* z9 \: g0 N1 J) [7 ]$ C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”? . x( d+ C( u' a. c& s1 i. n: a- U4 a
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。1 e8 D, Q$ ~+ F ~9 g, h
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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?2 Z5 f+ j' e" I4 F2 I" l
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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。7 t1 N" A# V" A1 t* U
! a# d& H: E( o# A" o8 F/ g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。 , j+ p1 u' E. y6 K& w! f0 N( {- F# A3 G. I
一些演员私下告诉我,他们盼着立法赶快生效。+ c1 u) d x- h3 ?* }# E+ R( \
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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。* S! [: _. f- }: ?8 }% J
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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 T+ X* y0 v: a0 s3 D0 ]) w2 C0 K7 Z7 v! z
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……. 9 P w1 u$ O& u/ ?9 D7 O4 @ 9 Z/ k7 D! W& J- R4 N( ^: ~+ C. Y, I) d: ~( a1 Q# c
Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles 3 E8 c: \1 E+ z) |* R1 P1 Z4 w* N7 Y5 C# F1 F
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.1 N% r/ U0 q6 N( r
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Light drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles. - ?% R4 C+ p9 L+ R+ p7 [1 r& L! J0 H
I had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things. " }; o' |3 ~0 X' d- O+ Z* [$ m, }: D8 z
What I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect. & Y" l2 ^# w$ @; i: X7 @# n6 j. N4 w3 X: H) 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. M; F! o9 }/ F; i/ |' Q* M' ]0 l: C+ b' V k7 w. k) P
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. 9 V5 D8 T% u' K4 v+ K+ I. |5 h% h8 B* 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. ! Q: d: I: I, ~" a( G8 ~; ^% P6 |9 P2 r9 P! _1 p9 ]
Only 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed. 5 I. I: @- {& S% R! ~ $ h. g3 \( H9 x' p W- z& k, zFantasy3 X) a- H: d0 j' X& _1 h& J" Y
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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. 2 D7 U/ b" _0 B, ]6 g4 Z4 C7 y8 q* z6 H$ ^: x' Q
The problem, increasingly, is revenue.5 y7 m9 O3 D* Q0 m# d8 H
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Like the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch.8 m+ v% p. o( y; }
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DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free. - c) h) a( _4 _/ {0 J9 b' y+ n' _$ Y4 b P; E1 G% _" @$ ]0 j/ B* N7 v
And the economic downturn does not help.) W+ t X. f: U! S6 l" l+ `, N3 A5 h
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"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully./ H3 M4 ^% ? i& ?3 T# v6 @, b
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The economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations. + @9 e* n% M3 E/ ?0 w ; |3 L8 W$ \- H9 B5 b7 cFor years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms. g$ Z1 y1 X# a
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Health scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set.( m: ~* V8 j7 L3 n* n
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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.* D$ r5 G- B" I4 i
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Back on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers. " u- Q2 c& A: p+ X9 O9 p0 e2 Z: Q8 D
A college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years. `, G# s8 u9 i8 l
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She turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure. \6 q$ J" I) w$ V
1 l' y0 q+ V/ }"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?"4 I0 H7 m# ^8 m+ j0 ?. p2 W N
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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./ W0 z- l* ~2 ?% x9 s
. B- R$ [9 f+ ?9 \9 WEach day would be 15 hours long.: v% }. h- K* ]+ [3 { T4 a
1 W! W; Z1 [ [/ ?, b$ t+ D"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested.' r/ W/ V3 a7 `% n
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"You get used to it," she smiled. / }9 F0 ]4 Y6 H" |- J- d- \% m8 x# {$ C
"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?" ) P! g/ z, L7 W' T$ d 4 T, o4 K5 C* I2 D& X/ 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." ' U# m; K& C: _! m, h9 y9 ~" c5 } * I! `0 I) } a0 y8 ~! ^" qThere was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided. 8 U% d8 u7 s$ Z, O/ n: W8 q3 i; T% B/ \& c! V, I: U! E
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# Q$ |$ j; M" ?3 BIn fact there was something very Californian about the entire business.( O" {1 p. J. y4 g( G+ k
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A combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it. 1 f7 I/ |+ l5 p1 ^ + }( R [1 O2 O9 a- i. rIt 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.: u9 b8 [2 d. J1 z6 @* U b; D1 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. & n! m; n) Y$ ^1 Z9 U 4 W4 W3 }, o5 S"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?"* k% L( `' ~. y: X3 h0 f R
5 k* l! d- i2 n. B/ c! B; ~$ uI struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment.# N0 W: L# ]0 P) h# M' k
* ?4 U/ F# ?- p/ y% HBut 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 i0 j/ r3 q; q. s ) x& |6 p9 l7 o3 E9 M2 ?The authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection.7 Z( @( {# S. k& a0 {# u1 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. 0 u4 m6 g% l! u& n4 m. E4 P. [/ j7 ^) d2 K: T- s S b8 i
A number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them.: y8 E0 y9 c( E# ?
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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.5 k& Z, Y% g0 v8 S* D4 O
3 v% i: p ?! H5 K8 Q3 E& }That view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene. & ~+ b0 `4 k' @5 J/ m5 _! J$ i, s0 r. O& m
I decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain.: v- |( S1 n& O* Y( l
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Calls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004