0 |1 c/ f; R) V: x U6 n' n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。 6 I3 f; f7 t7 z7 m' d6 U5 g“没什么大不了的”( f9 c A. D7 J3 i
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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。5 Y6 P2 @' X1 r* }2 D
: R. |' R; I% H- n" i4 ^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. U0 l1 {% u * s0 O a7 Y5 r) Q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。 1 w) }3 [" W6 B- S2 T- Y, G% y4 Q5 m- K" n; b/ @
我说,“你一定很累吧”?她微笑着回答说,“习惯了”。 ' ]2 n+ e) a. S& w; _ ' I" M) C' d2 T, [! a我接着问,“那么,健康风险呢?你经常被感染吗”? : o" b j+ p |+ I/ C$ f; Q5 R* @, B9 P( 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。” . V4 L O7 |/ g2 k: w5 F: G1 N5 |# }, b
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。, v3 r% E \0 b4 e: C7 l- s* q1 C
7 N4 @9 E7 `+ T9 c m" l. J- ?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。 - P5 d* t0 [! f' p9 P5 l* S2 E不戴安全套的权利 ; o$ K2 O) ~4 n # r9 r, J$ N' N( Y7 \" ~% ~% r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。; w3 r/ a* Z; L5 Z& D4 M
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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”?0 D! F4 F+ {4 T( E
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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 t" a) x- Y8 L% b$ o- L* |* w: E 5 o( P c3 U% c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? * X7 u) C* g2 U7 Z1 e3 c( e$ f1 V$ F4 g# o2 D
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。) y1 Y4 ?1 e4 h* V1 e! i9 C$ g5 B
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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。" N. [" b* J" {% N# }
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一些演员私下告诉我,他们盼着立法赶快生效。 8 v+ e+ G4 E) K/ D( {) [. P1 @ ( L N$ f' J' d6 M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。* g2 e# \$ h! d' K/ o" } A
& t; e, W* m: @% v- Z [+ ~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。 8 k: V8 {4 O4 p I, b U' U+ W i( o
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…….0 V0 ]4 |+ ]2 ?3 Y+ }* H4 Z
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Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles ) j, d. @: _: M9 K- D5 {' Z( b0 x6 ~1 E- ?1 J) m+ e" {' G+ ^! m- p) \
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 _; i+ ~3 N2 Y4 o- Z" V5 @1 _' x) M" D2 i& m o" ]' r
Light drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles.& ^% A. l+ W# X! E+ i) G1 K) y& M
- z6 r0 b3 N9 BI had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things.- O5 B4 Y L& f5 h
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What I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect.# X- e* y6 _" a& L, s' u; W/ e* L. T: e
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The porn shoot was Star Trek, the Next Generation - a triple-X parody, billed as a humorous tribute to the iconic TV space saga." K2 u1 _( s1 B3 _2 [" m
8 I/ f# K& S* W; k9 aPerformers 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. , q: F6 w5 R9 _$ W$ q " n. k9 d3 R( ]9 d- C0 IThis 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. 8 v( p4 ?7 e3 Q7 y- W/ Q! v1 J2 N9 y7 G
Only 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed.0 e+ h) E7 ^4 J
2 i9 X; F; { \1 x8 a0 G1 cFantasy 0 I3 r; t2 ^2 f6 ]& T , Y( X1 H3 H3 gThe 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.: B) s) X0 n$ Q6 u5 B2 c2 T
3 {: g8 F2 c7 e0 N7 o) `: CThe problem, increasingly, is revenue. 8 o% @6 P# x0 [. O% k3 a ' g3 Y# p7 l; H# HLike the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch. 8 N' G8 U2 r! T) i& ]8 `% H# K, j& b
DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free.: g7 K( I/ a3 |. E
! H' D0 `% u5 F) N( yAnd the economic downturn does not help.. |& C: d/ _: Q P3 v" R# U! x
" H9 h4 w+ I9 ]) z"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully., i% [; T3 m0 }2 r5 ~9 c
: C8 o: {$ H9 \The economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations.; j0 W. j( b: s7 X) l7 f9 f5 L/ Y
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For years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms. ( i/ C$ [* W. j, `/ U4 l. T; l9 v# X' l& P
Health scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set. * l; Q; H; n# g6 |, Y : W3 h- z2 R! y4 KBut the industry says wearing condoms on-screen is a turn-off. The public do not want it, it will kill the fantasy, they say.8 n' @$ q/ R" x, N
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Gonorrhoea$ A+ m6 L0 |4 s9 _' ?' B3 A, v3 d8 N
/ N% O3 C/ {+ X2 q) n# b3 SBack on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers.) l8 f; T6 y. D) J: \3 u
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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. 2 z0 f/ P( ~' ?8 D# |7 K ; |* I' O& L4 uShe turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure. 8 N" w3 N5 Q8 M- E7 ?! D1 S [2 O5 w9 O1 o T0 r- N) w
"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?" ' n" h. E# q3 Y9 _ E( l- A) p * C# Z) l1 G( _" ^* e8 m1 JHer 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.$ H+ o# L% v' l
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Each day would be 15 hours long. 6 X4 s7 N5 w* s 0 a2 i {! N5 h7 m0 M" ?4 @"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested.; A2 s2 l, l; K. P2 D
( N: Q. B L' T"You get used to it," she smiled.0 x2 S& Z0 m- K) T# r1 U( I
2 t" J5 x Y+ m"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?"% `! [* H( k; F6 \% f- ]- Q# ]
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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." 4 u' q) \+ T8 \5 O g2 Y 6 a. u" [; [" k& [* }' SThere was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided.$ d" P9 v6 b5 v: x9 S. i, Y* I
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Expensive lawsuits' k2 c9 T9 v J7 ~2 v0 }1 d/ s
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In fact there was something very Californian about the entire business. 7 ]) |8 |6 i. {' f0 n! k' n6 m# j ' e$ Y7 M' y g8 |A combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it.) P# w6 v# I* |- v
0 ]$ r% j( V4 D; o& 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. + P! q' X8 i k5 |; }2 |9 R0 { + ]; d% z' b. a8 e# Z) v, C, l9 TNow, 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. ' g4 `3 [2 d6 J1 e/ [$ v+ F0 K4 `; [8 W* @1 h
"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?"- C4 X# L% ^/ B8 Y
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I struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment.3 \! B7 O _ v' N0 i: A
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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?3 }# {2 c( U) N, C# n
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The authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection.1 i2 r- o. m2 m h$ Z2 C* @! h
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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. ' ^# O J1 I) E4 v 1 K% R+ x, F) X8 l j' LA number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them.* \/ g" Y7 y# d# U8 a @2 f
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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.; K9 s' k9 y# M/ H# T) X4 H
# L) C1 X O5 N: K( SThat view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene. ! w" h6 r% h: n) P/ m0 I 0 M$ q( Q6 p- |. o j; K7 DI decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain.# g6 I* ?: ^) U' ]; H: Q- \
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' [& j( _3 D0 H1 _ + c+ Y8 q5 r% L& B3 D8 W8 l- @, S9 N: lCalls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004