/ M; |1 p- Y. R! `. o* g$ ~4 G一些演员私下告诉我，他们盼着立法赶快生效。9 I# E. u! p! v8 ]+ d
& a# ^0 l" n% ~, m6 A+ 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。 # J) j% g2 P" _8 c. r # e. m6 H3 O& ?$ v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。" x' I$ W$ ^ E) A( s" M) h5 a
. P) m; f8 d# 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…….: k3 Q s! a( |% j4 w$ i& f
$ C' }* f7 _# r1 t$ ?- P. M ! d6 x% N ~/ q: R* j4 aCalifornian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles 8 X2 n) _4 Z; V7 {9 [: d* J7 B
! I# l! e' y# Z; bCalifornia'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. # P$ D1 d& a, S2 D# M+ G: S/ e% E# T/ n
Light drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles.! |* a7 n' c) ~* a5 Q; p
, ?9 u- E4 F: O' M5 }' b3 XI had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things.& ?: }. L( x3 G! c6 O7 s0 d
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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.. z' g/ n& |( K% J
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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. 9 D& Y9 f& [' u+ P% u X9 Y; h! a w! I4 ZPerformers 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.( Q# {! r; B: e$ U9 G. a
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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. 1 g( x# R6 Y% u B7 n3 k- k0 [. q$ z. ~( r* {9 O+ m
Only 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed.7 ?# J! i: E' ]
& ^& b5 { ~* @+ J& eFantasy 3 I9 G2 p0 v$ T! ~ 4 y5 g% g; e4 n; gThe 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., S# f4 h9 p8 Z9 ^7 q2 C- b
; d& R0 V0 L. x# k8 b; F- c- U) bThe problem, increasingly, is revenue.9 b2 C/ ?* ]( u) m3 s
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Like the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch. # X& q; e' ]: s; `3 E$ R: e7 s$ i) ^) b( X
DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free.* g! G+ t* O( j4 Y
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And the economic downturn does not help. 1 G! F6 W, J) x1 m9 s 5 D* s! _2 Z: n* a* b5 I"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully. % m7 e. Q7 e8 _7 N9 r, H! l) w8 [! { 6 u) Z5 I' a6 H! ]- j2 a# J9 E+ bThe economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations.% I0 k) s5 n+ c, n2 [
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For years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms.# L6 G4 g$ L5 s M3 g G4 y' d
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Health scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set. # Y g4 v6 i0 m2 k- {- ?- { t u _, ?3 MBut the industry says wearing condoms on-screen is a turn-off. The public do not want it, it will kill the fantasy, they say.6 p$ p J8 e; ^" h" X O" ^
8 P5 H# X- `' D0 ^( `( y" uGonorrhoea 2 m7 q( M# D7 _ 0 s5 G3 k/ O' Y7 gBack on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers.6 j0 T5 d# E: e. D
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A college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years. 7 X0 j9 H$ J) q" m% f7 B8 Z$ k/ b+ G/ V
She turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure. / z2 L$ o7 S. ~ Z7 {2 t , j# X; c; K% g) B* L"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?" / U. f; W" l2 y ?) A6 c4 ~: j9 K ! o! R: ?2 D1 b8 O% W" X' D) V9 A6 ~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. # f: t+ {& n; w) C+ I! k0 g / B5 i$ \' d0 l qEach day would be 15 hours long. # h/ f3 M: _2 ?% i& Z6 H 2 G& I) a- D, T"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested. 3 l' M; O1 m4 g7 b" X: F, Z I7 B* V
"You get used to it," she smiled.& H0 b: G; M! c; o) y9 Y& h
8 s7 _5 X+ F8 A"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?") Y+ g& n. j1 ~6 B: S
* @$ W: Q! }* u7 d% t+ 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." 7 j% j& P6 v) u3 p3 {: h a, v( n0 g* J \1 }0 W$ L+ g: b: G) h/ N7 F u
There was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided. , A+ n! o2 }$ U! e: m1 Q ' F8 z/ M) r3 d4 nExpensive lawsuits 6 t. C. Z% i* d: f ) S3 `! X3 L0 W+ ?( cIn fact there was something very Californian about the entire business.8 B6 z* |% r: u$ \
, a$ Y& n5 K2 Y! \8 ZA combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it.! C4 H+ ^( B* {
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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. % M) S) ?; s b4 b* E9 k# n* m% ^, W
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. " @1 e" n' |# g+ o# ^: }! L % _0 ~3 p- n9 ]% l9 D6 D1 ]"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?"2 ^6 W5 R$ S2 A0 l* B9 [
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I struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment./ b! E0 H" H. A, U
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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?) I/ |* B5 k b. {5 M+ _( I
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The authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection. ! t* [" ]) [0 m, m0 W- t6 e/ Y# y5 t
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: `0 X# A! C& } # a7 g# @8 H& ?% `7 H+ G: rA number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them. / z. j+ |5 h1 H* g( {9 z" [) O: j2 k9 d9 P0 G
The producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants. & W# f1 ^6 [6 Y" d3 ?5 E* h5 |7 h9 r; Z6 }$ B1 Y9 v' B8 {
That view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene. ! I/ k$ |' `, u9 z . Q& e0 M8 j# S/ y. zI decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain. . @3 ^* m. h( b& I) n8 c/ @5 [0 ?3 P+ Y, f3 Q1 t% m" G 6 I8 N( q. a% h: U
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Calls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004
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