+ U# L, D# O% v9 d2 l* K宝碧说,改行做色情电影演员,主要是为了追求性探险。她说,“这是找乐趣。身边的人都高高兴兴,你有什么可烦的呢”? 4 x3 x+ }5 E+ J0 O. x0 U% T6 s- L* Z; ~( ^
当天,她的日程安排得很紧凑,两句台词,四小时的性爱。星期二试装,然后就去接受每月一次的体检。宝碧每一天都要工作15个小时。 / Y6 t, ^- Q' `6 l' V$ W . z$ j: e/ d* }$ f3 j6 _我说,“你一定很累吧”?她微笑着回答说,“习惯了”。# W( F, w3 A! {1 d
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我接着问,“那么,健康风险呢?你经常被感染吗”? * K/ J$ ~4 a8 u/ i" x& q" {# v 7 p6 U. [% T4 l5 b3 h5 h3 j. U她说,“也就是染上过一两次衣原体,还有淋病,除此之外,没什么大不了的。我们每个月都体检,得了病,赶紧吃药,然后就又能回去上班了。没问题。”$ A1 H( t9 }/ s6 y( ~; z
7 {- _5 x, M, A) A我看,宝碧人很“加州”。进一步说,整个色情电影业都有点“很加州”的意思。有执著的热情、反叛的心态,还有一点点自由主义者反抗压力的顽强。 + k6 t' M/ ^: e , w1 c: c0 G3 v% M7 H8 c8 x1980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。 & \( M( C' Y% ]不戴安全套的权利7 K! v; \& W0 k0 u* `+ N
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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。 : ~! O7 b- Z$ r! @0 w0 d% M" \4 b; V) X, ^9 Z
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”? ( |. Q1 _$ L) c9 l! D1 A1 F& ]. Q, D1 S/ V. s
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。. z4 Y" e- p7 V" t1 w; l2 C. J2 G
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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? + c) }* f. s8 I / Q, v2 L9 T0 a7 Z8 l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。 ! m* P+ s; N# D$ P1 S+ E8 h( M; i ]* t- t/ O9 H F0 a$ b9 r
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。! k5 r/ f) W" s( c4 `
+ z# s! A$ }- p$ g7 x( J) `一些演员私下告诉我,他们盼着立法赶快生效。 6 k3 [6 C- O( f; N$ d 0 x9 G' g! ~# ]8 s4 S- ]( e; e' S. g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。 y3 [: @' b' D2 a ! G( a: o K5 z1 v# z* g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。 % f0 I4 _1 [2 _1 Z( j0 H/ j , ^5 I0 r& J" Q u$ q& ]2 a+ u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…….1 r2 O' M1 l3 T, u3 u/ ]8 j
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Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles $ Y9 ^+ \( x% K5 C+ C ) z& d; I0 u3 Q. s3 D$ M$ VCalifornia'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. % J! [) m, M) v2 K( i* ` 5 F4 ~, w+ ?$ D$ f# QLight drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles. ! e* s" J4 C$ E. g, n* X% G' c$ Z5 c) U7 X. M
I had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things.! l. j; ]$ t! u& k0 }" J8 t6 J
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What I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect. 2 U( S% B+ Z% ?9 i K0 g7 l, m3 r: m9 [% a9 ~2 Z0 g
The porn shoot was Star Trek, the Next Generation - a triple-X parody, billed as a humorous tribute to the iconic TV space saga. * v0 ?1 G1 s n- W; m# K6 E6 M2 z& D2 O4 O& q6 g( I) P* `5 Y) E6 [
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.6 k; ?4 \2 e% G, A' h, o2 u/ E! V
+ ^0 q: N1 z6 g+ V7 XThis 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. ; S: o# g9 c% Y }; p; `) d- {; k6 ~7 w( j
Only 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed. 3 H7 f1 I& s% k; A E6 k . s3 S$ b- z( f$ H3 y$ B2 Y! NFantasy 2 f/ s; B/ E4 x3 ~" S& ?! K' d8 ]8 E0 K* w6 Y1 S
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.. f8 {1 s. S9 f: y6 D
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The problem, increasingly, is revenue.$ }1 L- f7 M( ]6 q2 E' M* l9 a
]# e( d$ @1 _7 L$ y& \Like the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch./ [+ q7 u4 d) e' z- w$ Q& j- D* ^
4 u; p3 q. G& g, v, qDVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free.9 g+ n+ V9 l: E. G8 e: M
8 v; B9 Z2 ^# o PAnd the economic downturn does not help./ g& ?# I" _( R
