; N4 h$ C1 T: n, F3 p5 j* f4 J. B一些演员私下告诉我，他们盼着立法赶快生效。& n0 P( P( h. r5 j
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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。 1 |# h# J9 b6 h9 w0 ^0 h/ P ( i. l, U" x" B9 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。 G% l) C& d7 q: X2 N' N % I! z* I; N, {9 U& t! L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…….% L8 D& J1 G* s& H1 D# p! @* n# Z5 f
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Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles % V; t% w5 R, x/ {8 p4 O( G3 J. z% k
; d1 N1 R$ K% ^' s7 {; ~* 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. 2 H* x0 Q8 x! y) ?* x' ~8 c4 y" |
Light drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles.' L7 \* j, T2 w$ f$ g4 ?
1 Z- j4 q3 R- LI had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things.5 s0 m6 P W4 G1 T ?1 t! V" s+ J+ c
2 @- ]9 ?+ Z# d9 S3 jWhat I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect. % B7 \0 |8 o/ ?& r& p3 T. v6 k) i, _' R/ v$ p8 A- D$ |1 O1 k2 ~) s# @
The porn shoot was Star Trek, the Next Generation - a triple-X parody, billed as a humorous tribute to the iconic TV space saga.$ x# r% u) Q( d8 s- y# l
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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. ( s7 t1 N$ n. w4 g/ g6 D) Y4 D4 u# w5 k% o3 r: |4 J3 b9 z
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.5 {* k6 | H @
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Only 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed. # j: c/ Z: o2 I3 Q( { 5 {% v m) @' J, F0 D, {Fantasy( [: @2 n& g1 m
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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. ; V d( i& R; C% r, d. m2 O O 6 X9 ^9 U$ M# u# F: U( aThe problem, increasingly, is revenue.7 ^ o g }0 i1 N9 S5 c2 p. E; N: l
/ V7 t$ G, |5 I% a7 M$ [5 M& lLike the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch.6 R z$ G; F- ]$ R6 n
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DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free. " M5 U4 C/ `$ {9 ?; x' z, c: v$ D: F. P1 j8 o5 ~8 {' V3 D' U
And the economic downturn does not help.- L0 O) V. N, u0 n# Z+ W
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"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully.! W3 v) e, X( B, c% @
. E1 `1 K- {' w; RThe economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations." g d& r# p2 K ~( T
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For years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms. 7 P. r. Q" V0 K8 P9 ` ) s" L/ v" i* u( B0 ^Health scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set. 8 e/ }7 c* j" d2 R6 B& c, a; Z6 O9 R
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.- m0 C6 T, V3 E1 @# I
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Gonorrhoea* c' u- i' \1 r# P7 S
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Back on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers. 1 J1 d y# ^5 }3 C/ O7 _* q/ l5 x
A college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years.. r7 m, `2 {% S
2 b+ k: \2 r- s$ TShe turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure. & t! U6 D( \5 V! `3 z/ N9 A( [' ?# H4 g! A. G
"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?"$ K# n8 U7 J6 k7 ?1 k
/ S, _0 k0 p: E9 w8 w3 @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.6 M( s; a" Q: ]! c
# u; V# r1 [: ` h! i. yEach day would be 15 hours long. ( W Y/ F% h% |" e" s1 V5 L V! h8 \% D* w& F! X"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested. * S2 o9 x5 C& y+ {8 F* ~$ n1 W# x! p" }
"You get used to it," she smiled.# S: u/ e' i+ x- Z c
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"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?"5 S0 Q' j9 z L" [- h0 B
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"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." 4 ^) n+ H3 ^3 g ?; i. p * P$ o; j! ?, I7 b4 wThere was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided. + N- r6 M5 z: {! A5 O; U$ ~2 d; F3 T* s6 U
Expensive lawsuits; G# J' K2 o! _( A: t8 `
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In fact there was something very Californian about the entire business.) y9 d% @: T- `
% W! |* W) T) e0 ~' P0 D% B. Y8 fA combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it. * U' x# w q+ h% Z2 q # u7 v+ W% y# w, J6 @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.0 O& P5 L" m4 O2 |, p$ |
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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. ; f- U, v& a! g) R9 k: p6 }& Y2 A
"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?" ) {# w5 ?6 c; Y9 ]. O! I0 m$ n$ i9 O1 `( \* O- T
I struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment. 6 M9 s* ^, L" ~6 D& K# r6 T: k" C) `( Z0 Y/ F, W3 [
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?( W/ e' G. t8 x% r) D' d
) [% E# f4 z7 r4 V0 z# S, {9 d' ZThe authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection. 6 j; E- m: K% p' h/ U. J1 Y9 {9 B8 q
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. 1 X7 Z% T4 ^6 U; l- \6 ]+ j 8 N+ r3 N/ X: S8 xA number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them. ' M4 g t& x: n* B, M7 k: O9 i& h {& x
The producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants., X$ S4 D% v2 x9 [, F, ^+ V& {) v
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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.9 Q$ _# A W* b* `( m! F
7 r% Y* l4 M/ D+ K* \1 OI decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain. Z9 \* [6 x* Y/ X& [# g9 R
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Calls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004
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