2 s7 V/ X' m% L6 z* {4 p, v, O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？ 7 G! m) X4 S; q$ h. m+ C' G3 B% t6 z1 H- Y
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。- } E$ K$ p% {, r+ w# ?8 M1 s
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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。 * s# k7 e/ H. R" ] w* L; n( i # Q3 v. e) c B& Z8 d一些演员私下告诉我，他们盼着立法赶快生效。8 O& {4 O1 O3 t6 C
) |, Z0 G* A4 V7 l% t: ~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 a" A6 D+ N I! h$ Y. J+ ?1 n
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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。3 C! ]- l" \; Z; I$ a7 N
+ u) Y& @* ] [* \7 a. {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……./ v ?/ a$ v4 {" J/ Z( l
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B G" @6 W3 A& {. ?) J FCalifornian porn industry's 'perfect storm' of troubles 2 k- ^- j2 X: `( w8 a9 `: } ! J' ] P' n; A0 j( A4 R7 N$ z# E0 CCalifornia'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. ' @, p" G# V/ q2 f# I) Q , _$ e( t! T5 T* X$ jLight drizzle was falling as I pulled my car up outside a low-rise warehouse studio in northern Los Angeles. " N# z* |- F4 q' Z+ G3 H" ^, ?# S& p A7 j% d2 F: [" k
I had been told just to pitch up - it would be fun, they had said, to see how we do things. * D: J) q/ O/ ] A R8 {" G: O; C$ }- k3 a6 C% ~& V* ]' _
What I did see at first did not quite match my expectations but then again, I was not quite sure what to expect.# w" R6 |1 p5 f2 [4 I: p h7 i/ a
: P( Z8 U* o# M' y0 Z" vThe porn shoot was Star Trek, the Next Generation - a triple-X parody, billed as a humorous tribute to the iconic TV space saga. ; _# E5 J( g: H3 O . S" B" m0 [- `3 d. q5 CPerformers 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.7 H3 {2 @* Z6 p1 G! 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. 7 f+ k* o; ^ l! F% \8 U" A3 h
Only 30 minutes of this two-hour sex film would involve plot, he sighed. , Q6 y$ S$ h: ]* ?8 W g9 N8 m) ~' @+ ~
Fantasy1 y2 R# P) H% Y6 a
7 u7 i7 F9 \* ]# x: n3 rThe 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.+ z# V G( `& u% ?/ i
/ H7 N4 f5 a t! LThe problem, increasingly, is revenue. ( `, H8 g8 u. A) n* X9 ~. b% [ I; I) T' g/ i
Like the music industry, pornographers are struggling to persuade their audience to pay for what they watch.% P2 W; d0 o* y# k
3 V& }! b3 y5 G0 O1 o( g% ~DVD sales have collapsed. Online, a great deal of porn can be accessed for free.; {/ M+ Q) w2 |3 O" A
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And the economic downturn does not help. 6 C& c9 j* b) v# q2 W! Y2 t& W9 t, W5 K4 _
"What with the recession and piracy, we call it the perfect storm," one leading producer observed wistfully., w( o' [4 A4 E8 h( N+ d
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The economic climate also means the industry is even less keen to accept California's increasingly stringent workplace regulations.$ z6 _! E4 g" v% n% u& H. U: [
' m" Q# K1 N& T5 ]For years, the authorities have been demanding that porn performers wear condoms.# {: D+ ^# `3 B8 O8 ]
$ a/ N2 s# @' X( c( k8 g; o- DHealth scares - most notoriously in 2004 when three actors contracted HIV - have highlighted significant levels of infection on set. * P5 g! g0 ?5 a: G ; |: Y* E5 B( C sBut the industry says wearing condoms on-screen is a turn-off. The public do not want it, it will kill the fantasy, they say. " W8 B( Y: f& @( x8 [ ) C2 ?4 z9 d7 C/ aGonorrhoea! q v9 s9 H' Q6 O$ j
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Back on the Star Trek set, I talked to Bobbi Starr, one of the lead performers. , h( ^* O- f4 N! v5 b, d5 G# [; C d- o! I
A college graduate, a former national standard swimmer and professional oboist, she seems to have packed a lot into her 27 years.1 [; j1 m/ ?7 i. S6 {
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She turned to porn, she said, out of a sense of sexual adventure. . f- o# K$ U1 ^) T; G0 q: ^4 ^ 6 {% E" [$ g9 L- y5 T/ c' S"It's just fun," she said, "and when everyone around you is having fun too, what's not to love?" 1 z5 T* \* L; p5 Y1 t, d( V4 U $ P" X: f" y' k* X3 p% uHer 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.% X% R7 i/ z9 m' l7 k
: J( R% ~8 p. t0 Q5 WEach day would be 15 hours long. K u3 b" Q8 \& F/ f# a( G
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"Wow, you must be exhausted?" I suggested.& V" I# e6 Q" j5 }) m: j
7 L4 G- `# q& I, g% ^3 m) I$ j"You get used to it," she smiled.8 y) ]0 q3 Y2 Z
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"And what about the health risks," I asked. "Have you had many infections?" 8 \( ^4 a* e/ R9 o4 [( d$ U% v4 P: G8 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." 9 v+ ~7 ~% h7 h7 ~6 i6 V# _: j- w) G: b" K' a5 n( C
There was something very Californian about Bobbi, I decided. 0 k+ C8 x5 X, _$ ]$ y # y' o w/ u" ?; s: L1 VExpensive lawsuits0 H2 X. a. w! G7 K5 f" c
& h/ y/ N: } f* Z3 I5 CIn fact there was something very Californian about the entire business.$ J: {* Q# l! J5 j
5 f x5 O. z9 @( NA combination of determined enthusiasm, combined with a rebel attitude, a sort of libertarian defiance towards the forces ranged against it. + v2 }3 R0 [. o* S' f: I' O/ \3 j# r; T2 v8 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. 5 h$ q4 x/ i$ J1 B- A " l; | d% C) o4 MNow, 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. $ Q# j w1 w. b/ A( ~5 ]7 B. p2 c# w: q0 _. T I/ ^. ^
"How can I express myself as an artist," one producer said to me, "if you're going to clothe my performers in rubber?"2 ?# M/ f. H R6 c
- A/ A$ ?& @( Z" N5 I$ bI struggled to picture Benjamin Franklin or Thomas Jefferson having this in mind as they penned the First Amendment." S0 p/ J$ @8 `" W& }& Y' Z
8 a. I1 H# A; f7 i% ZBut 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? & c9 ?9 j, ?; e3 `# J " O9 N+ j- q5 l1 [) v) BThe authorities though are adamant. Construction workers wear hard hats, miners wear masks - these actors have to have suitable barrier protection.3 M! f; E8 U$ Z) n% I1 }- p4 [
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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. 1 M/ ]- C+ R# j; U e8 N 0 \# [# g* l: Y" j( B! W A& v" [A number of actors told me privately that regulation could not come soon enough for them.* a3 O1 j4 J$ i1 x' O
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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.& K/ [9 I% L/ [6 T& e( }
% [4 Z8 n: l* A& y1 vThat view was echoed by Bobbi Starr - her parting words, in fact, as she began to disrobe for her epic sex scene.# e. ~. z' a: _" C2 I0 i
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I decided I had seen enough and slipped back out into the rain.$ U' v5 s9 ^# H4 G/ t2 S, c
3 b6 b$ @+ E; ? . q/ [3 |& ~+ `# i7 V5 H$ G/ ^9 H/ R9 P 8 s; C. ~; Z6 a+ qCalls for greater safety increased after actors tested positive for HIV in 2004
