: a' q) m' t, W1 r8 W {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。8 ^* _% Y* w) P5 l
( J/ ^5 V$ @( _0 V3 }- o# W. U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?1 u0 x7 g, k( n: R5 c! e
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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。+ m5 F0 \" K$ Q) p
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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。 , c3 d0 U3 S/ a+ g' v2 Z# u3 ^+ O/ |* c8 i
一些演员私下告诉我,他们盼着立法赶快生效。 : G) q1 [5 z4 K1 b3 |4 {* T0 G% {. a) s) K; b1 E4 [+ o
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。 2 Q8 e( ^* Q- S# q* i" v* c) y8 O% \% Y
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。, _" {- E; s6 u$ S* I
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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……. ) f( z2 \1 V4 j9 c. M* n. o3 Z: B$ Q* F
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Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles ; w. T3 ]( S2 t" L1 _$ w . Q+ h* d0 O" @: m" |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. # s# n( e8 k7 D! q 1 G: |+ Z0 a! P, H( `9 RLight drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles. ! G2 E U' {8 A8 L P # m' \8 U. ?2 |/ DI had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things. 7 k' [' r" Z; |% r& [- ? b2 ]) v2 n' p; y* \ v3 v
What I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect. \, M4 x- W* }% D$ z6 R- U8 u7 n) k0 h4 Q9 h- k. J- x
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) ~: p J$ E3 O* v* `9 x* O* g, j) Z
2 b9 K- z, n6 \1 g! B, M8 KPerformers 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( |5 U6 K, A. u4 `
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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.0 W$ ^3 J4 x7 w: ~8 \
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Only 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed. 4 _; _. h2 X$ W$ x% R1 e! p $ ?/ ^3 d3 P4 z2 GFantasy 2 x: V+ `8 E1 F2 ?7 b7 f5 p$ Y& c9 u; l* o: a1 S
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. ) @# x7 `) j# \% h$ I; _ % a: b' [6 v: L6 J0 _The problem, increasingly, is revenue. 7 m- J5 T. t. o( T& ~' Q" G9 r; k; h) b* `4 q% j8 y
Like the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch. ' u2 m& j- n5 }- N# G. g, r! C, U/ j
DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free. * n) p1 a; h5 U* S) @ : T' V0 @6 K0 f. s" L: V% r8 ]And the economic downturn does not help. ) T/ X( p6 j' L& _6 T: ?; j( U) `; H( t( J3 D
"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully. - v, Z- O d+ r0 B6 W* O, g . h, q/ F+ A- M4 N9 a( F7 ~% UThe economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations.# s5 C+ x) \2 o$ a! s
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For years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms.% X9 v# |0 g% W5 V8 `
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Health scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set.+ w2 c1 D: W6 x
( O% M& |1 R3 p- G3 s! J9 C! PBut the industry says wearing condoms on-screen is a turn-off. The public do not want it, it will kill the fantasy, they say.! r s4 \# U' A
1 C# m* m+ o) O5 pGonorrhoea 5 A1 M- |2 G7 S8 {. A0 }; J' D" J+ d& n3 L
Back on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers. 5 m% g O' L; @! w4 d& u5 O4 Q2 G5 D % r1 ^! I: N* E& u6 E1 n4 A* HA college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years. $ l9 C! [4 R1 ^ & I$ v2 i: q4 R- Y" AShe turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure. 0 u9 G; ]" @! n. t h: J" {# @: s/ K
"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?" - |1 y; }1 B0 T b ( n. T! J1 F8 j/ i/ w5 \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.; O2 F2 r0 I9 B( I+ d; o$ X) [2 J
3 x7 R. [& F) k" N3 L6 }1 @* ]Each day would be 15 hours long.! m5 G# g% r9 X& S$ z* Y4 O
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"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested. 3 z- y% F6 S( Y4 l" ]9 z$ K; \+ t6 ]/ ^3 [; i% [. R- ]
"You get used to it," she smiled.8 M4 A0 C4 S( X7 l$ o+ L' Y
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"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?"! q3 Z6 ]$ M& [) B Z, E5 O
. `7 W; ]& y" U3 n3 p"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." 4 a+ a7 H- J ]9 i# t' T6 ~ ?; L. `. J* \- g9 W" vThere was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided.6 m! J: ` q9 P: D @0 I. d
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Expensive lawsuits 8 C4 w# ]- K+ R/ ]' Q3 |! D$ F7 T4 }
In fact there was something very Californian about the entire business.3 K8 g7 N3 `: C' h# w* Y0 y5 N0 S
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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 f5 |$ M4 M. c5 H
# e' M+ P7 x; P# k1 S3 i7 x: cIt 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. : {0 Q, P. C" S* M: ^& W; b$ M, j/ p7 x- `* S- }
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.' v" W8 k( d9 ^" y( Z$ b
4 M% a0 w& \9 B j"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?"8 u5 ^3 k4 F8 W/ F0 ?
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I struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment. 3 e0 T0 T4 h5 _0 u/ }8 x/ {5 r/ c1 B" t2 V9 F- J6 g/ v8 G
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? 1 O) D( q; D) r1 o* I( z, | 9 l8 c* E9 N4 |The authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection. # }$ A3 @9 S P N7 I) X9 r/ `% O7 E7 g# V" r1 m3 ^7 U4 k
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.5 }" k' p* w$ b9 I$ W
2 s8 K4 N( ]/ c4 v1 N2 kA number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them. 6 o! }7 O K# r# W% S5 G: o# ]( f$ X& j1 L9 b$ t4 d' a9 p( u
The producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants.2 a# x* } s& ?- Y8 d# @
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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.3 R. d H+ s' X3 ^6 ^
, x1 f4 V% {. @( l7 }4 d- gI decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain. : m5 w" D' c' H# v! x$ l7 k W f6 @& ~; D . g9 E& L; ]" B9 j# S2 C+ ~' N& s6 z# H' a& ^* e( Z7 R$ U |6 G ' f( J) D2 N5 s) y+ r& J {Calls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004