Reseach: Dyers Star theory

Richard Dyers star theory

Richard Dyer came up with star theory which he used to explain what made a star different from just an artist. The term 'star' refers to the set of meanings constructed around music performers in order to sell the performer to a large and loyal audience.

 Dyer said that star image is incoherent/ that it is incomplete and 'open'. "The star must be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary for the consumer". "The star must be simultaneously present and absent for the consumer".

Dyer identified four elements to recognising a star:

• Stars and construction
• Industry and audience
• Ideology and culture
• character and personality

stars as construction: 
Stars are constructed, artificial images, even if they are represented as being "real people", experiencing real emotions etc. It helps if their image contains a USP — they can be copied and/or parodied because of it. Their representation may be metonymic — Madonna's conical bra in the early 1990s, Bono's 'Fly' sunglasses, Britney's belly, Justin Bieber's bangs. Pop stars have the advantage over film stars in that their constructed image may be much more consistent over a period of time, and is not dependent on the creative input of others




Difference between pop star and performer
A star is someone that has an appealing look, talent and personality that is constructed to an audience. In order to become a pop star you would have had to build your career over a long period of time to gain wider audiences. For instance many artists that are identified as stars in the industry are the likes of Adele, Lana del ray, Beyoncé...


A pop performer is someone that performs music but may not have a wide audience and may not be as famous as star. This is due to their status as well as their management and how appealing they are to the industry and audiences as a commodity. Some examples of pop performers are 'Foxes, The passengers, Ellie Golding.

Stars and Constructions

- Star are constructed, artificial images.

- Helps if their image contains a Unique Selling Point.

- TV programmers such as ''The X Factor'' show us the supposed construction of process, how an ordinary person is groomed, styled and coached into fulfilling a set of record company and market expectation

 

Industry and The Audience

- Stars are manufactured to make money.

- Pop stars, whatever their nature are quite company and they must be sold.

- There's always someone fresh to choose from. Another way is to produce a star/s with long lasting appeal, who, once their brand is established, can cater to a fan audience for decades.

 

Ideology and Culture

- Stars represent cultural values and attitudes, and promote a certain ideology. Audience interest in these values enhances their ''star quality'', and create their star persona.

- Social network give pop star the opportunity to established their own values outside their music. 

 

Character and Personality

- The star is a construct, but the construct that has a foundation of realism.

- Stars provide audiences with a focus for ideas of ''what people are supposed to be like''.

- Stars may support hegemony/dominant cultural ideology by conforming to it (thin/beautiful) or providing difference (fat/still lovable).

 

 

- Music stars normally doesn't have much control of their star image due to their managers and record labels wanting them to look or dress a certain to keep and enlarge their fan based and most of the time look like ''Stars'' no matter where they are.

 

Conclusion

- After learning about Dyers 'Star Theory', I have now gained a better understanding of star and how they should be portrayed in music videos. From this I know that star image is important when trying to engage an audience because it means that your artist had the right image to connect with the audience. For my music video I will make my star as appealing to my audience as possible making sure that he/she performs. Also my artist will wear appropriate clothing that represents themselves as well as there music genre.