I. O5 V/ p: ?6 _# F- z我说,“你一定很累吧”?她微笑着回答说,“习惯了”。 ! q5 z( D' s6 I' v1 ~3 h% l0 F ! e0 _4 d& Q, N, R. H% p我接着问,“那么,健康风险呢?你经常被感染吗”?* R2 M3 ^2 p5 b" b! B
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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。” 1 h" ?9 S1 \6 R7 V* N! S6 ^ 9 Q1 C3 t- d6 O/ P6 @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。. h3 ^2 o* j1 E3 H+ o. l: B
V& C/ @, Z/ H+ {/ `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。* H* d6 C7 @# V. y- e! [3 |) L/ f( j) Y
不戴安全套的权利0 e& T/ \% p5 e
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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。 % \- b; O5 x6 y6 T5 L9 p* O2 W Y( G$ z) Q6 i) p# t
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”?7 J) n7 ^% D& t# Z5 T- a: r
9 M# n* u" x5 y/ N$ V2 X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。 ?. `4 W% P/ X7 e: E' d3 O8 X* ? . M7 G( O2 o# t7 ?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 \. {7 w9 v5 G D8 A+ w3 l) W8 \8 I/ Q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。 % h$ w. E* l2 @( [+ W9 _; d3 C* P3 h/ `9 l2 P" Q' M0 n; Z% t* t6 p6 e
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。 ( K9 B4 |, t# @4 I( K 4 A' f4 n/ m) R7 L" x/ f一些演员私下告诉我,他们盼着立法赶快生效。+ ~' X* o) A/ B" k
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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。 3 L1 x% @' P { / q! O, C. M4 \9 {8 `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。! L* F6 z4 h4 Z! }8 w
' W+ M1 a, K. m4 b' E- Y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……. : K9 P8 e9 x7 D/ m / Z) e8 q/ Q2 P C. H2 Q5 O - S: g( O5 r- m# u2 sCalifornian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles " N+ O6 V* p5 Q2 C# u* d! m9 H r7 D5 _* b: ^$ x+ M
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. 7 ~0 b# {7 c2 y N2 X# @ 5 B& W$ U2 K) P4 u: p7 }Light drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles. - d9 ?# m! {3 s8 ~7 Z ! X- T2 ^3 _" _/ B; b FI had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things. 9 n; `% D! K; q, Y d e' {0 z5 T0 W8 q" r0 [5 {& `+ n( i
What I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect.' ]2 H" v) `+ E l% \( m
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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.# S9 L: P6 e- v& A
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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. ' {) J9 u! t8 ]" {2 g3 Y, Z0 L1 |- u2 q% B
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. + t- F4 K1 \$ _6 o! i1 }5 n% X; Z; A. q) J, G
Only 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed./ j# J2 A2 I7 z' L1 x. m2 G8 l( h
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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. 7 V& y8 W. c {( r5 G) @ [; e9 |2 T" R: v, L NThe problem, increasingly, is revenue., D) q8 o& G/ u
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Like the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch. ; w: a& ^7 _( [3 ^/ q3 p7 Y8 ^! p* I1 ?% V
DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free.* j2 S, N- u$ `) ~% l4 W
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And the economic downturn does not help.5 l$ N' Q L. B% M0 y; c2 E
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"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully.- l( N9 K( X0 ]
" k+ w7 Q+ V* m& GThe economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations. 8 Z1 G V9 Z$ C1 ^( a+ K $ J1 U& M6 a X$ L% oFor years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms. # S9 \: [4 x: n; F+ O $ Q# ~ Q0 z3 |! fHealth scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set.; D* f. t, \$ n) H4 R1 \
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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.0 a2 j, ? Y5 [7 f: P
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Back on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers. $ i) x$ k3 B% w7 m5 e& @# w : S# R- D/ v+ \; e& vA college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years.7 D7 ?! E$ g+ K. p. K. l7 h
: S$ `7 U! \7 b6 _She turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure. ( ?7 g# D1 z+ c m 5 x( g' t8 V1 D |"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?"/ \: _: \3 f q3 P8 Y+ P, ?
2 E) l" O" f8 ^+ oHer 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. 8 U1 ]3 L# F5 a Z# g. y5 y* Q5 g. R. P% h) @& ], v
Each day would be 15 hours long. ! Y/ i1 [- U" C- ^: ? O: }' I" `, C; g% d( b) Q0 `
"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested. % K( m$ F; P* I& n ! e; H2 L) O( i- O) J: z/ m# x"You get used to it," she smiled. - m# S( f1 I8 T. ~# @1 t5 p, c1 Y9 T" G7 D {3 U
"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?" 1 b( C# c0 @/ ?5 N2 t! e. T' Y* g2 y. f0 j
"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." 5 N7 ~, f1 r& B8 \# X! V0 g' a3 f' l* R/ m( q' a8 y
There was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided.% Q) j2 A" X7 `
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Expensive lawsuits * k+ }. Y/ f/ }: H 9 D7 ~3 \) O3 b! b5 `- B: uIn fact there was something very Californian about the entire business. - K ?! K" y8 C3 q+ G) A5 g- U: s3 u7 @4 U: R- }4 j2 ^
A combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it. # n2 R8 e! o" X; V7 H, L: G; o* f
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.3 z) ~( U" t9 s& H, m
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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.% }; P4 E. E2 H6 K3 R( K1 H8 A3 i
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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?" * l0 f' N' }0 S& t. t , e* `1 Z5 v. n! {. y$ jI struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment.1 `3 B" p1 T+ h8 k, q7 [, k
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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? $ g0 }+ I5 K% i) j" J% f& |" q+ ]0 D$ ~2 R( w" x
The authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection. 5 u3 f8 l# o6 W0 v4 e ' D, d5 r6 W$ a; `) ~. t2 AIt 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.5 ?% y6 y/ E1 R. Y4 k7 d
; B- r1 n5 v5 K4 H: EA number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them. * `) P: C" T; Z' Q6 n$ ^+ E ~& {. j& J5 i
The producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants. / P5 w6 n$ ] u3 ^, `" }6 u/ P' J
That view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene. ! y3 }3 T" X+ k3 L* m3 W3 d3 u& O" V5 g& {4 n3 N
I decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain.; Q9 T8 S9 e/ f
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Calls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004