, H! W$ p9 T+ U+ J2 Y* A- w( B! S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。 # f/ [' w% @! P. N% j9 c 9 A5 g1 X, F, K7 y: l9 K1980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。 ' Y1 E7 k/ I) H3 M不戴安全套的权利" E& o+ W) f0 ]. v% V
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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。 9 j2 e: p i& b 0 F" W) b6 N6 i) z( 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”?, B9 d4 v9 d: c1 A8 g( j
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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。" A* A2 l% ]& o' U
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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? 8 C1 ~! S( T s: t: z6 } ( D2 o1 n/ R: a9 V: o& T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。 4 s4 T6 B" Q9 c) N6 {+ b ) ?: ?* \9 e/ B1 U. r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。3 {/ N9 w8 v6 U( S% g# K
. C, K& x! Y$ I一些演员私下告诉我,他们盼着立法赶快生效。 " F) q" A; f3 M0 L6 ~( @) |* h" T& E) ]3 g- v/ C l: J* 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。 - P4 Y8 d2 t+ w" v # e$ _8 K5 i0 G; l" s& l5 |* M0 N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。, i$ k) m2 l1 L+ e
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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……. 9 \% a, W2 A+ X2 O" X6 v7 U9 H3 r+ k. w$ R0 v, L0 {
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Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles ' u2 c2 d3 Y {9 }) o5 D6 b% X% A
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. 2 V- C( [1 u, J 0 e7 ]5 }) h* L) b( H9 ALight drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles. 4 A/ T2 e) P2 w* T5 T0 ` " |* a$ d7 @, R# SI had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things. % Z& `% {* d/ [$ a( l2 j; C$ P& z x F8 s0 ]0 O
What I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect.5 F8 p# M5 Q; b' l7 a7 \
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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. # Q- Q) z5 F2 s5 c# ~$ D8 l: X- I$ c. _9 m3 {
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.: S @' P5 _0 {6 `! e
" t( q# p( C/ ?! ^/ |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.7 E8 G! s& F$ y/ [
0 F. O: }% U1 w3 A& \( R$ n2 TOnly 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed. 3 i! D$ R& k+ P' T( {% B, S4 ?' X, k/ _5 p1 Q
Fantasy ! _5 V1 y8 A& \ 0 l2 |, }, U1 t \% K! cThe 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. 6 [1 a" \- ~# Q: b, @% ]4 ^% O0 i1 i L2 g
The problem, increasingly, is revenue.! w7 _+ B# \/ X4 s' `: M) ]5 k
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Like the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch.0 A% `& Q+ x9 h8 l s
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DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free. 5 k0 Q% N9 e! C8 }) b3 w, d( C- P5 d8 M
And the economic downturn does not help.' @' r! W. H8 v0 o+ j1 {& G
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"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully. 4 w3 s. [- Q# v, w7 y7 D, j0 B. @# S' {1 q: O1 V7 k5 W+ y0 I( @
The economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations. 8 c( a( z( M1 j( _3 A1 H9 h+ n0 Y& _: | l% B
For years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms.2 o8 o/ L) s4 P6 K" K, F
% y4 h0 _7 i" {! D! I9 \0 CHealth scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set. 8 I) [8 J5 M) y% g/ Q2 Y ; O! n- D5 F8 X+ t& gBut the industry says wearing condoms on-screen is a turn-off. The public do not want it, it will kill the fantasy, they say.: Z7 v! o0 s& @* B. j
: X" O; {; l; x/ J1 q6 H; qGonorrhoea / M |- @/ m% M. [* r7 {3 V: ^, S* r4 K+ S
Back on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers. 7 e( ^4 f; c5 m c" y* E% N2 \! c* H) N
A college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years. ' r' T& R: C& B' ~8 j# R0 w; p3 {: ?
She turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure.4 O/ O6 T* A0 U; y
) ]5 ^' a& O- ?) `; m; e$ I"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?" " [: ^) ]2 G" U% ?5 P& d& B5 W4 A( ]% Q
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.& _* j; x& G* X" D5 @
P6 Z* u- ]' O0 e% e, b# S3 oEach day would be 15 hours long.' _: Z w4 s" a5 f6 E
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"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested. 0 ]9 U5 Q, O9 x+ n ' d6 {, Q4 U4 U0 H# z0 D' O"You get used to it," she smiled.9 e9 M7 h: q7 E6 e- O/ S
2 t5 ~$ T9 v8 T% u$ x# f"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?"' E& x! Y: X; }- J
& q4 g3 V5 s X p8 z, ^"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." $ N1 q$ \& Y2 N; w) y9 U; X3 |
There was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided.$ H; z) }3 h3 a! y8 c6 Z4 o
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Expensive lawsuits & ?9 z. q; W i: A* t9 M; Q, m * |! k" P v* n/ K {In fact there was something very Californian about the entire business. $ W' F. n, U( V, y3 L$ g& A- m, ~8 X$ o' z+ f
A combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it.. R( E; m+ v0 ^& x& B$ _6 W+ W& g
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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.* N/ `) m+ b9 {# I4 q% x
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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.4 d& f, n5 D0 \8 ^6 l& Y
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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?" A( S8 @9 M8 Q. D! Z0 e: a7 ~) M
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I struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment.& Z7 u, ]1 l P% I
+ d- l, G, {- gBut 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? + }* w7 h& _" N7 U 4 I" |4 z5 s6 s$ H( ^The authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection.8 U! B" }. d% j' _8 R2 P
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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.) L3 B# b9 l/ S2 n p* g
6 |* y, J, Q3 ]: x0 E- ~8 dA number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them.+ j. i" T6 L4 \3 P: d
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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. v" _ E$ ^: k4 B. J# V" t$ l
0 m( S3 T# `% u ]. q3 B; P" ~That view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene.8 K9 P+ Y2 k$ f0 o
) ~1 a" f: r8 D9 U2 l# @/ {7 K7 N& |" TI decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain. : c/ L) Z- r) x4 r z1 }. g! B( J) w+ X ) A, H! x6 r; O& C% l# V9 Z; ?2 Y- Z% a k6 g 9 E) T9 n8 P$ s2 f+ S( fCalls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004