* ]3 P2 ]1 O9 t. Y, C* Z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。 ! r8 U; |( s% s. Z" C. [" r% n! ]4 b$ |# Z- M; 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。 . K. H, B [; u( M y% j; j/ H, S) }+ d. O7 A% E6 |
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。 4 d, C: y( y! I6 B) H' ~“没什么大不了的” R% K9 W) t- x) \
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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。 ; ]! f/ g: W! y% M: {5 r( i2 e& i % L6 t1 z# ^& {3 o& W/ e* V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”?# l) k9 v4 g6 H* i3 \
2 \+ W; b. e: e2 {* A p( Y- C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。; f0 O0 f% D) G. s
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我说,“你一定很累吧”?她微笑着回答说,“习惯了”。9 s& K6 j- y6 H4 D; Q
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我接着问,“那么,健康风险呢?你经常被感染吗”? h' j. p2 G* }3 k# R8 }; n0 k/ o1 w! S5 p4 j0 B
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。” % |! f. b+ l4 _, L; K0 c& A1 _3 B, g8 l8 P% \0 m( F7 `5 X
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。 # ]/ z) i" ?& u! P1 X w9 v1 m$ Y' l' x) n
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。 ) v4 A( }( R' n W$ f1 O: `. y" `不戴安全套的权利 ( p2 ]) l" b2 s6 Z, m . {9 Q5 y& B7 \; d0 A) f6 N, h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 F/ T/ ?% A' E( ? E- x" X) Y3 w0 h5 R8 C% M0 z
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”? . \ e+ M* l4 ]5 r0 }3 }% f) i5 g6 ?- y, N+ S
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。" {! [# E# f) Y' Y' h* _0 K
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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?: H/ K& E. n; k4 ^- k4 }
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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。 ) @7 P" q2 G, g$ ~! o 6 F: [( t: p) o+ R: w! h# B! E4 |6 @$ m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。8 o+ I+ |, ^; |0 `/ O% b) H
# H2 y. X+ x( P4 M) H一些演员私下告诉我,他们盼着立法赶快生效。 + O/ F( e) g2 s& p9 k 6 [* S/ c5 Q$ ~" o" K: |, r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。 ( J" q$ s8 c9 I$ d 8 x: W7 s$ D) T( s7 ~# f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。. A2 ? s1 T/ x& l
1 R$ J( C L+ z9 g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……. S& c# l* A% \8 O3 `, U! j
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Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles " z( ?, N1 x0 Z ( [* \7 M( i8 S" kCalifornia'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.* `- G% Q/ z* |
1 ]. d0 ` M: { F5 C9 ALight drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles.. c' @5 g" L# t% m
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I had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things. 3 X" J9 o5 v6 ]3 J - ]* }. B$ c" lWhat I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect. , O( V5 D6 v( B+ K g . `' E$ Q# R4 Z# NThe porn shoot was Star Trek, the Next Generation - a triple-X parody, billed as a humorous tribute to the iconic TV space saga. 4 i) v. M( O7 m/ L- M% A& ?# t 6 @2 N' B9 C' h: bPerformers 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.# r% A4 ^; [* t) H3 ~5 {5 N
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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. : S2 D( B0 f( S. k' W! j5 q' A0 e. d" H" \8 l& U
Only 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed.3 w( T- F) t- | V) t' q+ X W5 R
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f6 c5 h0 F6 sThe 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.* l7 K7 \8 Z6 e" D1 H( I- k
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The problem, increasingly, is revenue. - z/ [ y7 K& r 6 g' ^* D3 \4 o, t& i/ j% ALike the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch. ) g3 a1 i5 e8 I6 u/ \ 1 ?' u4 }$ T" A& L: ?DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free.1 O$ ^6 z+ Y/ j( m3 M# D) J% @
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And the economic downturn does not help. 0 {" j0 J8 Y' V- c3 V$ x; R! }; R% g
"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully. # K, c8 _1 c( D9 u3 s- s' o+ v) `- q9 ^9 p
The economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations.% x B( }3 l, |1 }* \
" B/ {7 D, e) p3 Z5 `, Y! @For years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms. - q3 ]) ~$ j- a: [+ w& G D; A i% b
Health scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set. # [6 v* w! a/ L( i1 V. B: {$ R$ b% T3 l. i% E! }
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.# ~% I& l. O0 P
8 I% L8 m' Y- s8 G- E; g/ C' N2 {Gonorrhoea " m: `5 p' ~9 C# |( [ 7 P/ q. a: s8 v2 ?) \* ZBack on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers.2 t" |' \( \: O
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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.. M3 P2 S }. @$ R' ^" c
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She turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure. ' X, l/ Y. g* S* P" @ * e, q3 ~ |' }2 r"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?"2 i6 h- h Y, l& U6 w% N" m
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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. . E& ?! A; j5 V3 ?6 p5 k9 R6 j, F% G# W1 J2 o
Each day would be 15 hours long." [6 ?1 Y: z. X) x
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"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested.1 z0 I: v' i3 Y6 I0 ]6 T
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"You get used to it," she smiled.+ _, K( z0 J$ m" k4 }4 E1 e
6 I o' q8 K1 U- w. p- }/ _"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?"2 ~5 K/ A* \! i
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"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." 2 ^- H, ]" G7 ~1 T : l% p0 _7 f8 h7 f$ V- jThere was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided. 1 z" s2 S5 O- D) N7 O' P6 i9 a4 z# P1 A/ B# i
Expensive lawsuits1 w+ g, m4 w+ V+ M! \+ `
1 L- ^3 r. V% x. u8 z2 d- PIn fact there was something very Californian about the entire business.3 O4 v: i% l2 }5 ?; O! J
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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. # F4 u5 B, f' ^5 G* i # c3 D4 ~: |1 w* X! |2 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. & v$ F- z' M* X5 M% |5 K1 {1 U5 n: a% o# d* V* W1 x6 U z
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.9 X$ v: B2 x7 b0 A( Y0 k
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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?") D) Y! x' p- p( |! _4 E
6 ]3 E' O9 h4 r! S8 ~I struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment. ! D) q, S- x/ J1 ~: z3 x' d3 L5 {* a- _; t' G$ k
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?, O: l4 Y" ^) L8 u, C7 W! q3 C" p
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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.3 L' ^- m1 M8 O6 t+ |" l
, \! z( q: D1 fIt 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. + t( A' V7 |, X4 g " T) p- {' c# C) ^# ?A number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them. ; r( U$ O" W$ g$ }+ k& y . ~, q+ H. }7 P" B7 d$ T* SThe producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants. ' |, Z3 [# F; @% j$ n8 c! ~) r8 K5 R' R* R, G; D. T
That view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene. : x5 X8 @9 W9 l; o& a7 s- ?6 Y3 P7 ^8 V' K. F. a7 D
I decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain. 7 G/ q9 Q3 V. C * f d* F% `8 n; k3 ^( j( `$ Q @6 _# ~1 U& G9 u5 }, I
_ F- v/ p T2 M $ ]* Q& v! i2 N6 W" y9 J6 yCalls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004