本帖最后由 Ampelmann 于 2011-6-21 15:24 编辑 , z+ k5 X* H3 J, g! y2 M
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加州色情电影业压力重重 BBC中文网 记者艾德•巴特勒 Ed Butler 3 n. s9 X( Z. E& a0 V2 j
; U; F) [1 W& H' f说到加州电影业，好莱坞并不是一枝独秀，这里也是世界色情电影之都。但是，BBC记者巴特勒说，色情电影业现在也面临重重压力：经济萧条的冲击、网上盗版的泛滥，和立法人对阵最终很有可能打败仗…… a7 S! G, f+ c5 ]5 k. l
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小雨淅淅沥沥。洛杉矶北部，在一间位于低层仓库内的制片厂的大门外，我停下车来。 2 p5 B% l" E; k# A* U ) b' Q9 V3 y0 t7 h9 Y5 N他们告诉我，直接来就行了，“看看我们是怎们办事儿的，很好玩。”" r, C/ j: v6 i5 m% Z
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, i3 i' ?8 Z: 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。 1 [, H( `$ ]+ `' ?$ v; w1 r. Q+ [8 h) M0 A4 n3 l
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…….8 H6 ?1 @3 R# [+ y# Y6 x1 m2 n) }
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Californian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles 5 j' J+ k# }+ `* v! U) z+ e A8 g2 Y7 _+ i! A2 E8 kCalifornia'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.# _3 f9 N6 h3 ^ c% ?. ~
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Light drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles. 4 q; }3 z- H4 R! K( k% U( }; Z+ a: u+ q5 B- [- {
I had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things. . `3 [3 Z# e% S4 `4 s. Z/ P( C, m1 ~* C0 Y
What I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect.8 V5 K& e g- l4 X" `3 o2 P4 m' t
2 s. F0 S' ^" c C- s/ zThe porn shoot was Star Trek, the Next Generation - a triple-X parody, billed as a humorous tribute to the iconic TV space saga. 3 I) w2 L+ a! b, p1 O, ?% \0 e; Z 3 j6 ^, N" C, qPerformers 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. D) G4 f4 x. T9 F2 _/ |/ l6 K1 n: B- T5 c9 O; G$ u/ Q. \( |
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. ( e/ P$ q+ b1 E/ @, t+ g$ d 6 T! E, B- K+ w# O& X- E' `& F. GOnly 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed.3 L! }& A5 O. ~8 d4 z
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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. % m6 P9 ?- M7 J: b }+ B! A3 t x/ F1 W) MThe problem, increasingly, is revenue.( N2 V, \+ ^/ q' W3 Q% J3 A! W
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Like the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch. / O( T" B' P/ v8 r 8 @/ C2 P" z/ o- I5 CDVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free.: g7 v2 ^& j/ S: j0 g- N- s4 h- O6 i
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And the economic downturn does not help.# T ?( Y2 t8 S N9 I ~/ @
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"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully." L9 A8 a4 @0 R& b" _
1 I+ Y4 X0 Z3 r/ |* XThe economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations.' P3 h; ], C! w2 R* D3 G
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For years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms.9 S( V; Y# Q7 {- K- ~4 T
% A9 t7 f5 I: V- H2 |Health scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set.1 c: C* f5 K4 c; S/ U& C
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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.+ m* q0 O* R7 Q( m6 [# R8 R5 q. d( Z
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Gonorrhoea: n) s5 ^9 R# e- l) U( B7 X; L
& E+ [$ s/ f5 i0 b8 D1 aBack on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers.; C0 y7 i4 J- T3 q' u9 O% y2 w$ x
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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. , C# t5 _4 |" Z7 h 7 v, r6 b2 Q9 ^/ n' FShe turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure. & t' d' M4 i# x9 r2 m, A0 c 7 |: t; }+ G3 T1 F7 q. _: `"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?"2 ~8 a( O$ w( P2 u/ s
- W: N, e" ~( e' LHer 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+ {5 ^6 X' R/ [8 M : Q9 [4 v" @! q/ }6 c/ t0 U3 `Each day would be 15 hours long.6 w0 W* H3 p+ P& ^8 V
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"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested. 7 u; |% _) ^ I- \6 H; Y+ A7 K3 w( B5 l3 ~
"You get used to it," she smiled.$ C7 {" }$ d1 t" G! h
8 N. ]2 w3 d) ~"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?" 2 p5 I9 i$ I3 Q # s3 _+ U4 |8 H* b7 S* m"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."6 V2 q% a' p% z' ^( j3 F
( N( r8 T0 ?6 s3 U3 EThere was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided.2 ]. c! U* R5 q. Q" x N
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Expensive lawsuits ; |* }% Z* M8 n2 X) z % U$ j1 L2 M/ B4 n- n. ~! P1 j- c, QIn fact there was something very Californian about the entire business.( j/ H$ j# q& ?3 A
/ l$ E. L# J1 K4 {- z B+ x; hA combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it. 7 r' | a; r0 K: b* z0 ?- i9 }6 j" e4 J5 L1 z/ o& N k
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.6 }' t8 R3 Y3 M/ P: H/ r
0 x7 k. V2 r2 R6 RNow, 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.' y7 S2 U G5 I4 l
0 s* _* M q5 X9 h"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?" ) |* g9 ~: O) g, B+ Q, C $ l* K; V# h; E# |( A+ nI struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment. + A3 s2 x: X& F+ C/ T; v6 n: k# J6 |5 d
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? 8 k" I: b- a2 H6 d2 C% d4 b6 Z# E2 X0 O Y1 ]
The authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection. 5 F2 {/ j0 D. _! ` 9 S2 I: ^% _7 U1 X0 J4 M* tIt 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 X8 n. J) A! ^5 L9 E3 p( ^
; U2 D' P4 H, P$ _" R- e$ ^& ?A number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them. : d' F. v% L2 X7 R, h" u5 A3 _ 1 q; _ f1 T3 eThe producers say this will not help workers but will only force production abroad, or underground - the public always gets what the public wants." y" `4 A s9 t" o: O
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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. + v& _* D3 i1 ~8 p7 o ( c$ V e: N/ m g2 j& PI decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain.; G( c- p% r; |6 N; Z
' N: J& j9 Y- }5 j $ Z$ |/ O, s9 L4 ?; ]2 m: s i q; P% \! v8 E4 N* L 1 E% {( [+ p& A' uCalls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004
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