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首先映入眼帘的一切，并没能满足我的预期值。但是说实话，我也不知道自己到底指望着能看到什么。9 S4 h6 [% N3 c
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那天拍摄的是三级片《新一代星际迷航》。据说，这是描写太空探险的经典电视系列剧《星际迷航》的搞笑翻版。; Z/ L1 o' C' J" g0 O2 e$ E
2 y( D5 }/ ^" s6 ^$ V演员们穿着紧身太空服，有些脸上还贴着外星人状的假鼻子。他们逛来逛去，满脸的无聊。一个疲惫的工作人员不停地摆弄着灯光。 ( M$ j. C1 f2 u/ }. n+ r9 m3 d" P% r
负责人告诉我，这天早晨，主要是要拍人物对话。颇有艺术修养的编剧兼导演山姆带着明显的遗憾解释说，影片当中其实没有多少人物对话。 2 `7 l0 A0 q8 [5 ~& O+ x4 z- ]/ k' T8 q y0 s( p& f2 ]9 A
他叹了口气，说，两个小时的电影，只有三十分钟有故事情节。. h) P% ~% a3 ~2 V& f' g- f, Z
扼杀观众的幻想 # r2 S9 b! j# @/ B1 j$ E' G8 p0 h9 Q6 h5 q( p
色情电影的特殊要求也许不会给山姆提供成为他长期渴望的、具有划时代意义的电影制片人的机会，但是至少，他还有电影可拍。 ' N7 N- q8 j( i2 Z 7 P9 J0 W* `+ I1 D9 G越来越紧迫的一个问题是收入。和音乐界一样，色情电影工作者也在挣扎着说服观众掏钱看戏。 ; q8 l, B b6 x# K" q2 X$ b, R) |; E5 W- x k; D( ]' D
DVD光盘的销售一落千丈。互联网上，可以免费收看的色情片多的是。 + x9 {+ s5 e* A! x3 h, w: R. Y& X$ V a! d* n1 j. n7 \
经济不景气，让色情电影业屋漏偏遭连夜雨。 , e; \, t, [! s, s9 r/ m' _* b- z+ l" C1 p+ W
一位很有名气的制片人明智地概括说，“萧条与盗版双管齐下，正是我们所说的完美的暴风雨”。) i& o. E, ], X4 p
) d$ T6 h( I7 ?0 b& y; ]! \经济大环境还意味着，色情电影业也更不情愿接受加利福尼亚越来越严格的工作场所规章制度。 2 S' r. g7 ?8 n# f- u* V 8 ~$ B! i, E' y8 @, }5 K8 O) x# Y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。 . F; b7 B. ^- n' I2 Q7 u2 } % }( v6 ]; O+ g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。 0 C: e. |# X$ M8 U$ |6 J! Q% t8 p( T" G6 Y$ h% Y# R: o
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。 6 Y0 R! J- E" r0 w9 ]. ~/ O“没什么大不了的”: }& N, K( v0 `% Z7 \5 u f" w/ M
; z: [5 n/ G/ N( T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。2 _2 M5 M4 [8 F1 u- d# A
$ `, [1 ]( F I0 g- l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”？/ p% c8 J# H% U L( P L; B! n
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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。" D4 S6 e. x. V j: ` u
a0 D3 k' Q+ R8 G我说，“你一定很累吧”？她微笑着回答说，“习惯了”。- r5 Y/ {. j8 M) |3 T- j
/ o. ^; b' ] J+ l( r* Y- F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。 4 v' e6 J5 y* } - ^! i7 e p( _. G* m! S( ~( B& s' 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”？ ) V! C9 D1 S0 `2 a ) u, v6 h. c" O5 K2 `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。 & K5 a$ m2 I9 K# U0 x% [ 3 P1 M0 c m0 L: L. N/ ^0 ^! z) V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？7 l& O" l" S$ A2 ]. Y s6 O
' [0 O: {- ] w0 J. M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。! J! X0 T0 Q- Q, @) o2 u7 k
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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。 . |0 i! t2 ^6 ?' z% X A8 ^2 V. k6 Q5 q2 }2 j9 ]3 b
一些演员私下告诉我，他们盼着立法赶快生效。4 z$ V, ^6 _' t4 T
; c+ g% Z: T7 g& V) ~1 [- N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。, X9 i) {) I9 l; c- T, N* 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。 5 t) m5 {! A- M3 c* j& A8 X' z; L1 d8 y$ u
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……. $ E/ H$ l" U# C5 o n & W9 R, I3 [" i* Q {6 H) p$ `% k# L) Q 6 ~0 W* Z7 H6 |3 ACalifornian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles 8 ~- t) M/ I$ u: ?2 m, k3 G5 |& G9 ]* l; D4 W: u8 [
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., E Z/ @$ K, A9 E$ g# M4 A; \
" T5 o7 q, J* z5 b( KLight drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles.$ ?2 h! ]" Z9 G; y* B& ~
! |# z( k# q' f! H0 gI had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things.& I. x( @, `; c( {9 K9 h
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What I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect.; a2 ]$ [' Z9 K2 ~% m6 ]) }
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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. , k' W9 ]. O5 a8 N* ]- s 5 V# q. W$ K# P g2 ^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. ( E3 \9 F' M" C/ B8 @. U5 D; p; e
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. 2 M; I! S1 {: r 9 m6 |2 V4 c) lOnly 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed. * G# y1 o/ \, }; y# T; I. N/ E; o& O# R6 b
Fantasy 4 g l: v/ r! ?: | @" V& N0 X8 o; F {# {! w# 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.0 I- m# R8 N' {. d F
