: D2 k% F" W* \4 L. c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”?# I- ?* G/ ?* x
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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。& W9 r+ x* r$ n0 l4 @* ]! A% u
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我说,“你一定很累吧”?她微笑着回答说,“习惯了”。 , V/ h F' U& |0 c' `8 r & h- t% y) w3 ]6 l( b6 v我接着问,“那么,健康风险呢?你经常被感染吗”?* Z- l. O' T* F; V! J, c
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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。”0 o1 g- D: O" Z6 b& V& w( s% H1 A+ _; Y
* }0 @/ l. U6 k# @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。4 m" V- n8 p- T) H7 i3 u
3 g' _& v" ?8 Q( T3 F1980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。 C0 T1 ^6 n& a- D( r, X
不戴安全套的权利+ s$ `* ~- E0 V7 S
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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。 . t/ U' F$ W9 N5 a, T' P. \8 Q: c8 g* O) y
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”? % O) c# |" Y; F* Z3 L# j( B% m$ P# T$ E6 ?
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。 9 S2 C6 T: V0 j9 u3 v: F/ y7 y2 l3 v2 F
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? % u. n. v, s' R( Z# y$ m6 p9 m' Z$ K) l6 d) a' `1 L- |( i9 H' o
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 F" I! R- A% ]
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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。" v2 a6 g: G3 d9 v' g
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一些演员私下告诉我,他们盼着立法赶快生效。 % Z; E0 t1 U9 v8 n. g! ^5 w# |: V2 ^0 u* E8 S
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。: g" |6 l! H/ s! m8 O- d/ X
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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。4 j+ k; k, K! f6 M; Y8 Z3 s: ]# x
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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…….8 q) H( Z$ y4 ^
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Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles % N1 a- B3 @9 `/ f, B9 O! g
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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. " E7 `' _5 v( u9 J9 }& P% r# t; \: C % \8 k( y p k$ p7 qLight drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles. 7 J0 H' [0 k* F7 D; I r6 m9 Y5 \/ t9 J' Q( K8 _6 Q* L$ c6 B7 {
I had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things. 0 u% E4 H* u+ ]/ O$ {4 H9 j# r; O1 b1 G3 w0 c' q3 C0 h
What I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect. 9 D. K, b# s6 d$ y; h3 O h8 H' N+ `4 e0 B3 b; E0 y A
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 c+ S- E! B5 X9 O6 ~6 a% x. R8 W" Q 2 r }6 J6 a+ R6 Z1 m# n. \' KPerformers 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./ w3 E; ?6 `& `% Q/ R8 ?$ D
P9 q$ F1 s* s+ \( kThis 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. % A9 [% q% {0 q! A6 Y/ P1 f- y$ U8 x# R E0 t A/ I
Only 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed. ; |. A! T" | x" G9 Y! g/ ]# C6 `# U9 g3 a0 o
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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. * H. R6 f _6 j5 K2 @# ? / j& o! }9 b" ]The problem, increasingly, is revenue. 6 O) I, L4 T/ a( Z7 H' K* U' @3 v' j( ^) ?2 F$ t
Like the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch. v7 @2 a+ z" q! `8 o3 p& N. n# F5 U) ~# k6 B; m7 u: H- V3 X% U
DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free.5 U# t' B- f; u- c" U
6 _: z' J$ u$ x3 i! ^. {! v/ qAnd the economic downturn does not help.' H/ x8 v- Y7 C1 M% ~
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"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully.5 Z4 r1 e/ Z" e4 e) Y' S0 `
( {: U+ A3 L4 L1 l0 OThe economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations. 3 g1 v1 `' |; } 4 B. P+ }+ W$ I5 S; F, |For years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms. $ q% I! s1 z# b, z! s' ?( R$ q$ l3 P7 Z* T! F
Health scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set. 6 Z+ M& S0 q; B% L' j1 Y0 }- s. ?- c3 w' S' h3 W0 a/ c
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. ( g9 R* M) W2 J8 O7 n' _ P6 I( }3 M8 n1 c
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Back on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers. % S: h$ O. }: {: S' R. ^% Z- j 3 g3 T8 q( D' w/ C& Q# w N7 G) _# }A college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years. / i$ Q9 B* q) W/ w: A, X0 O7 C2 \: n/ e% ^9 ~/ Z
She turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure.) Y& B! Q; y& J. b. i( a- ?
' k3 y" M* W; L6 L! R"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?"$ k# v9 s$ j. \1 _( ~# ~
) m$ f4 {# q8 c3 g, v: KHer 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. $ i% X3 x- y2 q% z- z1 j3 a! \& E# M
Each day would be 15 hours long./ K4 U' G: |+ w
& F7 J" A" [( r"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested.- B \% r$ Y' H4 I% \6 v$ t
: B- w8 A) k- Y9 J1 c1 r"You get used to it," she smiled.) C0 Q# S7 z" I2 ]) ^9 v
L2 s, q* |# k6 }% y8 n |+ n"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?"5 \6 F3 t) F! v# C3 m
7 x" K' V4 y. T# J$ M"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."/ W7 a& E2 H3 z0 L7 c$ n. U* u' N9 R
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There was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided. 6 N, }1 J5 }1 @% f% b" m* U - g# s% S2 ]* `6 |Expensive lawsuits5 q/ X' Q( R" F8 G
3 X# X$ `0 a% Z) w$ g% OIn fact there was something very Californian about the entire business. / q: C& ]. f5 W6 e9 I) }. i ! U, Q: |4 v+ C7 b. \! X4 R' EA combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it. . x( C3 c7 x, L 0 X; R: z/ o1 Y6 cIt 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. 4 m; i2 s1 q/ o1 V) y / H1 u* { O y5 jNow, 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. 1 b) x# d8 J. G& G' K . f' i! ?# F ]( B" R"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?"# r- ?, s* ]9 i1 P& w1 u7 x5 F# ^- P
3 Q& _" L. e; K) P2 x( u) yI struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment.4 W0 d( }6 e& e9 }5 F! j& u
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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?$ W/ A% ~3 J# p% k5 J& J
% f& y' U, `& `The authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection. , |; o. ?3 g3 S9 g- l S5 a+ X) ?6 G6 u1 b& z% `! G
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. 4 k. q# P1 m9 n5 M2 E$ u2 N, u# B
A number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them. - Y9 b4 }9 v6 @5 w9 G# u( @: W R 7 p8 q1 Z* U5 u& |' |. Y; oThe producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants. ! G7 C& |7 U3 I3 [' f+ d2 X1 I4 \* y 4 i' d1 w6 f! {/ j! k8 E- c9 T- KThat view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene. . j, X0 O+ h! T: _ w6 S Y2 E0 |9 l. K! m& v7 s8 N' E5 l" l# ?
I decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain. 1 q) k/ k3 ^5 D6 i- C1 h! R+ _! z% ]% R' |( z7 S4 n ?2 M & N; e7 B% Y. q! o0 G5 J) F) w1 ^- m, s% f' b# R6 p : F; }) X3 _$ a6 _; J& i: K
Calls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004