# j0 ?2 L* }! |* Z* `3 w重返《星际迷航》的拍摄现场，我和主要演员之一宝碧·斯塔尔聊了起来。宝碧是大学毕业生，以前是国家级游泳运动员，专业的双簧管手。短短的27年，她的一生真可是阅历丰富。 # w+ X4 u: y. p 0 q; \) R, V6 p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”？ 1 {7 B- P Y1 O5 p! B8 D" t7 u3 r% {9 h- \) J/ D
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。 N+ p F& T2 T/ p( X; H& F8 ^/ X% f8 f- w! R
我说，“你一定很累吧”？她微笑着回答说，“习惯了”。& t, o; y: c; `' I5 B0 V
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我接着问，“那么，健康风险呢？你经常被感染吗”？& S8 E8 u$ w4 ? C. M' t2 I
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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。”, p/ G6 a1 [$ h) u9 k2 z' {
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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。9 a( A: o0 ^& L7 k
# ]9 @' L3 \8 l9 a% a, N# ~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。 7 b) O3 v' m p. X不戴安全套的权利 1 h( Z3 x" U \ S1 X9 e1 p9 E; A+ h$ L9 }3 t
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。. z5 m) }! R. e Q
; e( h* f9 Y& Z/ J0 R3 x$ } X% \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”？ 3 H) ^+ D; a9 \7 G2 ^% b2 G! j& o5 t2 \8 ^# k, K
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。 [0 k. Y1 ]& E" u% h' [% N
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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？ - V& p, t; T% a3 C6 M# k7 ~+ u
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。8 \* b& M, U( ~, P. Z
" U& o7 l7 L! H9 V7 O0 I! x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。 ?/ G; x4 f# z: Z# ^9 B) {+ R) Q* l& @4 m. N4 v F
一些演员私下告诉我，他们盼着立法赶快生效。 J* T$ W! M6 z: {4 G
& A ]8 ~8 n% C- D6 A/ H# P; s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。- ?6 J+ e* b8 l" v
6 W- ~# w4 m* u1 L, F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。 8 Y9 V( L3 L8 J: {) B7 D8 F) o" f& b3 ]
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 ~' _4 @, O6 D ' i; C) m; I% E' v( h/ k' A# w( w& ~' r" @' E( j
Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles % @/ _9 _' F1 ]! J% R; y9 U+ U0 e1 E; c
California'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. - a& `& O& N1 Q$ v9 \$ Q5 H* o1 F% b @! }6 l# \
Light drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles. f. I+ N( T# f! \4 A8 z1 _% B- r! c2 J, V& q/ k$ {8 T9 U0 U
I had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things. : [/ R: Z, G, L. F( q# i 6 u; e3 k: {: r3 C" U# t: YWhat I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect.+ A, N5 h9 @ Q" n
/ g: C8 r8 Y F$ m6 N/ H! fThe porn shoot was Star Trek, the Next Generation - a triple-X parody, billed as a humorous tribute to the iconic TV space saga. ; @2 Y' ~$ O% y& m+ x 5 v# e4 F/ b5 _# o) X; V$ S' bPerformers 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. $ h# {+ R6 r2 K- ~$ h% x! F# x7 v Q2 g6 ~0 t; x& m# U# i- ^0 E
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. 1 m5 ^% Q! I2 m) M6 c1 T 5 {% J% Q$ i! W$ lOnly 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed.4 p% l ?" Z' K
3 ~7 S8 o: w( k( F1 EFantasy5 q8 J7 H h; ` H" a* ]' i O& F
: H6 D% H8 }( n. ]$ GThe 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 f* R' R5 U* R* z" }" T0 u/ M( m5 x
. v9 M6 N2 `% w$ i/ D& n3 UThe problem, increasingly, is revenue. 3 l+ s" v) q9 b+ f! `# i n- g, r- r
Like the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch. ' {& Z5 D3 T( X" p3 a" D; x+ j) S3 n
DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free.8 ], ^1 L" {) _7 n v: B
( e8 B) S! |& `And the economic downturn does not help.0 t" H" ?. P( H K
; n# @7 A& X$ m& G"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully. ! G: k5 S0 P8 W/ m) w + x% k5 O2 ?8 s/ A! x; k1 ?( i9 v, tThe economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations. 1 A3 g6 D: u9 w t$ O6 { 1 S( M8 Y R, X c. m* H3 TFor years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms. 5 { d2 |* u- ]7 S8 w# ~ j. A+ X2 }- Y, {) X) Q/ L1 _ [
Health scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set. ' n4 D. M- s1 X+ K: M9 ?( U, ~ + F0 s' S# u$ Z* o2 T5 m- n; S) y8 VBut the industry says wearing condoms on-screen is a turn-off. The public do not want it, it will kill the fantasy, they say. . g! ~+ C" Y: {9 ]: C# K1 { ^+ n2 t3 K& q. P. M
Gonorrhoea - w& @# Z" z+ B . ]8 h0 a9 Q$ S! U- QBack on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers.2 o8 m& v% j" a1 o J c
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A college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years. / S0 E( i t f1 N3 B( N5 n% n8 C% I0 _1 c5 E9 L
She turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure.* B- H. A0 S- d
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"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?") ?' v$ q0 y6 u7 Z- B
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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.5 d( M; `7 ?; _3 A% h% E5 W
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Each day would be 15 hours long. 8 a& B u2 w7 R5 B9 d3 G * k$ C4 ^, s5 ?, t* V d0 I5 {"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested. ?* I' Z; ]- s* T' Z
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"You get used to it," she smiled. 7 y4 ^/ A! B r0 s7 w ( C( M8 R6 ~4 f# G4 r+ T"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?" % F r( S' ?; U5 W2 t B5 \' |7 {9 S4 k) ]
"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."7 K& l3 o& w, p" g: {/ Q' a u3 _2 Z
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There was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided.8 b# s# i6 {) m- Y
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Expensive lawsuits$ w# [3 `2 B9 n9 N3 r" `
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In fact there was something very Californian about the entire business. 5 ^. Q3 z3 G3 K5 L8 X3 n+ @, n , o9 [9 X$ o) }" W5 _4 B4 rA combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it.9 K: \7 z0 d7 ?) E+ v/ ^! b' y
9 X; v: H, g! h" `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.! M7 @; z: ~, v1 {$ [
8 G0 u1 s: ~; }3 u# ^, ~7 FNow, 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.& Y8 I, k$ C0 O3 E# t ?9 S1 v% a
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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?"3 I9 M+ ]' m; ?0 M1 p. w# d
; h4 }# e1 M" p! |5 j0 sI struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment. | m: j1 U3 b+ A6 ]: y# {
& g' h6 f7 \" dBut 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? 0 T* {' o2 i/ t; M& Z2 h; F 4 v( n; u) R4 X6 E9 ~The authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection. g1 Y; o- C9 c
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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. : F3 k9 ]+ g6 L6 @+ @& S& P# i & ^& L; R: ~8 R/ }1 z+ q' RA number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them.5 j) z4 o# v3 e# r* x
) {' A2 E" H, x+ Z" WThe producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants. & b$ }( u* _$ p. I7 [$ K; b( a, [! _! w$ t1 B8 p: z! x
That view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene.# t5 Y' o! T5 U
* a( T1 v% g% p+ a' DI decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain.9 ^. p- m# S n W: _; K
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+ j* O J. F/ x" C/ k5 l9 ], I 7 x: y% v( m& ^Calls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004
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