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The problem, increasingly, is revenue. , M5 G1 r! e' q5 ~8 d% t - q r9 n1 p8 a$ |5 U* b3 cLike the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch. / }/ b1 q" N6 _4 R$ t8 U0 @, K: x' j( [$ z2 A
DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free. . S. e7 D" }- | U 1 n- F2 ~/ S5 ~0 @+ DAnd the economic downturn does not help. 6 U6 i, m/ W8 j8 P. V/ s6 @% {& y3 t, c
"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully.; \! m, a/ r* T+ ~
& i" ]- Q2 _2 a9 LThe economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations.! Q; e8 o1 K2 t" w* [4 u. ?8 \8 M$ Y
$ T9 z% C/ E5 uFor years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms. % R l7 ?7 _* | 4 I6 I2 @4 O, g3 HHealth scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set. - ?3 [; V6 Z+ n/ n& T8 { 5 x! `/ G9 W6 ]6 F% W4 w [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. $ l; O1 G$ V' g* K9 x% E3 P3 C ^; I' w1 X- }% \$ ]
Gonorrhoea $ `/ H, ~2 S9 R- m$ J* F, d' s% \; S; `8 o5 B0 r
Back on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers.( f( v: O% N) w4 t* _+ s
- v! R2 @+ y4 c9 D4 f8 A9 E& lA college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years. # V& W) |2 a9 _( C# L6 k/ j7 g5 G5 E; L4 F# I
She turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure.1 B- G# ]' ~0 K) I2 f
H9 \$ V) `: C/ N% J; H"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?", u7 U+ J( x# x8 p4 s1 C, e
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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.; X M$ A- W# ]4 m5 Q( T5 U% D
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Each day would be 15 hours long.( q) T3 D/ g8 w t8 p
* k1 o" C# A, s4 C/ ~# J- ]' s' ["Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested. 2 q9 w; ]" O% Q2 ^" v$ m2 f" g6 R3 X' L# Y9 {" {
"You get used to it," she smiled. " T0 e$ O! u7 |8 p( L- F5 r& t6 x & R% }7 K! s* w7 Y+ K"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?" ! w, k# ]' H# m) \8 A 8 n- Z1 E. h( q# j( N1 s# P"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."6 b% i1 @! u) {& i, ?, o" b0 v
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There was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided. - R5 x) Y8 h6 ]4 ~6 g0 t/ a! X2 Y9 c: w& e- h+ h' u& ^' X7 \+ U5 s
Expensive lawsuits 5 t1 g* X: d6 q: i9 s% { |' { " ^% l9 Z5 G2 A* r5 G/ sIn fact there was something very Californian about the entire business.& c! v( a x! n9 C* b
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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. E f& e/ o1 X& }. p0 ]* x8 h S . m9 A7 A( T! ]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.0 A4 G9 J. U# D1 W& e% f1 `
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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 w+ y4 H W s, B- c9 V- v4 t, g' `: G/ z! p+ V
"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?" & E3 C. ~, X' T9 O* A! P6 b . |7 R: e, y* @/ LI struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment.+ F& p4 M* r0 i0 O0 z, ~/ e1 e
0 L0 x) R3 `& R+ ?2 xBut 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? & y3 s6 F e- p, y; j2 S) k6 f7 R3 u0 Z- Q
The authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection.0 o3 I8 E! x4 O9 `4 w6 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./ o1 s* V# q E
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A number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them. & R0 C4 ^; V% I; Y! f . _6 A0 F+ i/ `8 i1 E+ Z2 F$ WThe producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants.' E+ k9 h6 z, d4 S, d7 U
3 k, s/ l2 {. m( tThat view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene. ' g0 f, Q; b6 w5 @( t+ T5 \' ? : K/ p9 r0 i; ]' ]I decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain. ) u' v) h7 D _9 G; i3 U 1 U" U( K: ~: L+ }, ~* N% J1 R/ `$ i
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Calls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004
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