- d' G C( I2 S. l6 OCalifornian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles $ r2 w( Y* A+ K( S. t7 }8 W . @' }# D! ?3 Y( @% m! 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., `% T7 S) A; @) N/ E/ `5 o& U$ b
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Light drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles. . m6 Y- z. ]: z) o+ B! n u8 |) X$ g/ V- c) f9 J/ K$ `
I had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things./ l3 q2 R0 _& o2 W
5 i: Q ` X* i; C/ }3 v4 KWhat I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect. & m; m' }8 N3 |. `" { C6 r0 n/ x# v. ^! n# A
The porn shoot was Star Trek, the Next Generation - a triple-X parody, billed as a humorous tribute to the iconic TV space saga.& m/ I ]/ f6 K; m
- I0 W0 ]/ a6 G$ L6 m1 G1 QPerformers 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.1 y* o1 I7 ~5 {& n+ l' a
, l1 E# H" c$ Z5 e: c& [7 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.& G! K& b# N- n) U' O8 ?
. @& y: M( ?( c4 N$ hOnly 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed. ; |; [3 A- z$ ]" w7 x; e- c0 s" s8 K9 N. A- W
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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. % _' f4 Q- y: z$ _ ' ~3 O N) t5 G" M4 g' ]The problem, increasingly, is revenue.% O o7 i1 S1 f3 W! p0 \
D) A" W- H7 S9 b% `5 W6 H6 KLike the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch.& f" b# ]& z- z) q: J
6 q2 l5 t# j* o$ VDVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free. / G. {7 Y+ M3 R ; i" O$ T, s3 w7 p, V' EAnd the economic downturn does not help.0 T4 y& h! x0 h6 M) M
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"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully.3 D; }1 I# [' e/ i3 b
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The economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations. e5 R7 n9 `: g# e$ }/ p1 A
M3 G+ f4 Q: R# u. mFor years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms.- D9 Q4 C; U" F0 g/ n$ S
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Health scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set.2 J( } s4 _" R5 l, C( e0 u
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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.' f4 ?6 _- H. J" ]" {: {# X
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Back on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers. % i: Y, i4 ^* O8 N8 m4 d5 T' G: Y8 _# L: N! E( R
A college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years.2 L6 w' o! w# y9 x k! [4 b! k0 x8 [, A, g
& ]- G6 m: l4 R9 T6 C! l5 y0 lShe turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure." h. @, |/ P- l* b2 x
$ p' T) _" }1 Y |- C* Q- ?"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?" $ I9 e+ E) X- i0 \1 p- } $ P+ X$ o8 Y1 WHer 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. ) ]# K# s5 j1 ?2 ^6 Y4 L2 w6 y6 r; G% g7 u/ @# F) a- `. b9 J& k
Each day would be 15 hours long.; v3 M% X1 R& ~2 O$ @
1 s* L$ w$ S6 d"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested.1 A; B* ]1 `3 g5 G
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"You get used to it," she smiled. 6 |" @6 M, p$ ~4 ?1 S g, i7 E Y! x( }( C
"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?" " J0 o( o3 h$ ~ l8 o ) I! R0 q, p. ]3 H3 l7 T"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.", j% ?5 t% ?9 G/ @6 }
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There was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided. ' y4 Z5 |, O# k& Q: v; r9 x' R* \ " z$ C" f: p7 v4 ]0 P t9 {: L- RExpensive lawsuits0 l" p0 I) y% m D: Y- I) q
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In fact there was something very Californian about the entire business.9 O' a( |# W: e" Y* N$ o: I1 _
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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. 6 @- I# O9 b5 P8 L7 T! Y) W+ W; V* q1 I$ T: N
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. , ?9 a+ p7 R6 G3 r3 V4 Q" Q: F% q! r2 `2 K( g& i. z
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. % d6 F! V! x9 Y# a( N" ~' m7 G
"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?" ; }( G# M7 R; y" _& G6 p& m+ h; u# y# Y# V' ]! h- q3 S' R! ?
I struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment. % ]) p, g j8 z# S7 @& J+ D4 i; {3 t8 k d+ k) x
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? & k I# [% l+ O' P3 [4 G4 U 1 |6 A1 U) {/ ^The authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection. : a6 U$ A* M7 _$ B0 j5 A% i# I 3 q( Q2 w( |1 r, Q( v8 z3 L$ y2 C5 ~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.+ z6 _4 O& `1 n, U
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A number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them. $ H/ E; T( N& F: l/ B: S4 N6 f, p p8 T% u$ A6 w6 Q2 ?
The producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants.3 t' X& d" @1 i# s( i
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That view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene.+ Q+ x o) P3 x/ q, y0 g7 Z
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I decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain.3 X9 W$ b8 D; V/ a* s4 v
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Calls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004
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