Richard Dyer's Star Theory

Richard Dyer suggests that celebrities and stars aren't real people. He argues that they are constructed by institutions for financial purposes and are built to target a specific audience.

In class we came up with a list of qualities a pop star need:

• Confidence
• Good looking
• Controversial
• Conforming
• Mold-able
• Sob story
• Brand Image
• Powerful
• Bold
• Creative
• Aspiration

The theory can be broken down into three sections:
1. Audiences and institutions: Stars are made for the sole purpose of making money. Audiences want to consume what they believe is ideal.
2. Constructions: Star is built for an audience and not an actual person. A persona is created for each individual star.
3. Hegemony (cultural beliefs): Leadership or dominance - people idolize stars and want to be and copy them.

 Quotes on the theory:
"Stars are commodities that are produced by institutions"
"A star star is a constructed image, represented across a range of media and mediums"
"Stars represent and embody certain ideologies"