Richard Dyer star theory proposes the idea that icons and celebrities are manufactured by institutions for finical gain. Stars are manufactured by the music industry to make money out of the audience. His theory is broken down into three sections; Audiences and institutions, Constructions and Hegemony.
A stars main purpose is to make money, the institution then changes the stars image around the target audience.
The constructions of a 'star' is built only for the audience and not who the person actually is. Each star is unique which differentiates them from other stars. For example Lady Gaga'soutgoing fashion sense and Katy Perry's bright hairstyles and also that she is presented as the typical Californian girl.
Hegemony is the way that the audience can relate to the star and they are admired by them, this develops to idolisation. For instance Demi Lovato had an eating disorder which was presented through a TV documentary. Many people can look up to her and relate to the problems that she had to deal with. Although some stars can come across as negative role models because some may take drugs and consume a lot of alcohol which can lead to fans copying their actions.
Examples of star image
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga'sfull name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, on the 28th of March 1986 in New york. She changed her name so she would come across as unique and the audience would find her name unusual so they would want to find out who she is.
Her first album was released in 2008,the album is representation of what life is like being famous, this is portrayed by one of her songs 'Papparazzi'. In her first music video the audience get a first impression of what Lady Gaga is like and what we cane expect from her. She wears unusual clothing but they are not too revealing. In her music video called 'Alejandro' there is extreme nudity and sexual references in dance routines and shots. It shows more of an unacceptable side to her and a bad role model for her fans. Furthermore Lady fashion hanges dramatically not only to how she looks in her music videos but also to other events across the world. Lady Gaga's most prominent appearance change is the prosthetic bones on her body and face. She had a lot of criticism for this because it could link to anorexia and suffering and would not have a good impression towards her fans especially the young audience. n he 6 years of Lady Gaga's music career her star image has developed astonishingly. She began her music her music portrayed getting drunk and going to parties, whereas now her music is more outrageous.
Rihanna is another example of Richard Dyers theory of star image. Rihanna was formally a pop performer, but the record label DEF. Jam Roc Nation transformed her into a pop star after her album 'good girl gone bad' was released. She had a celebrity boyfriend so she was a main icon in the public eye and became a main focus in a lot of magazines. She was recognized not only for her music but her image.
Audience and institutions:
Rihanna is very popular in todays world and her personality and character are based on the 'trends' in the world at the moment. This attracts the audience too like her and be inspired by her.
Construction of a star:
A star is built for the audience and not for the person itself. Rihanna was constructed by DEF. Jam Roc Nation. Throughout the years Rihanna has changed by the way she looks by her different hairstyles and fashion sense.
Hegemony:
Rihanna has a massive fan base which follows from magazines and social networking sites such as twitter, instagram and Facebook, the audience can see what she is up to all the time. Rihanna is presented as a model to mainly females from 13 +. But she is a bad influence because now and again she is seen smoking, consuming alcohol and taking nude photographs. This portrays a negative view of Rihanna and people who idolize her can copy her actions.
I need to think about my star image when it comes to producing my music magazine. Whilst researching star image on Rihanna and Lady Gaga i now have a greater understanding of Richard Dyers theory of star image.
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