I just want to say right up front, that this subject is not really up my alley … or across my street, down my road or next door at the house that sits empty although we hear noises there all the time, either; or at least, I hope not.
But, as I debated about writing my thoughts on Measure B, I decided that as a journalist, I need to be able to write about most anything; even if this particular hoopla seems absolutely ridiculous to me. So here goes:
Apparently, according to a story that appeared in the Los Angeles Times back in October, Los Angeles County has decided that all the adult film actors who create those magnificent works of art called porn should be mandated to wear condoms during filming. See, this is where the ridiculous comes in to play for me; weren’t they already doing that?
Uh — no, they weren’t. Not only were they not wearing any sort of protection (at least, most of them anyway), they are threatening to leave Los Angeles to make their masterpieces elsewhere if they have to. My, my, my, the injustice of it all.
This all seems very bizarre. Especially considering how safe sex has been preached in the media and in the schools and just about anywhere else that safe sex can be preached openly and loudly, while abstinence is only a whisper among the few who believe sex should be with someone you truly love and involve a commitment. But that’s another column….
According to the article, the measure rests on a premise that is difficult to assess: that adult film performers are infecting one another and endangering the public by incubating and passing on sexually transmitted diseases.
The article reports that a lot of adult film actors do not feel that the use of condoms is necessary, since required monthly testing is done consistently, and a couple of the female actors said the condoms made them uncomfortable.
Well, I can understand that. It stands to reason that a man or a woman who can be totally at ease having sex with a person they’ve just met, with not a hint of awkwardness or vexation whatsoever, should certainly find the usage of a condom beyond the pale.
Maybe I’m unfairly judging these actors, but I just can’t believe that in this age of sexually transmitted diseases that can kill you, and with all the people who have died horribly from HIV or who wished they could have gone back in time and practiced safe sex, that there are actually people out there who want to have unsafe sex.
In a recent article from CNN Entertainment, adult film star James Deen, who is crossing over to the dark side of mainstream films and will star with Lindsay Lohan in a movie due out in 2013, voiced his disapproval of the mandate as well.
“Are examinations going to be mandatory now, or are we going to be wearing gloves on set?” Deen told The Daily Beast. “I mean, what about goggles? What about kissing and fluid exchange? Is kissing no longer allowed in pornos? Like, what degree of severity is this measure actually going to require? After that, is it worth it?”
Uh, James, I don’t think it’s the kissing they’re worried about.
Angela Rogalski is a print journalism senior who lives in Abbeville. Follow her on Twitter @abbeangel.
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