research for music video :Richard dyers star theory

Richard dryers star theory argues that a star is an 'image' not a real person that is constructed out of a range of materials. in other words celebrities are manufactured by institutions for financial gain. 'stars' are usually manufactured by the music industry to serve a purpose, to make money out of audience, who respond to various elements of a stars personality by buying records and becoming fans.

e.g through advertising , magazines, interviews etc.


for example Beyonce Knowles carter .

Beyonce has had a exceptional outstanding career in the music industry and to many around the world she is an icon . Richard dyer would argue that the music industry has in some way had an input in the way Beyonce is presented to her fans. therefore creating a wider fan base around the world .

maintaining stardom :

richard dyer claims that true pop stars have lasting siginificances if they make sufficient sociological or cultural impacts of not they will be forgotten by all most avid fans within a few years. unlike many other female artist beyonce has been consistent from a young age ; originally starting off in a female vocal band to later on going onto a solo career and succeeding. she has been described as 'the most popular musician of the twenty-first century' and has won many awards.

on the other hand richard dyers theory is split into 3 sections:

• Audience and Institutions - stars are essentially seen by the music industry for money purposes alone and so therefore 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 record label then models the artists around the target audience they choose . for example One Direction , according dyer, would argue have been modelled around young female teenagers so that the audience can be drawn into them as a group as well as their music.

• Character and personality- although the star starts as a 'real' person at the beginning of their career . they are transformed  so that they can provide an image of their time and culture. Take for example , audience can see how beyonce went from being 'curvy looking' to 'slim line' as the trends have change. The 'star' provides audiences with the idea of what they are meant to be like.
• Hegemony- hegemony in dyers theory means that we as the audience can relate to the star as we admire or share similar experiences to them. This then later on develops into idolisation . Beyonce has a massive following in magazines, blog sites and  social media sites and so her audience can see her actions everywhere. some fans attempt to replicate the 'stars' actions or decisions for example through fashion , hair styles and fragrances.