4 V$ P n# j! J4 u8 u- Y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”?5 ^6 a' }* P' q
- n! ^6 z/ J& g, U! R7 F4 \6 A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。 : l" a' p1 j+ r9 I& p2 v' R, v8 ]/ r% q. B4 N1 w' ?/ ?" e
我说,“你一定很累吧”?她微笑着回答说,“习惯了”。 ! q' P& w- X4 S( J7 n. A- J/ b6 V/ @
我接着问,“那么,健康风险呢?你经常被感染吗”?2 g3 M B4 o5 i, O% a
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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。” ' s& m- v. N6 [# q9 e& U * ]3 U" n' d: G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。 , [; n) W( v( T* n& n3 B2 Y3 K' @" A( y9 O, u$ F
1980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。& A2 k) n! C0 c: D+ g9 I; i* Z$ f8 A
不戴安全套的权利 ) z+ L8 i3 s, l- G/ I. s8 U# \- O: \8 J+ b7 p0 e- [+ [3 _
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。 / q! ~/ A8 T9 Q- J; p , L+ l& E) J0 k: t' S Y# s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”? + ` e6 j9 R& `, T/ b1 b" J ~( A* z2 _$ s. K Q2 {0 n; r4 E
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。- e2 w( O. p6 V5 N* G3 u
4 u& q* j0 k3 X. v2 k3 J) N% ~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?, N1 f* h5 i* [( w
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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。 4 n/ K2 w( h- {6 A5 I9 H3 m# ]0 r& d1 s% O
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。 5 `9 G7 n A9 X4 b' ~5 C: [3 J: n4 {2 i
一些演员私下告诉我,他们盼着立法赶快生效。; e! X- E5 G" x0 U+ _1 W- b: F- c" ]$ g
: O6 }# t7 n) p8 [5 j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。 # g- x/ y' [- @ f6 x% \8 d+ `6 [) E& _ C
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。 : J: {; R! G3 s5 J* ]4 m8 h & S9 f$ I$ ?" l- Z/ b( w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……. 6 X, @% T* c) p " {8 C5 L5 E+ W t2 u! B6 g! b' j/ D+ V4 [
Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles ) I% H6 B$ a' z9 V/ z, d, ^3 b* P
. R R, n. A9 j; Y/ X/ V( ]+ J" [# mCalifornia'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.0 |2 P4 O3 t8 l5 L! x
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Light drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles. 9 C% n b/ m& c2 ]" j7 r J! p, m4 N/ n* ^ , b" k7 a# A7 C8 g! C* mI had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things. * N+ v# `$ y# \! F/ T& B Z, N! A. Q - V3 |/ `" P9 |+ d* L, N GWhat I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect. ; r% y) q- e6 u * m6 F4 W( z G( _; M5 sThe porn shoot was Star Trek, the Next Generation - a triple-X parody, billed as a humorous tribute to the iconic TV space saga. / o3 U; j* J& ?4 J6 a! V) x6 F* R1 {5 M$ Z/ |
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.; d% ~ Q& A5 J. u; T! V
6 k8 [- t' T8 z! ~4 CThis 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. O% B+ p5 Q( G2 ^* f
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Only 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed. 0 L4 q: H9 b' p0 _4 |2 m& n8 e! ]) S
Fantasy- y- u: P8 L6 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.8 g3 U7 E5 _! }& I) A; J i. B6 R
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The problem, increasingly, is revenue. $ z1 _- i: @! u. D; Q# }7 ]3 C+ }7 b" K5 [, X# p
Like the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch. - ~4 ~/ ~; |' Q7 h+ F 4 G. @$ y& I# A$ H" c+ z. }" n: ^DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free.& E8 r7 M3 u( Y; I
% e( a' O5 f# S2 YAnd the economic downturn does not help./ ]/ X- d) M. t
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"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully. 1 X) R) l* e1 \' Q5 g* J Y l0 [) A8 \3 t T
The economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations. ( o- N2 S# v' e 9 H4 ` n2 o4 |# U6 U$ N% y* l5 v4 @For years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms.9 [, z; M1 u& S8 ^" p
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Health scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set. ! U) ]6 [0 U+ @% T2 B: u 7 u9 n6 h+ T3 O9 C3 V6 g5 ^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. , r7 G# _+ ~7 E2 Z8 |5 k1 U2 D1 Y0 i
Gonorrhoea+ n `; G: a' Q4 E( \ Q! b/ Z
! ?/ i' \# q2 e6 n4 jBack on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers. : [0 R" d. k( ]# q. w+ d" P( m; ?- c1 i7 t" }3 o
A college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years.1 E$ H I5 T3 f) }6 }
( j* Q* z6 t/ E {0 X& O: C: R; {, ~She turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure.8 [5 q0 A1 ~$ S5 b2 z) B$ X, |
0 Z2 A+ p1 V; x. H P"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?" . d; m, `+ E) Y6 D/ y6 m/ A+ Q- k* F6 j5 @; C* c: s0 y
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.+ G/ [/ z c; u& j7 g! ]. L# g
$ s( X+ [2 G, g0 N/ ^, |0 l$ j% OEach day would be 15 hours long.7 Y ^7 y: L4 G' |: V( B1 s- R$ l- Z
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"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested. ; \+ t2 V6 G: I& k0 X& @' B1 ]6 k; _/ `8 ], j# C7 K
"You get used to it," she smiled.! a7 I" B; s/ a
" J' J# H7 v# Y1 G+ [% i ?"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?". @, q; B N9 d, ~
9 @' X# m! z, ^2 R"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."2 k4 s: ]4 L! P/ i ?
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There was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided.8 j/ h) x, }5 X1 y+ E
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Expensive lawsuits+ C: w1 z# ^. E7 ?* E: E
, N* E; ~; f+ j. ~In fact there was something very Californian about the entire business. & O/ m& t1 m4 J& X4 H" z; R7 B8 w% Y! `: ?2 B* s# S# O
A combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it.) T" S. i7 v' I
" o: [% d) h+ m+ U2 a1 N, lIt 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.& b3 V# r& y6 O. }
( q1 x' m/ Z7 U7 y% i" `! R2 wNow, 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.5 r3 _, q! [5 b4 q9 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?" & Y) k+ V# }4 m* ^6 V8 |" f& e) \! f+ j& J, p' b( ~4 I; o& Z
I struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment. 9 ]; c6 m. e8 I$ c) q( N/ D) m! B7 Z5 ?
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?) F2 o! O4 s7 j3 o( z
, X5 m i/ I( |5 L9 RThe authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection.2 }: u7 o" [# d' e
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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.' u5 W8 d, V5 H
' t3 i3 C( ^5 \- @: SA number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them.+ j5 a3 Z S/ \7 L
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The producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants.( i G( r: E2 L2 K. P
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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. ; I" P" L2 c! t- D; y8 H0 ^% \5 l6 m' F
I decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain. 4 q) X2 h6 ~, Y4 U- r: c5 N Y4 t& }# M3 Z. T: P7 x 9 j/ Y4 s/ i$ M0 z" N8 H* ?
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Calls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004