# c/ C' N2 R: }& L. [我说,“你一定很累吧”?她微笑着回答说,“习惯了”。4 ]* P$ f5 k6 J: G
2 @, v( R; ~5 M2 P我接着问,“那么,健康风险呢?你经常被感染吗”?4 R. P$ d6 f. n2 ]1 B# ^
3 S7 S+ k$ g0 k) [2 }/ Q. {/ u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。” $ e" `! S) R- N! Z( }, u3 s2 g5 m+ h( u* c ^7 }
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。! ^; l+ J% R+ [2 C9 ^
! L. I$ i4 B+ Y* e# B
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。% R2 |9 t+ l: x9 |; ~1 I
不戴安全套的权利 + w1 t" m& K5 q 9 d3 e7 l, O/ i$ _ F, v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。! a% L, X2 S: K# v
3 U4 R; n' C/ O% l
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”? 2 C$ W5 q9 j6 ^/ l# D( Z% L2 \- t* W- e: @ Z! I @( g/ l; Q3 z
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。 " @; i, K7 u p# G% H6 w( ?3 g i( W) k. P1 u: D( p
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? " Q/ Y$ T, G7 C, f: \ * \6 i( a/ z5 N c; p2 e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。 ) { T/ M- f j: W: B- `$ z5 t1 q1 x* K% O
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。 C {4 f) S, f0 k- \; C7 h - u( A4 d. @/ G: @6 E: y* }一些演员私下告诉我,他们盼着立法赶快生效。: r( o: f7 ?# O, m3 f7 R- X4 K, G
: U$ G7 s5 o! J0 m" R K- d4 ^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。 . S! i4 A3 g+ \1 F 2 U, W& t- z3 ]1 m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。9 r0 v% h# d6 z$ N; U
, T) i d3 ^( N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……. # m0 T* G3 ?- X$ i1 ^' L) x+ m, N5 \* e5 G2 O+ u4 R
/ f+ K& Z$ R! N# c& W
Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles ( n! a' d, Q( a; I1 x8 S7 w& a1 A! @
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. + Y% i0 O# @/ t: v% f3 w. y& l4 [4 p7 d- b! ]
Light drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles. 2 ?5 v$ g8 e' y" G: \( k9 l# D8 X0 o; {: y4 E% [1 G
I had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things. , c$ u! f# Z/ `6 y, }- M, p' R9 }" i m+ ^* J- L
What I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect.# u9 b: _& I+ Q; b8 ]
& ^) |+ N3 X, A! ] W GThe porn shoot was Star Trek, the Next Generation - a triple-X parody, billed as a humorous tribute to the iconic TV space saga.& ]1 T+ }8 I2 c
9 r4 W, ]: M7 P8 k3 }. _! UPerformers 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.6 z! `) q5 Z$ t8 {5 W
1 i% {5 o% h: j& N- Q$ z
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. + f, I! d# a0 g 5 ~! B; t9 ?6 n( wOnly 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed. : ?/ t* W; Y" q5 w: W$ b- f' k" s" ]
Fantasy - f, b3 Q! A# n7 ?8 @/ ] : @$ O) `; Y% T/ `/ F3 ~8 f: |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.+ w- ?9 z# n5 ^( `5 K% }* \% ^) V/ L
+ v& u8 b1 _ A. z
The problem, increasingly, is revenue. 8 w; ?9 k% Z6 X4 ~) P! T& x + C* e4 Z8 D! Q3 h6 KLike the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch.0 S2 a* R+ V: N- [# l( s, U7 i
- ? o5 x0 ]- y' w) H3 H1 Y, {! k0 t/ uDVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free.0 @; G+ b7 i/ N7 B8 x, H
/ Y0 F3 j/ Q4 {9 w/ X$ WAnd the economic downturn does not help.& M6 {9 g4 A3 w$ K" \! U
8 ^; O$ n" `4 N- O! @" D1 D/ _
"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully. : d: z9 k7 }! A& C' G# E9 f9 Y( X4 b# o) W
The economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations. & j6 y6 `" F! n- n- A3 S2 w' F. P7 g+ `' D5 G1 N
