6 T6 @. W& Z' a9 o/ U一些演员私下告诉我，他们盼着立法赶快生效。( G) d, i" x6 c, O2 h4 a5 `- Y
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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。 4 [& N# }1 s' x$ Z1 B" s6 \) s/ ^7 J$ ^" q3 m
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。 * j4 G2 k2 A5 J9 I: M/ h ' c2 ^% z7 g2 u7 @9 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…….$ k" _/ R; `% P3 D
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Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles 3 h0 B7 K7 o: v# Q( G
/ H! S, [" b- F- Z% KCalifornia'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. ( D5 r0 ^5 a" K, n# s# D2 V3 R9 s/ Z9 E
Light drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles. ) k9 ] z- v/ K0 m: w ( W2 N9 `9 h) ^1 r0 HI had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things. $ k' t5 i- p7 I! S8 t( u; N: y9 U3 Y+ j" q6 U# h0 z( A% I h3 ?# g
What I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect.0 j! \/ l( z6 d& m5 |1 x( I
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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.5 b0 L2 _, o1 _5 y2 O2 I8 L6 n
, \/ V! e$ o( b( V7 C2 UPerformers 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 D: X5 R! ^; r G2 a
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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.8 x) Q- p' D D& [
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Only 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed. ; Y- m* J% i) s' f4 u! F- o/ \' J6 q s7 v) V$ Y5 n/ |* z
Fantasy ! ]2 G( j& C/ m3 j% V! e! Z* K6 `; K& F+ G% {6 r0 t( Z
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. ! F4 u7 _5 l& X b8 O' r4 K' |* u. S0 e1 }
The problem, increasingly, is revenue. 2 V, V" P) R, u& f% I" ~% n' M3 D% u9 T+ k
Like the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch. * s0 B6 h! d. N6 p+ I4 i6 L$ ]3 R: z5 ]7 ~& E
DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free.7 I' a7 U( j' o6 h4 X2 h
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And the economic downturn does not help. & a( G0 P. w5 P: D# W# a% c% _, j& g. V. b5 f; r2 l
"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully.% {, h- b2 f7 e' E4 r# w
% w8 U# ^( _: r0 RThe economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations.4 j: `' i% O6 q5 }
' C( p1 ~& t9 M& n" j% B8 _$ v3 w, M& mFor years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms. $ p- {' O4 ~( H3 r# i) l8 y' O, {* {) _+ w
Health scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set. 4 l* H& {" f$ ^" [: J! ] - S7 h2 F# l2 @' PBut the industry says wearing condoms on-screen is a turn-off. The public do not want it, it will kill the fantasy, they say. 4 [6 H. k ?2 j7 Z/ k8 Z+ d 1 i& Y( X/ Z8 H0 _ p" `+ u% M6 rGonorrhoea " U5 _$ }8 u" a! J6 X4 D1 j$ j9 c : b$ x2 V8 r4 l& C! a W' [Back on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers. & L- ?) R0 J- n( Z! d2 m1 D! {; p' d8 f
A college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years. & i3 n. S, U' w% X: q 2 n' q& @' e: D$ c. DShe turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure.# J. h0 y* S8 O+ ~( d% K9 h
3 l* @8 R1 F. L! r' ^"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?" 9 s' e( M& c$ @8 u1 d: c @7 d$ Y ' C; B( p% x4 l* h% B* GHer 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. ) | r7 ]; R0 e7 j- N- A3 `( o7 i8 [
Each day would be 15 hours long.; b& X; q% K& x3 Y
% n* U; t3 `1 `, U; V$ U, o"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested.! E V; Z. A. U! L3 r) _$ _3 Y
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"You get used to it," she smiled.: Q) q- y; K2 W" l/ k6 W
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"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?"- o% s# J* O+ k! a2 W
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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."6 x, k- v9 T& v1 P# L5 K7 I6 _) v
o& Y) W0 \% L( F" q1 I4 QThere was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided., g: I& u: Q/ o/ C( c2 o# [
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Expensive lawsuits D0 X# J2 o/ @- ? # p; j1 ~3 ]4 S0 P+ }$ @6 _( w* f, I mIn fact there was something very Californian about the entire business. 5 @6 L4 }. S# ~7 s E( |9 R7 M7 }( w" {3 R- L; a% ]
A combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it.% u# b' x* g4 D2 _! k1 X9 z
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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.! c4 V: Y; D0 k# @) a
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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.& p* F5 C/ O; I# L3 q. G1 \
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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?"; U# X1 s; y4 n# y5 H: T: R/ W: K
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I struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment. ) v$ I }/ N6 N" C( d5 `8 d, k F. w3 C
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? ' ~" q* i2 b) m. E) K ! [+ p; J" Q' O+ d7 F, aThe authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection.7 z0 k; G* D5 ]; r) {! |% T
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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. % X/ W5 F( a2 m' n# d3 v, e e4 @& ]
A number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them. * a/ D2 D; j1 @. X . ]6 B! }3 \# ]( p+ U( fThe producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants. |2 K+ \! Q% k$ A S0 n8 L( q
9 N6 f( V/ u, c( ^+ s1 W6 PThat view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene./ {9 k( I: `) ]) A
( h, ?* ]/ X/ z- [I decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain. s! }: p: u H4 T 7 x" g, d6 `& {7 r2 W$ k3 g * ~: u/ O' C T3 u& V ! A% L8 L2 C% B- ^3 I. G9 O ! L( M c# K4 o Q8 }& DCalls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004
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