i- n1 ^8 `' r. L: o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。 4 @! D4 @: V3 Q2 n E8 F4 l) T4 R3 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。9 U) ?9 s: C& @- k* ~% v
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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。9 h% ?! a, G1 Z3 o3 k# L( e
“没什么大不了的” * F; Y, H' i# ~ 2 Q: n+ g( j% Z1 T- d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。% D: ]6 ?0 ?- r4 u1 L4 O$ ?
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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”？# ~0 b& X4 f6 c) h& }) l0 H
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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。 1 r4 m4 l/ o3 u, b+ ]! Y7 |1 C: \. w, O- K1 D; P) v
我说，“你一定很累吧”？她微笑着回答说，“习惯了”。 , [ j' l5 L6 \- o: W9 y% A6 \) L! k$ N2 `, ]9 X
我接着问，“那么，健康风险呢？你经常被感染吗”？( v2 z9 c i$ 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。” 5 I: B9 W! ~! _5 Y- v% B + I; c& @5 u3 D' {' Y* L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( O; Q! y' P c' e0 d
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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。 7 g5 I$ E F2 i+ y" X/ d不戴安全套的权利 8 e: t3 }7 E2 C/ y* B. c o8 {% b8 p0 T" ~) r7 w0 `: ^
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。 " }& ] S+ H* X% h$ v$ L5 I 7 F3 y* G5 n/ m" w* o* y4 f+ I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”？ 0 |1 N# ]+ {# K) K- O: k8 S B( P
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。 " r5 Y1 `$ l$ b. Q+ k I3 ]5 t, {+ l* x% F5 p* W& q6 }0 w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？ 5 t# h' g2 b* [, y4 G/ F* C" s$ f C. {
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。# u% k4 E& m- q5 E
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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。, |* p. G) ]( s" `/ d, Z6 R L
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一些演员私下告诉我，他们盼着立法赶快生效。" g! C( ~& [- u# P
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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。 + j! {- Y. q' L( z. f, Q" H' c1 _$ m$ p. j8 a# J/ Y, C$ G% o
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。; N' i' e- {; c
~9 C m! m5 }' @+ _' G2 h3 a! Q C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…….' T, O5 I8 G/ r& W Y& ` ~" I/ P
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Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles 0 ~9 F8 t. d4 u+ K- r! I4 k' \4 u- }' z) D0 I0 O2 t
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.9 i8 P2 G! C3 @" O; |
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Light drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles. C% b* d3 r6 q5 d/ {) y+ r9 {$ f" k+ c2 T3 k4 x7 x
I had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things.* c/ r/ V* ~# {' K: C
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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." e( L8 s( T) I9 _" u
. }' A" R% ]2 g0 ^! FThe porn shoot was Star Trek, the Next Generation - a triple-X parody, billed as a humorous tribute to the iconic TV space saga.' f* a- D8 k1 B) T6 Y6 X% x
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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.' P/ w8 ~8 F& [
- f# K* R! W. Q: b: gThis 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.# b; E% s5 H+ n z& t& z# H
- r* V: d9 f( f) i1 WOnly 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed. 7 j6 m% F4 [: V8 ]0 Q' k3 f8 U4 q1 l! X& m( B
Fantasy 7 n: ~' W! {4 R8 u6 P1 H8 ?; U $ |2 ?/ @/ ]/ v2 J% r9 J) |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.* V+ g; }: E- G2 X- A/ u W E# ?4 P
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The problem, increasingly, is revenue. # Q' Q% T4 U0 R; L9 X; I1 k$ t' u8 W- c% w* j+ d- y
Like the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch. K- N% m# G% [5 m% a# `# H : q* d! D$ A8 g" sDVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free./ e% q0 O5 y0 \! d3 o# Y9 \# V
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And the economic downturn does not help. 0 x; C. c% [7 e0 G% |3 h% y# W( _( F4 S3 `% @
"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully. - O8 t ^" R- r" ?# O. b / W$ [: D) e, I/ ?- |The economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations. # W. b; p: f$ {- A# D: R5 g$ k- O 1 n& L; X9 c- I( Y7 J7 G+ aFor years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms.. I1 ^: z( O; d# G: C
2 [. P7 J8 H! Q H8 d6 vHealth scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set.! {! C/ e! q5 M3 n" I, C
. c+ U! U0 D8 }: `" lBut the industry says wearing condoms on-screen is a turn-off. The public do not want it, it will kill the fantasy, they say. 2 P1 V: \& B$ s/ X; T! m- I/ T1 F& Z5 U
Gonorrhoea , Y# Z% a0 T" o7 M |0 c. p' o. P9 x, ]+ J , `. V/ C" G# W x1 E- {1 ?* o: BBack on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers. ) x9 c# e$ I8 i+ l3 u3 y# Z% t% V1 L! i2 L1 d
A college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years. ' d$ c- F3 x3 ]: e3 y! | / i; U( _; y& q0 }' ~3 O7 JShe turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure. 9 M. [9 Q3 ]' Q4 O- ^3 [1 f 2 u; a7 s7 d* _"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?"0 N/ j/ F" f. h( x( I' X& m4 w4 f
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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. + \" }' q; E- l$ C' s0 ]& w# f2 z7 } I& v
Each day would be 15 hours long. 4 M2 f- B2 B& `% h' O1 u) K ! A0 F- _- j+ J' E5 T"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested. ?6 q8 d2 |: X: m/ c. U4 l+ x5 ^' O& V
"You get used to it," she smiled.+ |; v7 [ J6 U0 Z% c
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"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?" , r" e; q- h9 v+ ?) \ z! w& Z " b! P E( |8 }& U. P# 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."! E( O0 w. b! u$ c! H Q8 d: N
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There was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided.2 }8 p: Q* f# ?, f- m/ k
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Expensive lawsuits - H: m/ j& z7 h% b- x$ W& p) a" X2 g! ]1 \* E8 t
In fact there was something very Californian about the entire business. # m! q4 _! R" T. X) y5 V - v" P; t! F- K, B% ^6 ~5 \A combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it.) [# S' w4 E& W( z& M' J* _# B
; `: a" E/ U" N8 t9 a# AIt 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. " e6 c. K( O- b7 x! h/ ^1 A6 y: F: q+ r8 C" y
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.: Y1 M# H* P) h7 c% w9 e; r
' t/ g: A. k1 Y" F* e"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?" 8 M8 L+ D9 b+ n. A" K/ S1 L( @" r6 c6 l1 R8 G e4 K; F
I struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment. K& H/ @/ v. x4 [ 8 `/ E$ T v$ bBut 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? : t: ]1 n- d a4 C- e8 e5 L5 \- O, d3 h/ Z$ D3 |: O
The authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection. 4 o; v- C( x: ]3 ]& n2 ? ( b! `' ~5 E' I9 Z* u$ DIt 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. 6 {+ n/ \- \) c) ~% }* p- ~ 6 p1 L9 i: {# ?3 I, Q! WA number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them.5 t2 n9 `0 `: b j; u% p o7 {
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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. * Z$ d% \) B* f6 J3 _+ Y- T/ G. u, s7 h6 Q
That view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene.% }- z% Z" k9 C6 Q
1 t+ S) u7 }" @' @+ {/ z0 h) QI decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain. O& h- m& g; l; D4 F( h% g( y
3 |' Y: B" @0 P6 C7 S 8 ]: F" w$ C/ ^' N2 Z9 K1 }! P, Q8 L- q3 c; o U5 r0 Z7 P: g1 b3 A' p$ ACalls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004
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