# L1 V5 {4 b: X& G( h! i& s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。) X$ b9 g% W3 x1 x" g) e
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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”？7 s( f4 H! T' u1 i% R( L' W
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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。 ; k9 m! t/ _& c6 f( k! X( k9 i + F) h; t. f; L$ U/ O5 }& K我说，“你一定很累吧”？她微笑着回答说，“习惯了”。* z1 k6 h% m) F: E" m: j- ^/ S
) X& M. C( a0 j1 T+ ^) p/ T我接着问，“那么，健康风险呢？你经常被感染吗”？. Y! U" s% ^5 W
" D* Y, O6 F! T8 Z' |- q# Q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 C- \8 g8 e0 i( e, J' _
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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。+ {, p: l. l+ B d/ a' K1 X! P
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1980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。 . T2 P0 H1 W {$ o0 x不戴安全套的权利 b* i t) V, a
. L$ T F0 ^3 L; D$ W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。 4 ?. B& S, N) \! B6 m) L+ q* Y4 _
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”？ - ]8 o# L8 h# W# v( {6 } v9 h8 n3 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。5 @3 n; @+ n% v+ R- M7 X
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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？ - Z M6 k7 D9 s: K [6 x2 x: I" t a2 @8 ~4 h( X! p+ H0 G) e0 Z
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。% F/ ` L! ^: b5 F
[6 S% ?9 r8 V- G& O. `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。7 ]3 d3 ^/ _1 V3 T0 A- Q4 n
0 g+ W2 T" L6 t$ _一些演员私下告诉我，他们盼着立法赶快生效。 1 o6 {/ b+ b% F/ D' J$ d6 M7 @/ Z0 g5 o6 M+ ^) H
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 g) V A& N+ l# K9 I" L
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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。 $ i% I2 a+ A. d A% }8 g# W7 K5 |6 L& v
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 B+ u% q8 Y- K2 G1 A+ ?: F* g / S" m) J' d6 j3 ^) q0 l1 h! H* L
Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles 9 |. h( O" s+ s5 l! I6 D2 s
: F. |0 `. C1 |$ V9 ICalifornia'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.2 _0 I# ]6 `5 v8 m
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Light drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles.. d5 z2 X5 Z+ u6 B1 ]7 m; \, [( u
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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. " ^ N/ _0 |9 v; a9 k7 b: M 7 h5 o8 ~( |! p# x" c" I& AWhat I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect. ) Z) F+ b5 }) G' ]! P5 g) M. y- o' y0 `% v5 K
The porn shoot was Star Trek, the Next Generation - a triple-X parody, billed as a humorous tribute to the iconic TV space saga. : U) y& W$ M( a2 R# f- E9 ]" T7 L8 e6 H/ T
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 c% m5 _$ T! P# B
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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.! l) B; I) Q& u
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Only 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed. 1 ?/ E# D+ {0 E+ o- D1 w / S* M7 m5 A. x. L# H6 W% t' f+ ]% eFantasy% O( a# t. e$ L, o) } I
1 R$ g/ o; J9 i2 `* @. IThe 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.& u; c( O1 v) z# C B* X
k" B( }7 K- Z1 tThe problem, increasingly, is revenue. # w( S7 s$ _! u+ Y5 `0 f( k+ R }5 n+ r- I0 t
Like the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch./ z8 u& j" y$ W& C0 Z; z0 g
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DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free. D$ V8 k i2 I4 p+ k) _% r6 S' G: x% s! Z1 ~7 w/ j$ U
And the economic downturn does not help. 2 a9 x: C! I8 J! x5 k w& ?9 t6 _3 r! W7 p6 E
"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully. ; H, _: A6 L, K9 t* e9 R8 V. l& [: g# h
The economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations.0 h; u. ~; g; z( n8 w
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For years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms.2 n3 C; ?; u: f- Q4 k$ F8 n; A# L
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Health scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set. ( @- X8 f& r" |. \9 ~. x1 i# P
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. : _5 U- K) R- b- E( `/ v' U* ~' ~2 ?& q# x
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$ K, }* v' d' }% H- l% b! Q5 y/ }: aBack on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers.6 T/ f5 |% I: D0 e) l" P
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A college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years.+ O) M* @7 S- n+ g7 t+ `% B
4 D- a, ?3 p f. W: LShe turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure.* ~$ H% l' r' p# S% d/ i v3 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?" * j- j- v4 r2 N8 l) A1 \6 V6 R( z$ p$ @, L |& h4 m$ E! K
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. & R) Z$ v# @) R, b6 u0 Y& G2 w4 w; e2 u: i0 {" n
Each day would be 15 hours long.- G2 e7 O* B- G$ }* _6 i
8 B- t1 b( }0 H" S6 [% W% _"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested. O+ f2 V1 e, u
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"You get used to it," she smiled. . M, C" p* [% q1 O5 f/ \. ^9 T4 r8 e8 h+ ?' ~) A) b1 ^0 d
"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?"/ B2 S2 m8 v* e, t- W
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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."& I; j. o2 v) k3 M
% T9 ]% {+ O2 f5 h& l9 u2 K7 WThere was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided. $ Z. t5 B z# s0 ^# ^9 k1 u. E( _ 6 `2 `- R! X, \1 t3 lExpensive lawsuits, j& L# P+ g7 x) i2 Q
" ?5 d; |) [( EIn fact there was something very Californian about the entire business. ; O1 V8 v, I# g7 ^, i/ W' o) q6 \) N& d. F U
A combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it. 1 @) a8 f; ?, z3 V) O4 l6 x' h X8 V2 i+ ^* S, G @" A! J
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. 7 a9 a- e; a) ^# N8 Z4 X0 A% k' \! Y R4 n5 A1 D
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. # U' K7 q' J, w8 N : b" w; r: W$ G* ?; D# `5 i T"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?" & c* q: ?5 k- j: z; | P$ B( n5 H( ^- |8 C: f; x6 m
I struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment.& x8 F8 |/ M: U4 `, k
$ `9 m% P" V( `+ yBut 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 e* d3 q; k3 B7 N0 L; ~7 p# w) Q6 X 2 Z+ l& P% {2 l# {/ z: c& TThe authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection.+ @- K _ J8 ^* Q
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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./ m: P5 P& k3 V) O7 I/ D1 @& E
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A number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them.! s/ G1 s( U! u3 w5 u n
% x1 Z! _9 u! U- O8 b/ nThe producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants. ; i7 Z3 d, v* a* G$ S' q. o: Q3 k. n- p/ a
That view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene. . O/ P2 t: U8 G% _) Y0 F2 C0 p. f8 h8 L& x" i2 q+ W4 }
I decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain. , [# d- m0 s, o; K - t, w# j% X6 A+ ~ 5 ]9 c% f1 J5 A8 R9 ^1 I& X. G+ l. `" s- t% V5 j+ w $ m6 T' ~2 h. S8 e G
Calls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004
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