# u! t+ S% A, M. G) z8 i( s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。 # i- }" ]! Y! Y7 b3 h/ v # b" T Q; ^) Z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 H2 a1 O: G/ c0 d: D1 l 8 G0 U, w3 O. 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。2 D6 i% B, H9 _" q" A# 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？ 4 I( |% g: p4 W; J( q! d, [ u' w& B: E
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。6 T3 Z: J0 }+ ~0 }
' l- |/ A2 W' u ~) G( c* n( r, A8 I7 n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。( O6 o0 O9 P8 R! ^* Q$ j
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一些演员私下告诉我，他们盼着立法赶快生效。 1 W+ ?2 x- W8 n3 _ 9 G- V+ g2 A6 S# i6 Z( Z1 P5 G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。 0 V4 U, n8 R: s/ d* k4 D ' B5 {: I+ D+ P' m8 o9 g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。 ) ?- W2 ]9 {: j9 t+ y" h2 D7 T( F9 W0 k# [
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……. & l, ]1 z% }& w5 I' X, b- C$ ?+ J1 Q* Y0 \
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Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles " t# A: @" y4 X
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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.6 k7 t' M7 g% n4 n2 S8 [' ^
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Light drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles. / L+ }1 }0 Q5 ]! Q' u) ~: v0 q % [% A' Y) [, G8 u6 D" u# TI had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things. 2 p$ @& |8 P _0 e8 @$ B3 Q! g3 [, G8 g
What I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect. + L' [( _. P+ y. R/ p3 J: |' P- o( }1 R
The porn shoot was Star Trek, the Next Generation - a triple-X parody, billed as a humorous tribute to the iconic TV space saga.$ f; Q' A2 V4 I. h; j% r
8 Z: P- v# ~8 m( r* G8 fPerformers 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.( ?. l0 _' o: q7 S
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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.) H* |( e6 w1 }6 }
. U8 m2 m/ M1 C1 v n1 w/ POnly 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed. : ^7 b7 u4 x) B/ z + d. v3 {9 B4 c0 wFantasy _8 \9 o3 W5 x/ y R5 s3 ? 7 Y, U& {8 Q$ \. xThe 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 O5 G% r7 E1 M# L& O1 q5 Y4 @, r+ e% e- l* a
The problem, increasingly, is revenue.8 i, w4 \4 ]6 o( r
& ^# a& d) {9 l; o/ |+ xLike the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch.1 t! {# V6 U7 P5 I( i
3 q8 l' L. g. ]6 R1 gDVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free.9 V& n& v# X5 Z5 T7 E
1 E& A' w* {; _And the economic downturn does not help. 2 [4 K. p; k/ T5 E2 l+ a# G9 Q) Q: k, y
"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully. 8 z/ H+ \) n/ C * F0 @& m' D# N; xThe economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations.. \3 h6 S4 U0 O% v9 r1 }
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For years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms. , X: C9 s9 z$ M " Z% J, u- @" l# q7 |3 @Health scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set.% ]! H4 F0 P: N& G
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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.# t, R: X" x' e$ E$ B
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Back on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers. 4 g9 z. B X h, }6 N6 {$ X- V( X 4 p1 A/ M/ f6 \4 V ^. WA college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years.5 Y" |9 X. ?( `; _8 J
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She turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure./ I- ~' X5 C6 C! p- T3 B/ q6 p% E
6 O6 ?5 `3 d( ^3 [4 ~* R' p! e"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?"; g, o9 A6 Y7 J: ^$ Y
) i. B( Q* R4 U5 b% x- k! XHer 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.+ Y; w/ [6 f& c$ S
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Each day would be 15 hours long. : Z3 D# o+ W1 S" E% Z 4 W7 {1 K. H, r& I+ C* E0 ]6 L"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested.6 z' r O* N. i+ O
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"You get used to it," she smiled. $ X; V) B/ f0 T: S, r9 H; C' Q7 Q) |' B: ^: M
"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?"2 H" h2 V; {9 T7 H
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"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." ; h$ A T; o4 K4 E5 m* c( D: V% G* ?( Y4 K6 {) \* ?2 l
There was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided. + f( R2 @ N' O2 R( p' n8 J1 X2 s/ [/ t- X. k
Expensive lawsuits 7 b; A* V& B; Z+ U0 f% p# `& q2 I ~, x1 x" a" l+ I i9 Y
In fact there was something very Californian about the entire business.* H% W' k# A3 ] d% e. [0 F
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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. & _6 b/ a# e+ O- A & t/ A/ n% F0 w* ?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. 3 F" d" w+ ` @, W . W- N- w/ y. t4 S9 M, `- e2 ]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 v5 ?+ q0 [5 d0 G8 ]& ~0 ^1 `5 q# _- u# C! h. s3 } y
"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?"* ^: s p: `8 w
z4 J$ N1 y) E" O) Q# r( II struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment. * S* W. y5 e( f* }, k, s ; } s. V2 g; H+ G+ }0 PBut 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?8 z! p, M( d0 y [' H0 O% r
1 @' O5 Q6 i+ G% h% A+ fThe authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection. 6 e6 V3 _6 e7 M+ h6 u( S. y$ Y3 B* w& s
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. 4 B. J) _ m3 ?# @: O+ l# r( d' s( f) p# o5 u8 K& H
A number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them.& M6 W7 P4 _; M! |: X
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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) [' t7 v3 A' Q) _
& }1 U5 i9 Y% [5 d/ J0 gThat view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene. ! a0 e1 j# o( C" Y1 X2 f+ R 0 ~2 g! X* p9 ~" b0 S- R9 E) B' II decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain.# y- v! F8 B. D0 U4 x
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# b4 L% N5 s( f& Z 7 v, `9 B: X( }$ V7 L$ W$ }! ACalls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004
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