' r" i9 n! \: n6 w+ y"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully.; O' D/ o6 { `9 S9 w/ X+ y6 s z& {
3 I2 Y8 `' V X- \2 q8 i7 j) yThe economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations. 5 ~: ]4 A! ^5 p. H/ C% c5 K" ?% { " [6 r; Y# S# o; G ]For years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms.7 v* p) W4 M4 k- ?$ x
2 X) a. g! l v2 }/ GHealth scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set.! K# [2 z2 t/ D$ `
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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." E2 T7 D" E! r- |
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Back on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers. % c+ K. p: b3 C ) V& m# H6 t) w/ m* h7 sA college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years. ! ]' a9 R; P. N7 }( E3 I + b, G! {. M5 t- o: {7 ?8 A" rShe turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure.$ ^& n3 U' x6 q" ?
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"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?"& X: W. L3 x: X3 ]0 Y7 q
' F/ d0 z% p: x) DHer 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 f% P* C* ]1 q5 z; s9 O& g) [ 2 ]7 q5 @' w6 J- G, z! J" v: KEach day would be 15 hours long. 5 C8 m+ R2 b9 I. I: s: d. j. I4 f0 P6 d4 _) S
"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested. 7 M: F% R+ `5 e" w6 Y; a( _4 K; x7 p: Y! \% Y2 |' L3 p
"You get used to it," she smiled. 1 G! e" C6 {* {: U8 }( q, q+ f' A % d3 U, u$ X7 j% B4 z* G% F' V8 \"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?" ; ^5 Z5 ~( S2 _: B( v; I4 ?6 Y* 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." ! h9 W9 ]; R/ {$ f9 E) k8 M2 R: _- ]1 m! }& q
There was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided.. A6 C2 @2 I0 n4 _1 b4 `; n* J0 x) ?
$ W3 R: E) p' [1 P( e% A% }( @Expensive lawsuits 8 @( d- ^. K0 D5 `: b5 ^ 6 }# X+ g. j7 a( ]0 X5 |- xIn fact there was something very Californian about the entire business. 2 O+ n- e' H6 I# L9 _ 3 q$ r9 s8 Q! f/ lA combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it.1 {, v/ C8 n$ h/ P
# N L$ l$ O/ c, }5 m- 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. 7 ~$ E: w; H4 N: p4 \. w: ? p; v* p; Y% T
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.3 f& w# C& q& p5 F# e
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"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?" ; \; B/ T# V: T5 @+ C' z$ U/ k; A5 m' \# w# A/ m( i2 A0 U& [
I struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment.5 B6 n6 }% m+ `4 ~
9 B( z% n) n- e) zBut 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?. E- v7 G0 d$ I9 j1 E' U
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The authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection.5 X: Z+ Y% J* q0 r* Z
1 J2 r% o1 s+ \9 |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. , I* n0 D |) ~4 R9 W" ^8 ?) B 5 b9 v6 X% W- U( Q) T* w$ b3 Y: H4 {A number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them. 9 n0 `$ L/ _4 X7 f$ }0 P. R& [- j2 f' h, m5 J6 U9 d0 q' 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.2 Y* y0 {( a$ p1 v6 H
, |% F" U8 c# I- x/ u* zThat view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene. - d* e3 ?# n- u8 C0 s& b; B' h- h) f; j; U/ l6 K! j$ ~
I decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain.$ O( }- E! s, F+ ]7 e0 Y! i
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Calls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004