, |- [1 x1 ]9 s$ J4 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。' x6 s( C9 ]; `0 s3 \, O' T
1 l: b4 a+ @6 \
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。- f% }* R- z( B }# U$ Z0 G
! Z0 Q3 Q k) C/ Y9 Z/ e2 }- h
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……. " D; W0 e* v3 ?' M7 k 2 r N! o Y7 i( ^ * l" t. y7 i6 L+ a( rCalifornian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles ( ^( K2 l' N- c ?2 a 8 ], J& V1 V+ F' S' C- B4 zCalifornia'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.5 t: {8 G' S- ~$ N: I
3 a2 \* w) t& G/ @
Light drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles. 7 R$ c% U9 y. P- K8 w 1 V3 s2 `( E! g- b9 gI had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things. : ^) y7 h- M, {1 m- n. E* `! [! c& l5 s' P' l% R( V
What I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect.8 m" \) o" S r. Y) L' g, C) }6 g
8 D- C6 Q. N) p+ t' ~
The porn shoot was Star Trek, the Next Generation - a triple-X parody, billed as a humorous tribute to the iconic TV space saga.5 K7 F% B2 h l
! {+ R% x0 l# C* X/ `# A
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. " A5 ]% p3 h+ v4 [0 n' O" [, w: f* [: h7 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.# _* Z5 Q; L) `& V) b
0 J" }6 n. K* C' J
Only 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed. 9 j4 l" P0 s8 t+ Z3 y& ^% F0 g
Fantasy 4 \( }5 k/ E' g' E3 I0 @) S5 u& [& d, D f
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.! Y; I: f2 {4 f+ ~# b; m
* ?- B9 x1 D3 v0 k+ P: K& y1 V0 uThe problem, increasingly, is revenue. 2 D+ w, l# Q1 x1 K: [ ~6 b $ N/ e0 ~# S+ P$ V3 W2 MLike the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch. 9 ~! T1 ?- w/ X$ g" v' x$ `! \( _. _: z
DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free. 0 R" L7 F3 i( e, \! R0 L1 V) v 3 c9 V' l8 x* Z5 r9 A/ c: }( y( VAnd the economic downturn does not help.* _, i( E6 V( E4 s1 [4 Q
( b U9 N" r6 z' \, g2 C4 X
"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully. / ~& ], i X* }5 T, c5 U6 i8 s/ t6 e! b" l& w9 Z$ ]
The economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations. % n" N" N5 I) U! D: S/ A : {4 R# e. U- m$ WFor years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms. : N2 W3 h' w! b6 e1 n& l ( w7 P1 ~7 F% `Health scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set.8 ?% c$ V% W; q2 z
* A F+ z9 \ i$ q" _% ?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.- a1 }% |, y" l6 U8 s! q
W: i* K* o* i. k8 M
Gonorrhoea 9 w; U8 J- D) l O! [' a4 J$ [3 t& W$ l
Back on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers. . F& o8 n, c0 b, K, i+ Q/ P" {1 g1 i& U' m. z5 w
A college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years. 0 b8 Z. U5 y6 Q+ }9 g/ b" k; Y+ f0 w( d7 n
She turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure.; l, n, K, L* h3 f
! D% q% d/ ^. _
"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?" # U- L' r8 `: ?# |& d1 X8 t4 \/ l# t
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. 4 x: ?! H) J5 o2 J" ~7 F q& F) u' g5 a' p2 j
Each day would be 15 hours long. 8 a* P$ G* M/ {; K, v 7 ]& Q5 z$ [2 B, h) C; F"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested. ' T0 b; y$ Z0 W' o4 N% m$ ]7 V' P1 v9 ~
"You get used to it," she smiled. # k- z% ?7 \- b4 F2 m) c8 F+ ^9 b1 c4 G2 S0 d% ?
"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?"' A. ?1 L; J% o+ M
3 A6 R7 N6 s! }; ^3 z"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."6 h1 F) z8 ^8 Z+ q
4 ^( c5 ?' C$ M) QThere was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided. ) G+ o- f) k) ~8 k) s- ]' B4 @# {. w/ P8 T, D5 U- D( E" d! o
Expensive lawsuits # [+ E* y8 u# e( x) p) o8 J 3 M+ R' a& s; h/ z( v" Y* dIn fact there was something very Californian about the entire business.. f1 |$ B. \( ~. U
! N3 Z% Z- u3 r( f1 y4 n. {
A combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it. / u$ W0 X5 u" P; p: c( d1 A9 X! \) G# R
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.7 J$ ?3 Z0 U+ g; ?0 ~% x
, A% W$ V% ?& N; Y4 z- f
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.2 p( i P/ i1 l. O3 t/ I
8 E5 j6 I9 [. J3 q9 {"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?" * _: F7 _" {5 D" N2 O' g: B( N% ]0 S( Z- r" `8 @) R
I struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment. 2 d: N+ I: m9 I% R) w2 D) O9 L/ |+ k. l
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? % {* {* ~8 ^/ d; U2 N " m' S5 B5 W X( K' q( ~+ hThe authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection. " S/ h3 G7 {/ H8 T$ i # `1 \! H6 N H$ U7 RIt 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.% Z1 G0 l7 s( ]
- |; X# w A+ y
A number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them.- j# Q& d$ G3 g) k- F
8 o( r: a$ `6 w5 Y7 p- Z; 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. ) m, w3 F) A: z- R 4 i) ]. w6 ]" T: T- sThat view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene. + Q+ x* U4 h" O4 |6 y8 e. r+ P/ q% S1 y% a) u
I decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain.6 G$ E) F8 j5 h, b
8 p' E; c6 s$ P5 z 9 ^1 x$ X- _* r9 C* j$ A
4 ]' }- u8 o* n+ U9 W" |; R # ? L8 o( C3 L* ACalls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004
0 q- _9 u5 w2 j) Z( S
9 ^1 x$ X- _* r9 C* j$ A