- K9 {& S3 p& b$ |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。1 a* |- ]$ C- m
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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”？$ Q2 j+ y6 M# P/ e% E' v
' t2 y1 U ?" X H) L, u- y/ k9 X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。* R( [4 h9 r4 n/ e' O
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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？ 7 u& K" @) A Z/ k" z 6 u! W/ ~& [. w J( ^" Y" u+ 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。 ?; G [4 ^( N' a: N' \6 R. B8 o6 u
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。' y0 w8 q! r' ?
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一些演员私下告诉我，他们盼着立法赶快生效。 N4 v4 P) P" y% _' u ! a: \. [+ m1 q& b& }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。 $ i% f8 z" R4 }& `* d8 u # N" _/ J7 T1 k4 j% r* Q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。( f( C! }2 P& R. n+ U Y' x
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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…….# B- q5 G( ?. L$ V
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Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles 2 W& r$ Q# T, C7 Z6 ^0 R
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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./ I" J6 Z5 L$ G2 h& d( C4 t' v
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Light drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles.* Z& u9 n& _! Q
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I had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things.$ }$ B3 a- n3 X/ Q* K5 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. 1 W7 I; \) {9 Q: u/ W w$ _3 s. j6 a; g! Y& z- 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.. C* u) R8 v2 v+ v+ o) ?
& l$ @( p$ D6 TPerformers 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. b; v; v/ x+ ^+ Y; C+ r" S( V7 {# s1 T3 t6 v* V0 P3 N
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 W8 S* `0 ^. B# T8 ` t
5 U/ ]! m9 O6 D7 K7 N) }: sOnly 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed. 2 K4 f |( R: x0 p1 c, P ; B% `. F q! F, W$ A" q/ b3 GFantasy 0 j3 @! c' h2 }( p+ v) Z* }" t+ `+ w8 ]
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 {3 e! x' \, h" j 0 g! T7 F D0 ^* LThe problem, increasingly, is revenue.7 Z3 ~# [* V* `; v) {: x) ^
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Like the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch. ) Y% k/ U; M( H' b7 v9 L & t1 S1 c$ ]& g- V6 y; C' ?! l! @DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free.- |2 `$ O# t! ~' H
! W" x+ w X5 h& r( A% sAnd the economic downturn does not help.& y9 `( z: |( t/ \% @' g8 g Z2 Z
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"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully." v3 k9 i e6 n1 l! F c, [8 `4 _
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The economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations.$ ?4 ~" X/ _# V8 v1 N7 ^# O
, ]; Z1 P# W& q0 Z5 f1 RFor years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms.# s0 P v1 J; T/ T; T: X8 z$ f
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Health scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set.* s" B, r8 f( b0 q% @# \
U4 [1 ~$ X: _& a" B" B. 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.8 J4 }5 f: N* n
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Back on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers.( A+ N" G) M6 F- r- s! H5 M& I
) }7 s6 _1 ^9 uA college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years. $ R) B0 N$ }! R9 o* l. l' ?* V; B" J7 W
She turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure. 1 |4 B) C' m3 U* b( p, [( K& U# p2 a. u6 A
"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?" ! w; H- h$ `- V: x ) x8 G: X! ]( }4 V4 NHer 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.; W: M" r4 B8 l, r
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Each day would be 15 hours long.' ^( [. d% U3 x! N& l. x% p
2 b ?: I1 ]5 Y2 Q+ m* G2 |' c N! T"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested., `/ U' v6 l, b- c
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"You get used to it," she smiled.* J, }! j4 j$ ~- z
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"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?" , w. I. u. i/ S* i 1 F5 N( J L+ x' O"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." 3 e" ]: `) w4 f9 n+ z4 K6 {: }' m/ C, s7 l9 ~
There was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided.4 E# j$ G$ F, A. P; T& u! \7 C: h
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Expensive lawsuits/ K4 {/ X; g, P6 B6 q
8 N( R/ I8 K+ P, zIn fact there was something very Californian about the entire business. : M8 t9 E& o6 Y& n! y* A' M9 r J6 N5 \
A combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it. 7 Y' V* K3 w2 I0 q# \( I! S( v, m7 U/ Y1 y
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. + D+ q1 Q7 X( L0 m `# j* ^8 D, G3 |0 N
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. 6 r0 f5 B) [: R " c5 a% E- I5 X% [! [1 f1 @" H) O: ?"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?"9 m' V, H i; |9 p0 ^* c1 I
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I struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment.0 n: S" n8 m, m( O0 o" w* E
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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?9 b# E# Z$ Q, u1 q6 C( q
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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.1 q9 F2 g; l$ K/ J6 M- A
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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.8 c Z5 _" V& X) d) F" i- W
2 P, N. x! w% i$ k& x# AA number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them. ! w2 h/ u; E/ ^% k / k6 {" e- i+ c& Z$ QThe producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants.3 d0 ]+ h; C, a8 k& s/ x% z
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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.5 ^ o% K" @& P o5 n4 Y8 }
1 O0 h' K6 Q0 o9 p* `3 P2 |0 xI decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain.8 n* [, I) ` v y2 \! S
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8 M4 Z* E2 ?& m! r8 H' V9 X; W t% s 4 N% }" T. V& Z0 f2 J& k7 X# l- zCalls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004
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