! n2 d' s+ k2 K, G1980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。 ! V. x k% [1 B0 W+ U+ ?9 @8 E不戴安全套的权利 - c8 _1 r' l+ C ~. x" v+ h3 ?* s; K# R: y7 @/ z7 T
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。 + ~1 l+ q% R" \; A0 G: J R8 p; s2 H; s) P
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 i% I, b* X# o J 3 h8 i7 u0 q) }4 X9 @: W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。 ! S6 `) W' y& n, _6 N& k" q- k; q1 @6 k1 c j' X# 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?* {/ E1 U6 S4 ]$ Y. d: C0 W
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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。" e) O) ~1 y' Z. o& d. L+ A
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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。 $ n) F( M( R/ h6 ~ 3 w/ D/ J8 C9 n" I) e* ~1 I0 O! ^一些演员私下告诉我,他们盼着立法赶快生效。6 E9 \6 ^6 Q: ^2 v
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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。 5 j+ g5 j A: a4 r4 u4 I- D& R' Z* W: B2 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。, K# H* X* _' n1 L; K8 ]* |
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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…….! G Z7 r9 b$ a
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Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles 5 a& Q, m3 `1 @2 O- O* Z
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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. + r$ C( A! n- C, }! Q6 f * M# P2 `- q6 m* R# `& U* ?7 lLight drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles./ {+ S5 V$ V' @2 ^
! z" J, H6 |+ [/ ^% T; j. OI had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things. - M# l$ E7 A/ m) l: f( B/ V0 S2 E( N0 S9 p% s' Q6 h9 x- I& A! w, _3 W1 F/ z
What I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect.4 y" t) U; V. P4 G
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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.& P8 S+ Q, l/ E
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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. * [. ]2 T: [' d: N% e2 o: l0 G8 d5 C& }5 j8 x: i
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.) f8 M# g; I- g. \
) a3 f; R; x; K* i8 a( K3 AOnly 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed.+ B" n2 V3 Y S$ ]# U$ ]# 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. / [( P! _ q- d$ l: ^: i8 N ' E( ]5 H' X9 y- k# _: g m- fThe problem, increasingly, is revenue. . ?9 C3 `$ ^4 x3 m* l) Q$ H3 n- h5 B
Like the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch. 9 v. g+ b! w: | 2 E6 Q' N h: [* vDVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free. 5 u$ ?7 U1 N2 d" |) A! X! X 0 U4 e& W i' o! SAnd the economic downturn does not help.' P5 ]5 j" |9 h5 p9 ^! k- y
% v1 v8 H& d% R% h"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully. - B. t2 z+ K, j ! d, \( a8 E& Z9 Y' \4 `The economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations.1 r+ j( G$ q) Q: Z* I( v# I
. E9 g' ?! b1 D: c, B' m: lFor years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms. + L: P; F# w4 u* ]4 K5 \; P3 F# G( Y0 o; n& d; W) c/ S3 ?
Health scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set.: _! t8 ^( C8 ]4 t) V1 S" T: j C
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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. 9 H8 M- u$ g& m; Y2 U+ o7 `' C9 U7 d' p. f" G4 Y
Gonorrhoea / b+ {0 _6 V. | r" |" t( L; s1 k W$ o
Back on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers.( q" ~7 ]3 w2 C0 W' {
+ _2 Y, k, c, f" q: X. ]A college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years. ( N, k; r. _9 O2 t p5 {. h' y , Z" [0 h* n- K. _8 u% IShe turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure. 8 R5 R% {& R! z7 j7 x$ a2 x! n9 e, ^ . o+ q: V; ~2 k& l"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?" 1 P2 i' G/ i( F1 B& n- I $ h8 p! n( I' D" { v+ kHer 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., j+ v2 S7 \. C
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Each day would be 15 hours long. $ R1 P8 J( J/ ^4 [/ z, h8 }7 F. j2 s$ Z; T
"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested. $ w7 y! W1 h! q9 B) p) \2 [- M# S: d
"You get used to it," she smiled. : p) a1 N+ [8 C) h( g8 p3 n ! b5 |& n4 A( Z0 z% _* f/ i( [7 u"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?"0 o$ \0 U* v: `/ c8 u* D1 ^
9 U/ F1 {4 ~. ?' \- a/ 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."' i6 M- x9 i, d u9 z7 {# p; Q1 D
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There was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided.$ P+ Y& F, T5 g: K0 k2 G! |1 I
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Expensive lawsuits : i, x+ x8 L! T- n' t - ?; F) _ |- Z% v' G# \( ]In fact there was something very Californian about the entire business.# s8 w: U# b8 U7 M6 `0 I8 s9 q, `3 r
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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.* v0 X. Z: H2 X3 C- W8 [6 v. |
! w: m) n' B7 l" ^2 NIt 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.$ Z1 Q& Z) f/ C, N4 `
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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.) u; e5 t0 i" b6 A: y& |) z
3 V" a8 ?8 _, ]"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?" $ @/ N* }+ C/ Z0 [8 E/ q: }6 d, U1 M7 P6 Z, ?6 v
I struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment.7 @, f' b5 B! l0 @" m( A
1 O# J" ~; o) TBut 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? : g4 p6 U4 l2 Z% h* O* z! S! |. W5 H6 Z/ H
The authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection.0 _6 p/ T8 O; s; R e# J2 Q% Q
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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. 5 ?+ r/ g6 f. X- u* w/ d" }+ J/ V7 n8 c! C% b9 Q) V' W( K! I3 q
A number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them.; I/ h9 R E. C; @/ D% c
+ J9 i) L. E. w5 u. J ~' PThe producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants.9 ]) V7 q5 }( g% ~& \+ Q) R3 A
# _& N' R6 p! X# E! D# r3 ^& s; uThat view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene. & P0 `& A( K! @ ) q. z8 i, @0 }9 J6 S) x- ZI decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain.) \ M' T; ~. [ m I8 J* y% I* Y
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Calls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004