- e3 D* r" X/ h% G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。 2 t; E, ?, |8 Z0 m. v0 I, F) z" b2 t9 @2 T$ _9 J [
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？. O1 F4 i- x: b, D+ X5 K
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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。 3 w" _3 ?/ p- ?" q+ n; T5 R1 r/ R4 P+ c* `; K: U
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。+ T1 B4 }( F5 e8 Z6 I
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一些演员私下告诉我，他们盼着立法赶快生效。* \: R8 X! B# h! V4 B/ M6 b' h! }
- R& |- h7 G |. H; p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。 / q6 p$ H0 c/ e3 g8 s+ D% E u. i3 q* J% K3 Z
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。8 T' z# I3 Y+ I& {8 f3 Y' r
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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…….: q5 t* z% o6 n5 `- @9 I& T& _" g+ g! x
6 x2 I W& p4 k7 u( E5 c 7 u0 Y$ c8 z8 y6 d K( ]2 n! I7 a2 ^Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles 3 a; n- P, Z( o
/ v/ y& O8 [+ y4 i6 |; l* LCalifornia'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.; b! K* y8 O4 u
x I2 |' J$ b4 N& ~- }. aLight drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles. + ~3 d5 X2 X. e2 s7 s3 S2 { - Y& X! o* R6 `0 Q+ eI had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things. # W5 o! W% F- y9 o& p+ n! S n: y' g9 {9 K6 t; R3 B
What I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect.! G2 R Z9 ?: P! i
) K& ]8 t: S, t. g" wThe porn shoot was Star Trek, the Next Generation - a triple-X parody, billed as a humorous tribute to the iconic TV space saga. 1 l0 y- x' i' l9 j4 H8 q/ b+ z+ G) c1 @
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./ M! }5 K3 v0 {( V
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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.. b& p( Y: c6 M, z7 J3 |6 P/ t" t
& @2 F6 W$ ?6 M/ g0 hOnly 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed. : r0 t4 D7 I- h, M, r 4 L" `# Q- {. ^* g8 T& JFantasy% T# P: \7 C5 G0 q
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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. 8 T: F; }& |, R; `7 @$ b7 E. A8 `$ e
The problem, increasingly, is revenue. ! y7 f) e' b) o+ u0 ~7 v9 F; I F( A
Like the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch.2 p- h! ?) @; k# `& X
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DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free.4 u3 R m+ I7 R" T3 G$ j+ V
- f/ x8 r2 l" R3 p" F vAnd the economic downturn does not help. : q$ k8 E. {: f- a. H* }! V0 J/ q) e* t. ?; s
"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully. ' S" }; P- z4 b! v: x, _ - F3 f3 ~3 q, @8 A( B. m a- a& U& nThe economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations.6 W) }) A3 y; M0 ~: ]* L' ~
3 B& ~: f t5 \! EFor years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms. * V6 L' n9 r: P- B# K" R. Q3 W9 {0 p$ z$ ?
Health scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set. ; t: m0 r |5 l" T! S + @. Q; J/ V# ~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. ; G; `# O. K3 ^$ v* x' U# p4 I7 O7 Q- I6 P) Z; W; K% F0 F$ U2 C: Z, J7 `
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Back on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers. : O6 s2 P2 F( V, G* v4 V6 r! @6 E3 v# ]8 W) s% X. z
A college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years. 6 P( z0 O( Z6 u% t) Z$ C+ w& ?1 @# Y7 V* c
She turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure. 6 V+ g, `3 A7 B# S7 J7 @, U9 \5 Z1 y: r7 t- P: o* s" ]$ ?
"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?" " z9 p# `8 C( A/ k- e d9 c : T& [) _ V! I* sHer 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. 4 X' \2 w7 C2 O0 s! |/ P3 W! f6 t4 G5 H1 p. N+ ^3 P
Each day would be 15 hours long." Q# P9 A9 Q. a% K/ Y/ s1 i
: r5 s, Z. O' K& w: t"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested.; \$ M7 e$ f1 c, t- b' t$ F
- \4 C! l% u( j6 B# f, {"You get used to it," she smiled. 5 P/ h% x5 I' t# U ( ~% X M" k0 Y# s"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?" " t# s1 \) D' ]7 q. y1 g 5 F* ~0 i5 W8 I6 ]"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." % _+ Y- n u- @- x% Q9 ?, ]* `: Y3 h1 H s& \ [
There was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided. , d! y' t& l' }4 |# e. U7 @# @) e+ i( @
Expensive lawsuits O1 \9 g6 N! p7 T" j) T$ x y0 n% _8 V) G/ x1 z
In fact there was something very Californian about the entire business.: n! p, o' R4 Y [; q* Y) } S
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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.) k2 Z$ a/ H2 q9 D
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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." w5 X( T9 i) T5 l# ]8 }
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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.- t) A$ ? a. x: z2 F8 w/ V' @2 U8 d& `
. a" q h5 d, y# L4 ?"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?"& G% N4 C# f8 C- T: E. y
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I struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment.- f8 d7 V$ I4 e2 C
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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? [5 f7 j! K- a4 G7 @ z; }9 m m
. E: J, G R4 r y* M0 W- ~The authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection.9 d! a2 a- |; [- D$ H. M: g
1 A# k* c$ k5 o, OIt 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.! s% ^ r# s& `; z# ?0 n3 |
+ J( ?* g% P' j \8 h" ZA number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them. ; \7 W3 R( \# b- z! G3 r3 [1 L' ^ y/ |( W7 _7 J4 [9 V; A3 c
The producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants.# x2 x- _$ o$ c: |6 Q
! U' M2 G5 g$ J1 \7 |; D/ hThat view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene. , d0 K( }' s- ]5 R$ M* M c: ^" Y7 E6 v6 _( o
I decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain. , o' g* A4 c. x; s& z! @( n* i$ s3 e H1 {4 U5 k " f- d& U3 Q0 k( r" X6 M0 E , L% `. R' X$ Q- S4 x7 P ! B/ \' i7 P1 S: I0 n# XCalls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004
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