Richard Dyer's star theory

Dyer states that "stars" are constructed and are artificial images, even if they are represented as being real people', experiencing real emotions.  It helps if their image contains a designed audience so that they can be copied to the interests of that audience. Their image may be made over a single item or characteristic e.g. Katy Perry’s ever changing bright hair colouring. 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 films they choose as star vehicles.

Dyer proposes that “A star is an image not a real person that is constructed out of a range of materials”.

Stars provide audiences with a focus for ideas of what people are supposed to be like (e.g for women, thin/beautiful) they may support hegemony by conforming to it (thin/beautiful) or providing difference (fat/still lovable). Stars represent shared cultural values and attitudes, and promote a certain ideology. Audience interest in these values enhances their ‘star quality’ and it is through conveying beliefs ideas and opinions outside music that performers help create their star persona. A star may initiate a fashion trend, with several fans copying their hairstyle and clothing, for example when Rihanna dyed her hair red in 2012, there was a sudden phase or normal girls following in her footsteps.

This theory is the idea that icons and celebrities are constructed by institutions for financial reasons and are built to target a specific audience or group of people. Dyer’s theory can be broken down into 3 sections:

• Audience and Institutions
• Constructions
• Hegemony

Audience and Institutions – Stars are made to make money for that purpose alone. Increasing the brand identity benefits the institution as they become a household name increasing sales in all of the media platforms they are in. The institution then models the artist around the target audience they choose. For example Rihanna, according to Dyer, was modelled around fashion forward people so the audience can relate to her as a person and also her music.

Constructions – This part of the theory states that the star is built for an audience and is not an actual person, specifically with someone signature to them that differentiates them from other stars, for example Miley Cyrus' provocative, skimpy styling.

Hegemony – We relate the the star because they have a feature that we admire or share with them. This develops from an admiration into an idolization. Some people may attempt to replicate what they like about the star, but this can be negative as even though stars are seen as role models, some abuse hard drugs and alcohol which can lead to people who worship these stars copying their actions.