 K4 o1 ^! Q, |- t b. G' ` c) ^4 n1 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。 1 F |, w O- J: K + e4 k( u+ b) y; Z' l5 N4 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。2 k" S3 c [! U+ T! F( u
不戴安全套的权利 8 m* Z4 t: C; l1 m$ a( g9 ~; W$ n- g- E5 b( ~ {
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。 - k% n* h# N# ?3 ^7 K; _. ?- ]* t+ j! j8 M
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”? 2 c0 Z4 x4 A& d+ X" M# y E$ H3 t3 W3 u: F
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。 5 e. }% E& _9 c* W3 F, g" p ' m4 Y5 z: |! Y) f% ^0 T5 B |# q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?, F# r+ r |" j) i+ g/ ~5 _1 X: _
i) d& R) |3 P: f8 ]6 M) `( N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。 $ c# `, {, M) }; Z1 H/ j" f8 T8 B. W% n. L) v
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 S. _ S8 _% O
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一些演员私下告诉我,他们盼着立法赶快生效。% T, C1 }! h5 Q& Z
% d- M$ _: ?* J& }2 u# X* Y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。 / }8 I7 c$ W/ y# y1 r, B9 { 5 @ H! Y P% ]( I; n5 i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。 . q- g: M1 f: {* c' T ^- c * {1 U* v: _* } f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…….) W' Y, e( O7 R) S
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Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles , l+ e" o+ p: U/ {; a
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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.) L8 n6 l' K& y2 k8 g: D) g
) h9 A* Q" _9 _. I+ tLight drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles.7 ?2 c, x( K9 ~9 a9 J
$ }- O; X3 [+ P, A9 vI had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things.; l- }% I' ^7 _. l% D2 d# j7 e. x( w
& L" q! `* P3 j4 x, iWhat I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect. 9 s) ~5 s7 [, C$ o1 Y! s2 p9 D5 j( }( Y* C5 n# }9 G% E
The porn shoot was Star Trek, the Next Generation - a triple-X parody, billed as a humorous tribute to the iconic TV space saga. 8 \2 K; N( v2 G% f5 S& z# S' @" `4 Z
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. . v% o5 L k; |# w, ]2 `0 c+ }% O) e0 d6 |6 Y' S3 x( q0 |
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. % d9 X( l: G8 o* ]4 H* r: q 9 _* T% j& E1 w$ `6 m1 Q+ |3 MOnly 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed.* D1 \7 x0 M1 y$ q/ M/ B0 z- `
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2 s& V; r- s; ~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# L" s* t) r! X g- x) W7 A! K% l; S2 Q
The problem, increasingly, is revenue. - ^7 Y2 p J6 b * `2 t# l4 ?3 p* @2 m) wLike the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch. 0 k# X4 |: W; y; }! c9 T J/ b% s; O( _& Z) x# ~
DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free. . w- i: K$ Q- t1 p# W; M# `, g8 Z; P, N( A: A6 i- m% C
And the economic downturn does not help.+ u& V! P; v& D5 [" I
, W& E6 x7 U' u- \* {+ R/ d5 W. t: Z"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully./ z1 o+ m% O+ f2 o7 J
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The economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations. # F$ w- b% W- e+ A# ~# F- W+ V 5 |6 [7 T* R/ T' \/ U+ ^For years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms.6 f" M! ?3 l- W+ _2 O& Q
/ i5 Z. N" `3 W7 ?6 E* ? W5 ZHealth scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set. 8 ]+ J) ], h6 l6 ]3 R& r* D9 x% K. q! O% E1 c" f/ S1 } m4 d
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. 2 _3 R5 R' \2 Q& N " c& t' E: I: m/ E/ W8 t/ }) d4 uGonorrhoea" e, |2 m6 N4 j( _
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Back on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers.( k9 j9 {& o' i4 r- {# t1 o$ x, D
- q4 w8 d( Q$ e; h5 [0 k. { q* QA college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years. ~4 j y1 q ~/ m1 g1 ]+ D) Y9 u 3 h# l1 M" F; l3 p2 k0 C8 qShe turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure.' t- e1 P+ Q! z% x3 {) r
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"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?" 6 S W3 W( O7 e) O1 D6 v# c 1 _' s6 x. T, B5 e3 z) pHer 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.: s* }- n( \) @1 T3 Y2 d
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Each day would be 15 hours long.8 I, p9 h& Y ?2 G
$ N! C. e3 K( q; n! k b0 y"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested.7 V% w- u5 c6 Q* `
4 U5 L6 [( b" ~4 e4 P7 w"You get used to it," she smiled.5 h% P5 m3 N u! R
6 Y) L+ ^" u2 m; o' O"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?" 0 ?9 d! V1 @2 Q! { 4 V+ ?; m9 [9 C3 A7 a1 {"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.", e& {9 \6 `$ S4 s2 U. z
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There was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided. , p/ m7 k: C. ^( y' R) o1 f0 J3 c; G
Expensive lawsuits 4 @1 {! b) r" h' v9 j, _2 f. ?/ i; t; Q7 {& D' |5 z
In fact there was something very Californian about the entire business. 6 E. d9 }/ I) O0 R. w! G! ]! o; L s) a; S9 w T
A combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it. & f# E- S) ]+ u v; @; F* r9 V9 {+ e! a5 Q
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.. a# Z1 `7 W ^5 p$ B8 f) _1 K
1 M; L7 h& w4 VNow, 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. . {2 q! a M% v: F0 H: ?, k% f$ x# d) O( _* @5 _
"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?"2 E$ P, M! `# j% @5 P2 S& G
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I struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment.5 `7 k8 c) n6 G
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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? 4 J$ \3 |: `* r2 I+ s2 {$ g6 c
The authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection.& c! `$ v& c1 H. ~, J' ~) ?
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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.) l) o- U3 T+ `$ _ p! T' U) a, R2 e
9 i5 R1 U6 N3 ^7 xA number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them. % ]! ]) S( ?& A P) ?6 _" ~4 R4 TThe producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants.% f5 Y; W; T1 p$ R& J0 O$ |
- `" K6 r; x- F6 _ _6 W: f" O* ^8 aThat view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene. ) \; R/ I4 E9 e$ v8 ~; a' o# N5 {0 o* g+ {( D! ?
I decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain.! A# v) c1 k0 e. N
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Calls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004