& o e. D# P j5 o, q2 ]2 t但是,电影业坚持说,演员带安全套会扫观众的兴。他们说,观众不愿意看,安全套等于扼杀观众的幻想。- e" u. _+ Z9 [" ]- e0 g& P
“没什么大不了的” ( y: O7 a! a0 K+ D! e% q# |, \5 X$ W2 J
重返《星际迷航》的拍摄现场,我和主要演员之一宝碧·斯塔尔聊了起来。宝碧是大学毕业生,以前是国家级游泳运动员,专业的双簧管手。短短的27年,她的一生真可是阅历丰富。; K2 l- ~/ s% i) v L: M: V& y
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宝碧说,改行做色情电影演员,主要是为了追求性探险。她说,“这是找乐趣。身边的人都高高兴兴,你有什么可烦的呢”? * Q! _: g3 ^! k3 n- g3 m* ]% ^. o+ p& S F/ V7 E( E
当天,她的日程安排得很紧凑,两句台词,四小时的性爱。星期二试装,然后就去接受每月一次的体检。宝碧每一天都要工作15个小时。2 X9 `9 N2 c: B6 d
0 o: r# a# k. P1 U; n- N) k我说,“你一定很累吧”?她微笑着回答说,“习惯了”。, `1 t' }) c% A7 Y
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我接着问,“那么,健康风险呢?你经常被感染吗”? 2 `/ C. m' L+ v) ~2 y* ~) \2 W: i. P0 t9 ]8 D
她说,“也就是染上过一两次衣原体,还有淋病,除此之外,没什么大不了的。我们每个月都体检,得了病,赶紧吃药,然后就又能回去上班了。没问题。” 2 y; Z6 P4 w: R- Z5 R. D1 K" b/ J7 W/ G4 i( m
我看,宝碧人很“加州”。进一步说,整个色情电影业都有点“很加州”的意思。有执著的热情、反叛的心态,还有一点点自由主义者反抗压力的顽强。) [( A7 O! h8 s7 {$ T( \
4 {5 j8 c+ q$ p* B& N S# q1980年代,官司一直打到高等法院,色情电影在加州才得到了合法化的地位,正式与普通意义上的嫖娼卖淫划清了界限。+ S: Y' b; E. d' s/ D- C2 E- [
不戴安全套的权利 - _6 D" K& C9 k b5 C- t9 w& `2 ^% y0 a# F/ ~; U
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。 + x6 ]5 D+ r) _* F. j! G0 Z- r" w m
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 I, n* P/ p0 t5 I; q/ ?9 h* _$ l# T! x4 P
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。 ; H5 x) D N" Q8 x1 v% r* k 4 z- |/ [7 g% M1 f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?9 P* h) }7 Q) n: w4 A- D
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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。) |2 A% F: B% t; \
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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。4 a$ H) l% Q! U! @8 j
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一些演员私下告诉我,他们盼着立法赶快生效。' Y. z' P5 L G l, L7 w9 S% U
/ T7 I8 J6 e @$ M" R; e+ v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。 " ]7 H/ d; m% Z$ P6 T0 @2 G4 Z+ b% p ) j" C/ E% Z2 Y, a* }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。 5 `% E# u5 z8 g4 `7 t4 u: f8 l7 }2 I* c
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…….& O( u/ S' U0 \' b
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Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles 2 A3 Z* e- b M& u- [: m
3 M/ d# o4 T3 u2 s0 ~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. . q7 V' X% B6 z0 n7 d$ Y4 ~8 F 5 V% i7 I5 J# C* HLight drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles.( T; R, n! l _
/ B. p3 y0 ?# {I had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things. + [3 m0 g6 J0 N9 p + p: o( @7 A1 ?, iWhat I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect. + b: f( _: @9 p9 {) c' B6 o+ S4 O
The porn shoot was Star Trek, the Next Generation - a triple-X parody, billed as a humorous tribute to the iconic TV space saga.* W% v3 ~: g# T* w1 f
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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. $ i N# x* x1 k6 p3 E! g$ m7 W. ]* 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.1 S* z6 |9 l- p( S
# |9 g( Q2 ?5 f) Z3 B: X- d( nOnly 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed. 8 C/ o% k9 ~3 Q' S 2 T) p+ U4 R) K8 tFantasy7 _ F! W% d7 x
! C1 E, [0 r5 e, j$ yThe 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.+ j0 ^+ y5 W0 O+ i
/ W; e& j1 s6 z- O4 V. T2 U, SThe problem, increasingly, is revenue.+ m! u: M' g; Z! Q0 @8 R( m) e
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Like the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch. - n0 |6 y1 u" y2 k- y( T - n1 t. t/ L! V% Q: `. ~# KDVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free. . e# _: E/ v6 m' U/ ^ & f5 T! T/ I4 G, y+ tAnd the economic downturn does not help.4 O8 q5 b' n6 F5 W2 ?# }
