3 }- c. i) o8 j; k! J' }( R- Q, Y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。$ c H5 f7 i; f! b) A7 V! \
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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。: y( \' Q. |6 V+ h! ?1 k) k! q) y& U- A
0 t+ M4 B4 M. Z! G; r( ~0 I一些演员私下告诉我，他们盼着立法赶快生效。# E. W2 P% R$ S" z" b
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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。- Z& c: G: j. r$ \4 k w' }( q( a: }* X- O/ [
6 k1 X- A! S3 o, B0 {4 e6 D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。1 r/ f9 `* `3 Z3 Y4 A
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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…….2 r( R- Y* g. y. z# T7 M) j
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Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles , F6 L4 A2 r: t- B0 ]3 x% A7 |+ d# k
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.3 \5 y% H2 Y }& n2 H6 c- C
/ h' k: k' \4 n; h" sLight drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles. : u% D6 ?+ n7 ?5 m' p# X9 _. p 0 [2 R7 A( X9 n9 g+ h- Y, uI had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things. & _) i% R t& W" H' [7 w4 ?3 O' M, p' A9 w0 \& X
What I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect. # ~7 C' ^" ?# s7 ~! R, \" h6 B) k. ?& }" n1 F8 l/ S6 N
The porn shoot was Star Trek, the Next Generation - a triple-X parody, billed as a humorous tribute to the iconic TV space saga.' R( Y/ V' {! U
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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 ~5 a# Y0 b1 `6 o- T, ^* G; }1 k, z9 ~( C& A
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. 2 n$ T; \, U3 {3 I+ j; O- \# F6 e2 b7 T, x
Only 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed.$ K3 t% U9 c. C1 Y d A5 J
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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.9 ~! L* f6 ?. z( F" ^/ ]- n) O
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The problem, increasingly, is revenue. & q9 ` I* ?- o$ ~' m5 L% V0 r/ a1 P7 B! I/ A
Like the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch. 9 N6 r0 m5 j3 i. M) F/ g 9 l j5 Z* J7 x* q3 W$ R4 A( zDVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free. " F2 W! z! a* Q5 p4 h% W ' i% T g/ e0 P% S9 T; ^" eAnd the economic downturn does not help. 9 m8 t9 Y: m6 e6 o7 r* j , y- Y& ]6 N5 n3 q4 }1 a0 |"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully.: ?+ u# ~, Y+ Z5 h" X
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The economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations. $ A9 ^- g- w' v2 D8 e, r* W$ W; n1 C& s- L: {5 Y' }
For years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms. * X7 R9 V+ J! P( G4 [+ n! [% F+ F9 J& G# I! y1 I
Health scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set. ; B9 Q2 I6 K. Q. ~) ?6 H" q . b! Z4 r3 t3 i! tBut the industry says wearing condoms on-screen is a turn-off. The public do not want it, it will kill the fantasy, they say. E9 y9 Z! b8 \+ p' L" L) V7 R, G! ]* [& ?! g* I
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Back on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers. 4 [: V2 [$ p# J& C8 Y7 k( T9 C+ j. ~' r$ ?- V3 I' T4 Y* c# [
A college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years.9 ]) U; @2 o7 d/ Z# I3 G6 d* B
( c; X% j" U8 J" bShe turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure.% a: p% L# M4 U& g
1 q; t! C3 ?. k7 b. c D) p"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?" 1 p6 d7 h# z. n9 x+ e7 Y3 A) X- j2 N$ V& i) m% P
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. " ^, Z4 u7 n+ b6 o3 H6 ?6 W' F. }& M! M$ W2 v
Each day would be 15 hours long.) M+ ^; t r8 K+ p( t
+ x( }7 A! m6 }. w& {# \. z"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested.2 X g# s6 a8 U, D( ^( e$ F( Z
5 Q2 X$ |( ~" d, ~$ a# N"You get used to it," she smiled. 4 k) C7 M5 N" a. ^) w" p' J6 F0 e; D$ a" h4 y/ H
"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?"2 k& R7 [5 N( z& e
6 |0 b. c$ N( R( w5 O! h7 n. _! S"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.", s& b* N; q, }- z' j' P
" o+ }. U! D1 ?$ r+ RThere was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided.0 q1 A4 T* c9 B) v) f0 J n6 h
+ [# j7 |6 c' P* zExpensive lawsuits ' _: P T4 f* [7 I% \( h1 N% u/ ?, H* X$ O+ g
In fact there was something very Californian about the entire business. ' F; X& v4 @. B5 i' y: i: H5 t q 5 k, {4 p+ Q- r/ t9 P$ `9 ?: f: jA combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it. : H' T. V' i0 }, `5 M) u) F) Q& i! S; _" C& ]$ d
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. ; ~) t% i& Q0 [7 l( [; M3 [ O! v& |2 P+ 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. 4 K+ L: b4 A- V) t* x' z9 x( Y2 F. M2 Y D" `/ }
"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?") [, I+ y& S0 g, j7 s
a1 U% }+ c0 Y' l; @. NI struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment.- G3 Q3 |# [9 d3 l& |" B
- B& j+ k) z8 H+ 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? ; K) P: G- C0 h- |6 m d6 t6 \& U5 p & W/ i7 Q- c) |0 k, D3 \The authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection.0 A6 w# h* B6 v6 ]
) V8 a, d/ a; aIt 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., x9 J }7 O6 @* r3 z6 o9 ?
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A number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them. t$ ?( F* m9 d, G: R2 { T2 ~
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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.- w; Y( ^; w" d) g/ H. _
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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. / r9 Y" O& a! p5 T* p$ n8 \8 i( V , c- y( j! m# T* t3 XI decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain. ! H( e4 y% b& P% Z s! u; p ! s8 B- V4 w/ @- b. r; {9 E ( H0 `' O8 Q$ I* G9 l; j& {" b4 E! [& A1 S, z) J. e3 _ 4 {% b, O* d. P f4 m Z* {; W; dCalls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004
