Research: Dyer's star theory

Star Theory

- What is Star Theory?

Star refers to the set of meanings constructed around singers in order to sell their music to a mainstream or loyal audience, but mainly mainstream and it means more money. Star theory differs from star image as star theory is applied to pop stars and suggests that a star is an image and not a real person, as they are constructed are institutions for financial gain and audience appeal. The stars are constructed through a range of media such as magazines, and advertising. 

- Who is Richard Dyer and what does he say? 

Richard Dyer is is British media theorist and constructed the 'Star theory' claiming that...

- " Star image is "incoherent, incomplete and 'open'..." - He claims this because it is based on two key paradoxes which includes: 

- "The star must be simultaneously ordinary and extroadinary for the consumer"- This paradox means that the star must be ordinary so that the audience can relate to them, but they must also possess an extraordinary quality or talent so the public can idolise them. For example, Adele is ordinary in that she comes from London and has a cockney accent, however, she is extraordinary as she has a unique voice, making her an idol in the publics eye. 

and

- "The star must be simultaneously present and absent for the consumer"- This suggests that the artist must be present in the audiences life through their appearance on TV, social media and through their merchandise, however absent in that they are 'out of reach' and not actually there. The stars absence also suggests that they should not continuously be in the public eye as this could be tedious for the audience, instead, a lack of presence is likely to make the audience anticipate the stars next actions. For example, Justin Bieber is a key artist that is part of young children and teenagers lives, they are likely to own his posters, merchandise such as perfumes and calendars. However, he is not actually there, preventing them from having contact with him, and he is not consistently in the public eye, allowing the audience to anticipate his next performance or song without getting bored and losing interest in him or his music.

- What is the difference between a performer and a pop star? 

A performer is a talented individual that simply performs songs, yet may not necessarily be famous. Despite, a performer not being famous, they are likely to be promoted to this status by their management to increase their fame and their fan base. For example,  Ella Eyre is regarded as a performer rather than a fulfilled pop star as she performs her music to small, niche audiences, in small locations including the O2 Academy Brixton and O2 Guildhall Southampton. She also lacks ultimate fame, as she is not globally successful or recognised by a mass audience. On the other hand, a pop star is an artist who is famous and performs to mass audiences. A true pop star does have a lasting significance and has a 'brand awareness' amongst a wider market over a period of time. For example, Beyonce has become a brand through the use of synergy, promoting her perfume, calendars, adverts etc. As a result, a pop stars image is constructed to an audience. Talent shows such as 'X Factor' promote performers who have potential to be pop stars, and the show turns them into pop stars. For example, One Direction started off as performers, however, after their success on the show they become pop stars and become globally popular, with mainstream fan bases. 

One Direction after X Factor

One Direction on X Factor

Dyer has identified four key elements to recognising a star: 

• Star theory... Stars as constructions

Stars are constructed as artificial images and it helps if their image contains a unique selling point. 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 such as screenwriters who write the lines. For example, Britney Spears was extremely skinny during her first years as a pop star, but put on weight after her rise to fame which grabbed audience attention and she received criticism as a result. This changed her image, making her 'less attractive' and 'fat' in the eyes of the mainstream audience, causing her to act immediately and lose weight to maintain her image and construction. 

However, the construction process is not fully understood. Record companies think they know about it but witness the number of failures on their books. TV programmes show the audience how an ordinary person is groomed, styled and coached into fulfilling a set of record company and market expectations. This is not true stardom, which must happen through a combination of factors. 

• Star theory... Industry and audience

Stars are manufactured to serve the purpose of making money out of the audience by ensuring that they buy the artists records and become loyal fans. Pop stars are shaped by their record companies, as they are quite clearly the product of their record company and must be sold. Record companies identify what sells and produces the same, and same and same. Therefore, theres always someone fresh to choose from, to keep the audience interested and to maintain quality in the music industry. Another way is to produce a star with long lasting appeal, who once their brand is established, can cater for a fan audience for decades becoming a commodity. This is likely to maintain their success and keep the audience satisfied due to the star meeting and fulfilling their expectations.

• Star theory... 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 networks give pop stars the opportunity to establish their own values outside their music. For example, Lady Gaga tweets frequently about LGBT issues, and expects her fans to engage with that discourse just as much as she expects them to listen to her music.

• Star theory... 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 provide the audience with the idea of 'what people are supposed to be like' and may support hegemony (dominant cultural ideology) by conforming to it (thin/beautiful) or providing difference (fat/still lovable). For example, certain  artists  like Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Rihanna and Arianna Grande provide the audience with the idea of 'what people are supposed to be like' due to their appearances, as they have the ideal 'bodies' encouraging all girls to portray them as role models, and trying to reflect their appearances. This links to hegemony as the media promote this, encouraging all girls to conform to the cultural ideology of looking thin and beautiful. However, other stars promote a difference such as Britney Spears and Adele who are portrayed as 'chubby and loveable' going against hegemony, and suggesting that it is acceptable and normal to be different, but to still be loveable and accepted by society despite criticism and negative press. 

- How much control do artists/band have on star image

Artists/bands have little control on star image as institutions such as record labels guide and instruct the artists on how to adapt their image to suit the audiences expectations, keeping them intrigued and the artist in the public eye. However, it also be argued that artists/bands do have control on star image as they are in charge of their bodies and are able to control their weight and can have surgery etc, which may not necessarily create a positive response from the audience, however can not be prevented. 

- Conclusion:

Dyer's theory is important as it determines how an artists success is a result of their image being constructed to benefit their success, the music industry and to appeal to the audience. Without, constructing an artists image, it could lead to the artist lacking the 'full package' as they would not be suitable for the industry and would not fit in, not meeting the standards of how a proper pop star should be represented. After researching this theory, when creating my music video, I will ensure that I use it to represent my artist/band as pop stars, taking construction, audience, character and personality into consideration as Dyer has recognised these elements as vital to recognising a genuine pop star providing valid reasons. I want my artist to be portrayed as having a friendly a persona making them popular and likeable among the public, which may also determine their fame making them more popular in the public eye. I feel my artist should also have a truthful persona, in that she express her true self to the public, making her more relatable and genuine. Moreover, I want my artist to look different and unique, rather than being portrayed as the same as other artists, such as having the perfect body and fulfilling mainstream expectations. Instead I want them to influence the audiences opinions and increase their confidence. I want my artist to  promote different ideologies, expressing their subcultural values through their lyrics and performance, suggesting that it is acceptable to go against hegemony and not conform to mainstream norms. However, I want to ensure that my artist avoids becoming a controversial figure and receiving criticism as this could have a negative impact on the artist and the success of my music video. Therefore, I will carefully consider the portrayal of my artist, making them appealing to a mass audience as well as a niche audience, taking star theory into consideration but ensuring that my artist expresses individuality. Although Dyer's theory applies to films, it also appeals to the music industry in a more suitable manner.