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"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully. , H2 X# N; F! V; z, n: _. |0 O& E0 c# M u3 _0 j" w5 Z8 V4 p
The economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations.+ J5 W" w7 C5 a: }9 M& K
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For years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms.$ n1 r& G: J! R1 k
1 B5 M' e8 {9 o8 t OHealth scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set. T: M8 M% {* t. e! r7 y4 n3 q0 e3 N3 q5 R$ t: \$ }4 C A% c4 A+ q
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.# z" t1 f' Y ]; J9 b* @
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Gonorrhoea ( \2 W3 W/ ~& r; d' ?$ q8 v5 O R$ Y0 A6 ^1 u6 L# [/ }6 e: j
Back on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers. % ^& }5 v3 `) `0 F5 t* P# k. t. c! V4 r7 t; ]
A college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years. _9 K" [+ c$ Z: y5 c6 S ) A% H; w8 T) M9 N* }. h! qShe turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure.6 ^* ~& V0 G2 A+ @$ @
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"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?"' U' M# Z0 D" Y; V, P7 a3 f
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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. $ S- b; k; h8 o" j$ N' x& w& v( ^! L$ [
Each day would be 15 hours long. 7 Y7 D. f; ^: {# N1 q/ T* Y" R; {: k: Z& V6 P2 r$ `- U; {
"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested.9 {2 d$ K8 ^& |8 n9 }3 G) Z# Y0 A3 d
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"You get used to it," she smiled.3 [& }3 k0 x' a8 d/ f( @2 m% [+ o0 T: S
2 [. y# k& u E"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?"7 H% c0 h: j0 X0 D
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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." ; ^- D7 J0 B9 I7 v z% u' v6 M. a# z 9 w! s, W- }1 K, y* S9 r2 V" v( c+ wThere was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided. $ S' G3 @8 ~8 b& L B1 t5 H: d) m# D& Z+ [
Expensive lawsuits : \& {3 Z. Y, i6 t! t" U* A W1 y c4 S
In fact there was something very Californian about the entire business.) D9 W- W& h, I' z
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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.* b3 |* V+ V5 j% D
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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.9 F3 @+ r( W; n0 X
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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. / B2 }& T2 ~. _# g* I4 p( f3 o# R3 [& 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" y$ e% U: e5 o % o( l0 M+ E* t' \3 v) d3 y% ]% ^+ a8 PI struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment. 3 K/ \: P% U$ r3 B1 x 8 z+ G7 F& q0 T3 ?6 @6 ]- K5 bBut 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? ( O }& n+ n- f, E0 D; q9 z6 K0 [0 s: f/ f
The authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection. - a* W J4 d' A9 [- Y3 C$ F! k% u" c2 m" ~
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.1 D4 `7 q- }1 N% I( }
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A number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them.6 L2 c1 b f( t3 Q* w, k
8 e; Q7 b1 {: s, rThe producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants.- `: b2 X, C0 O4 p$ H
0 I! z! P) i S% tThat view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene.- N2 k2 F& i8 Q
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I decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain.; ]6 ~4 k1 T& j* W$ T1 @) _) _
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Calls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004