* z4 d+ N7 R c% z9 k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。. @, P. Q5 q. I$ x9 }
V' `( o* O4 u1 |' \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？ $ S* {+ \' i+ ], J2 n8 X+ `+ l+ F) ] . x6 Q0 w, q+ h2 y6 R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。 - M- ?* g8 _" M+ F4 `% d4 `6 I2 `. Z3 e* u. f$ H( M; C1 I
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。6 O1 T$ d2 S3 Y w8 E. Z; E3 V
: O, @ G9 k3 l0 P8 J; O" k' ?
一些演员私下告诉我，他们盼着立法赶快生效。, \, z* a, q- }- P
) Y+ p; {( j# T
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。- ^, R8 s) a3 Q% |7 H$ R( ?
& I- `" y3 Q! r& A4 @- k. i
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。2 t+ b6 g W G% O# ` Y$ e
% M6 \8 g) o! ]( E2 d2 o5 U& V; x
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+ J! y) f" x
& ]5 f' K0 D. Y8 i |
9 q/ C2 d' M9 _) j$ iCalifornian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles # {7 d) D$ ^% ~$ y1 M
: N) |) o8 S k' {
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.2 w Y+ m* t& d% U
6 ]/ }) u" K, r) X, u c
Light drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles.. R9 H9 Q4 O, h: M- A4 ~
: U P% t) s1 L S: k! u: ]7 MI had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things. l! K5 Q( j8 @' r. u / U! |: D4 I5 v' T. \1 ]( DWhat I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect. 5 ]5 p3 |# a0 c3 [! q/ t / y2 O" h+ _1 L4 h) lThe porn shoot was Star Trek, the Next Generation - a triple-X parody, billed as a humorous tribute to the iconic TV space saga. 6 C( x% |$ X3 k3 i: I$ @4 f! c- N8 P5 i
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.' y! p5 K |5 z
3 a. t" z5 r# I/ S, V
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. / ^* q6 w* v2 E$ b' o0 C5 ` 0 n6 Y2 y9 E5 aOnly 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed." S& M4 \% i) X; e2 \( E
- w5 B* U, o- G" P4 Y' ~4 cFantasy% r* X" e% b8 |& c
9 p; D% o W4 W: x+ wThe 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.* N! J) X/ _$ X3 B5 y& f3 V
( L! Y4 q2 q7 V8 P5 c' sThe problem, increasingly, is revenue.+ _* K+ a1 S* k
. r) i8 ^) m; O4 Z# x. }$ z) }/ J
Like the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch. . F& X" N7 z% e. g ! W3 F8 _5 k1 p0 IDVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free. $ p3 n% E# @% {$ T) L& |6 c3 H' K3 M! C" ~
And the economic downturn does not help. % m" M+ G% o" j 5 k* }& b2 O0 L$ x6 P, J# j( H"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully. ( C, l# q5 @$ n. f F% O' {8 E, m. ?7 w: ~$ W) h
The economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations.2 |' B' i$ U& A$ i
3 r' Q) K5 b' hFor years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms. 8 u8 a' P2 ~' l% B- o - a% `3 m+ R" B* h# AHealth scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set." Z7 Z% p4 d1 m
' W0 l* H0 P( P q2 YBut the industry says wearing condoms on-screen is a turn-off. The public do not want it, it will kill the fantasy, they say. # H; B) k. A0 `7 c: @ . ]4 `9 Z a* k+ O( c! z7 UGonorrhoea ( f# J+ V# m- s9 C, |% R. Y- {! `% Z: v x
Back on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers.7 }+ `7 n) E4 C
. Q( a6 H9 x; p2 o# v% C* J& n
A college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years. 8 N" s" F/ l+ I; f ' l- H# l2 I1 _2 UShe turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure. : S# k" W6 |# k1 ?! z0 w `" f . R: h$ [" `5 z" z2 w$ B. Z7 i"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?" 4 u2 c! v% N( w 4 @; a& H; Z5 J" j x5 c/ JHer 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.0 H9 Z F: X3 a! x$ m
/ q# [8 d8 ~: I# B v( Q- Y1 X/ K
Each day would be 15 hours long. 8 Q4 y) g4 ^; p, {5 H3 L2 A) a7 [, ^+ Z) ?& H9 |) A4 M9 e4 u
"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested.) W( }: r! ]6 U5 f! Z# v9 A
. E9 T8 D$ ~3 M, _. f9 k"You get used to it," she smiled.& V k6 U- L0 \- w" |; T/ t; Z- L0 _+ r
# H3 A& p) A. I
"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?"$ J4 J! j4 e6 z% F
7 ^5 k1 O" e6 D! e" g5 ~ B- y"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." 8 `7 t S& v+ T3 _+ \/ i: C3 ?1 j- c* t' O$ Z3 `" F( t6 J! ^
There was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided.% v8 D4 K! m [& C0 ~' _
. C* S( W4 e6 R; p1 t% \Expensive lawsuits/ D8 N) t) u/ d9 H9 ^
1 M: Y' {& p& x5 A5 O
In fact there was something very Californian about the entire business.- n3 N& p( k& [ y% f
' O: n4 G+ {; J) N, YA combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it., N( H* k+ V. F. r
/ d) v# v2 O: [8 Z8 C% qIt 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.# L' h' [2 w* i+ |/ |6 B
! }; ~! ~. ?! e/ ~ Y# k
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. 8 D5 R! R# K4 C* M% o! x# k! v* I5 _5 T- A8 R4 `- j
"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?" - P5 c4 \4 y+ E' O/ `) i5 e ) x5 x. d$ Z& j& U4 Z% f: ~" }I struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment. ! l8 O# o5 W. C, T, p * j+ R! L S; v0 ~1 \ dBut 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? + V0 F, N: L" W( e5 r7 n3 ^% @% D2 }- ^3 G; H0 P# |7 Q+ R+ \, ?5 r
The authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection. ?+ n+ Q1 y5 Y 3 p$ z/ o0 o. {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.* O. x5 x1 R# h3 B% Y
4 W9 z% n3 m I0 fA number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them. 7 n- Q' r* [# o" o6 E# F+ C2 C6 k+ f1 b, c! r5 }! k5 g3 m& z
The producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants.% ?! \" D s# w" g! z
5 G8 ^5 }( ?* g9 o+ \% R sThat view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene.2 X' \! k7 V, G0 @; I+ F
7 [ u) E& I, `4 m H* x: OI decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain.( z" C9 t, `0 c m d5 p1 f7 b
4 A& s; Y% ]' h( m9 A4 m 3 r6 a! p8 w+ y( J 4 A" a) T- `6 g6 `0 ]9 W* b 5 ~4 _' h$ v# q& u* N U/ A9 oCalls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004
7 U6 M# Q- \6 N
