m5 I& ?# k" j; c* d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? ) a' ]& I( C r$ K 7 L: _7 C# X/ j. p/ ^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。5 l9 p7 q+ n/ B
' M: r R' \7 { K* _ r1 W* N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。) @& f* H& U; g5 N9 Y5 n0 j
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一些演员私下告诉我,他们盼着立法赶快生效。 8 [* [- g7 U7 b( e4 u" M3 J, X* z& _! ^
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。" W1 D0 |: M8 V+ |0 m/ f$ ^) R. {
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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 w. w) E2 Y O0 u3 t0 b3 y k) O
+ C* z; k' N: f$ Q, r9 k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…….0 D8 O9 m( Q6 r0 G" M
5 X3 U0 c1 s7 i0 p( T 4 x- g7 y: F3 l- ^5 RCalifornian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles ( |. K! Y1 X* D/ w$ g
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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.# s& u3 ]: r& G9 T
7 S8 I9 Y/ h8 S5 RLight drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles.2 d1 w O; h2 I5 F8 ^
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I had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things. 8 [- R6 ?) s+ |5 U, y- H& p4 q" Y# ]% S2 [0 ^
What I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect. 6 S8 p% Z5 U+ i3 V, B- a$ o1 h9 \. k2 v( ?$ H$ s' g& u% k
The porn shoot was Star Trek, the Next Generation - a triple-X parody, billed as a humorous tribute to the iconic TV space saga. + h: v( o# a7 \, } 2 p6 D- w9 |6 c/ [5 tPerformers 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$ A+ _5 x! r6 k4 e C/ I- a1 ~; P1 D* n
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. , p$ Y7 c) g( m5 x; b% D8 q3 x4 t0 O/ |. D* S
Only 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed. , ~7 V* f3 m f& E0 h. s$ `) t; ^! q3 J: e; _( k8 ^5 i/ b9 b& A& L7 i$ @
Fantasy ( H2 s% K9 }( [4 z8 C 6 S# N: U/ {* S7 p7 L+ t9 e1 HThe 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.: i9 a& k! ^8 s) h3 [
8 j5 G0 k6 ^8 M; ^The problem, increasingly, is revenue. ! s6 Q! H' N' z' q r) z 1 _7 K; f# S. b. B* |+ d. p3 T( P' M# ILike the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch." K( R( b, `( T6 @. E r2 S
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DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free.+ j3 w: z7 H: h6 m) @) r. \' I
% ]8 k* O7 g+ x; R( UAnd the economic downturn does not help., m+ I0 X- h0 w1 c ^2 ?. x" \( _
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"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully.0 p/ _2 B: w% O" T% {
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The economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations. 9 L I* d5 F- S# V4 o4 @; Y/ [/ N( z1 L. b
For years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms. * z7 X& P8 x/ {3 z% n9 C6 l {9 U: W) ]% X, i
Health scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set. / B! ]: \$ ~6 g; I) j3 J" s: _" }) W# k8 t0 m; M; `2 P7 L
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.# r8 Q" T* `) ?% R
8 \' ~0 r: u+ }3 [* KGonorrhoea 0 k- k' x# a! h& X0 b+ Z - `- m1 z' a" A+ q" K8 tBack on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers.9 z; o2 a2 U5 D. ^! X) J
, ^1 U$ {: t% U3 ~* f" r! jA college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years. ' q7 p/ F' I) Q) b9 o ( U, K+ t7 o' D6 D* \She turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure. . x) x6 P2 @$ t" ] : N2 F, F; s- `/ R! x1 R"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?" J, |# R# p6 F# B
4 | y5 T w$ aHer 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( X$ z9 L) | $ v% e4 [0 P- |Each day would be 15 hours long. , @& i% Z7 N; b + q9 j$ @2 o; H6 D% x" ?"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested.( f* Q% [3 O, I; ?! C1 b9 b$ N9 `
" p s1 i+ W3 ?& L3 H2 k/ D$ H' E"You get used to it," she smiled. ) J' i3 L# f Z6 o1 O7 B) B* R8 }! |( A5 A1 i: Y- `
"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?" 8 F/ C# D; Z' v; r * `2 y! f, P( X# ?/ I7 F8 d"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."; _/ o; b* m4 l' s
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There was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided.! R8 G6 N7 R1 g
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Expensive lawsuits 2 a& t2 r. W6 h* s1 e# H4 s S3 Z$ Z y: \* i' w+ U2 J6 |In fact there was something very Californian about the entire business.) ^6 s' o9 G: n& m3 Z2 x1 u/ u
5 u- |" K/ B/ L: w4 @A combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it. ' I" f. [6 [! \: j x- Q8 k5 Z! m' x/ W. a. C5 K4 }
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.8 h. l7 C" k. w1 |* f
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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. d1 K7 w" |2 c6 V/ Q1 ~6 G2 {4 P2 s
"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?"3 |8 w2 `7 }1 c3 i& k& J# c
: E: d' ~/ A II struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment.1 Q/ I0 I6 x: _1 N
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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? 1 J! I" n& T* T% k% P* h3 p8 v( G' Y& {- I4 S$ d
The authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection.1 H% Q* l {, @7 @& i6 i, M% s" O
3 T8 W m( v1 p D: aIt 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. $ I+ O$ R( Y. a) m 6 q# m9 d9 x0 M! F% i, r0 }A number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them. ) b, c+ \% M$ R% g2 K$ l9 L" F$ g, s1 v
The producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants. 4 i- }/ `8 [ w L* i1 J% g - d# L3 Q& w' Z% KThat view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene.9 f! W2 {; z* H
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I decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain. 3 j4 Z. a( Z6 C7 S& i7 c* W3 k4 ?# f, K/ j/ `5 n* N 8 k" |" ` V5 V0 w1 J " `* f; g6 S1 G, ^% ?' D/ P8 l: k, V) k4 z/ A/ Q. [
Calls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004