For years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms. - I# j2 @1 q2 P( C3 p" |* y9 \ . U4 G2 ^& E- I) R) j p0 W2 o: SHealth scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set. ) X( K* m& f* [( T, n9 H' m / S* t) |% ?, @5 VBut the industry says wearing condoms on-screen is a turn-off. The public do not want it, it will kill the fantasy, they say. 4 H0 w4 m* J* }) P$ Q0 S" j& S6 u$ c" U$ e9 j* D8 D0 h0 I
Gonorrhoea 5 j1 ?6 f0 x' S7 D+ Y; @# q q' Q" b- m
Back on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers. ! c/ l% o$ O' M+ f) o * ^+ n0 ]" C0 A" _0 FA college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years. ( v. q6 t: H/ Y- V+ X4 |7 Y f' S9 z8 s: V6 Q1 g- lShe turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure. 0 U2 \$ E! }1 d9 z ( a J7 {9 y) u( b8 \/ V4 l3 Q6 `# \"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?" ) @/ E; E2 [3 P( B1 ?- F4 O/ a6 q2 X( D+ {- I H( ]+ o
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./ b' F6 W- Y/ z9 ?8 c: t
2 ?% q& s: p. W& l+ gEach day would be 15 hours long. ( R- R; ~& ~! ]1 G3 a6 M& r8 i; X( W) E' ]
"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested.4 ]' X5 d( _. |% d, s$ L4 [
1 Z$ H3 T K6 S"You get used to it," she smiled.* |4 Y5 _# `- `, x4 h" m, q8 G. R" O
4 F- v I5 W+ C% p; ~
"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?"; }* [2 b/ M" P$ I0 _/ G
" H4 L: g1 G/ p5 E% [ E
"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."" Z7 v% q Q5 C1 M5 |0 H
: q! f I5 ]- p5 S( ~There was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided.: |; f& }0 d+ X$ y$ `% R
9 O+ s" {5 b3 e7 a( i; @
Expensive lawsuits $ v5 R9 e3 A& ?# |0 ^/ U/ `& X4 o* [" K4 t3 i
In fact there was something very Californian about the entire business. ) `/ q* Q% `6 u1 O4 l9 P) C% j1 d- o# l
A combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it. ! s, ]9 p$ G f0 E! ], K( M 3 F$ H* \4 W. BIt 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.9 x3 a* H3 ~% Q
- L6 L! |" ~$ B. w& A8 l( iNow, 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. ; Z* }6 q8 N+ I9 a2 E2 C$ \ v* F8 A8 ^) X
"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?"7 m1 T( \$ m1 ^( O. O6 X- i
8 \0 T' W3 G. x" d0 II struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment.& E( u$ p; H3 f: W( a$ i# a
4 m! V: k" n) SBut 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( f+ x! K! E8 W Y
+ m# w; u9 j' i
The authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection.9 x' L: c1 @8 c8 J
! ~/ l7 [; C( w" u% J+ L, y9 K
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.6 F/ b( _6 k; R3 e6 h' r/ t
0 Z4 m& i1 N9 H) p+ x+ w
A number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them." n9 r4 m! F2 z, b% F4 G4 @
# c# N8 N# r w
The producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants. 2 d: L+ B) B5 o5 [* \3 i1 i4 S, f$ `. P. R
That view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene. & c0 C7 B2 j, U ) V; \2 x- q! R) M# \ V6 z" l7 {; mI decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain." p( I, }9 W, H$ w7 z! `
+ z/ Q. u' G0 F1 P* S! `! ]7 ? 8 ^; x' e. _- @+ b) v9 v
8 o/ P N! m s1 X7 \9 u$ C$ P ]- Q$ Y6 D; m! h6 |4 C
Calls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004