Human traffic and The models

The effects model is also known as the hypodermic model. This view argues that the audience are doped with the media text and are hypnotised by it. They also state that the consumers may be influenced by the media and copy behaviour such as violent video games, violent film etc. Thus audiences can create subversive and deviant readings other than those intended by institutions of production. All in all media texts are used to gratify the audiences needs and interests otherwise no one would watch the shows and the ratings would go down making the show cease to exist.

Human Traffic is a metaphor for both the models because of the use of drugs for example two females are seen within a club being interviewed and are viewed at having a good time and being confident due to the use of drugs however the reporter doesn't find them fun at all showing the contrast between two types of people. The people that take drugs and the people that don't. Even the characters in the movie talk about a confidence boost saying that they can talk to complete strangers easily yet only under the influence of drugs. Due to this statement the audience (according to the model) will believe that taking drugs is an alright thing to do as the characters seem to be having a great time.

Then again near the end of the film shows that the use of these substances can effect the characters negatively after use and suffer from symptoms such as:

• having that low down feeling after a high making them feel worse about themselves before they started.
• seeing things that aren't there e.g) one of the characters thinks that his friend is flirting with his girlfriend
• slight anger issues

Human traffic can however also be a metaphor for the gratifications model which viewpoint is that the idea of drug use can be over thrown and can be looked at as a fine thing to do by over throwing the dangers of taking drugs as mainly only the positive effects of drugs are shown. For example its not until the end where one of the characters goes a bit crazy when the audience start what drugs can do to you.

However the producers never show the characters actually taking the drugs the audience are left to assume that they are as some of the them are seen smoking and due to the characters taking drugs all of the time we assume that they are drugs even though they might not be. This may be trying to stop being from copying the film and taking drugs as in reality the producers of the film doesn't want drug use to be a global thing but rather wants people to see the positive side to them as most people think negatively of them.