Star Theory, Richard Dyer

Richard Dyer 

Dyer has written extensively about the role of stars in film, TV and music 

The star as a construction:

• A star is constructed and becomes more of an image than a real person, this image is created revolving   round their target audience 
• They are being constructed and sold through all the different medias   
• It may be based on real things and personality traits but is still a fake image 

The star as a commodity:  

• Stars are commodities, their identities are sold rather than their products
• Stars depend on a range of subsidiary media, TV, radio, the intranet, in order to construct an image to target their audience
• The stronger the image, the easier they are to sell 
• A few artists out there that refuse to be part of a label because they don’t want their image being controlled
• The star image is made up of a range of meanings which are attractive to the target audience  

The star as an ideology:

• Sometimes the band or the artists actually represent the values and beliefs of what their selling
• Sold on their image    

Fundamentally, the image of the stars is incoherent, meaning it is incomplete and always open for change. This is because it is based upon two key paradoxes.  

Paradox 1   

“the star must be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary for the consumer” e.g., someone to idolise but also to relate to     

Paradox 2  

“the star must be simultaneous present and absent for the consumer” e.g., they don’t want the audience to become sick of them yet there has to be enough of them to be constantly remembered