This powerpoint includes what Richard Dyer believed and what he prosposed about Pop stars, it has an example that relates to his theory, I used Nicki Minaj.

1. Richard Dyer’s Star Theory
(2008). Richard Dyer's Star Theory applied to Pop Stars. Available:
http://www.mediaknowall.com/as_alevel/Music/music.php?pageID=popstar
Emily Cherry.

2. Richard Dyer
Richard Dyer was born in 1945 and is an English academic who is currently holding a professorship in the Department of Film Studies.
He had held a number of visiting professorships in the UK, USA, Italy, Sweden, Denmark and Germany and has specialized in the
relationship between entertainment and representations of race, secuality, and gender.
In media terms “pop performer” and “pop star” are not the same thing, pop stars have an identity or persona which is not restricted
solely to their musicianship, a reason so many pop performers are described as pop stars is that they are quickly promoted to this
status by their management. Famous boyfriend/girlfriends, attendance at premieres/parties, stories in magazines etc can make it easy
to become someone who has a famous identity or persona. Someone who is a true pop star has a lasting significance which
automatically makes them ‘important’ and is worthy of attention. They also have a “brand awareness” amongst a wider market over a
period of time. Many pop stars will be forgotten by their most avid fans which means they no longer show a keen interest or enthusiasm
in them anymore as some pop star have not made a sufficient sociological or cultural impact to be classified as true stars according to
Richard Dyer's’ definition.
Richard Dyer’s theory is the idea that states that icons such as Katy Perry etc are manufactured by institutions for financial profit, he
also states that stars are constructed to represent ‘real people’ experiencing real emotions so that they can fit in with the audience.

3. Dyer’s theory in 4 sections
1. Stars as construction
2. Industry and audience
3. Ideology and culture
4. Character and personality

4. The hip hop and R&B singer Nicki Minaj fits into Richard
Dyer’s idea of a star
Nicki Minaj is not actually her name it is a stage name, her real name is Onika Tanya Maraj who is born on the 8th of
December 1982. She is a Trinidadian born American rapper, singer-songwriter and actress. She signed a recording contract
with Young Money Entertainment in 2009 before getting a contact she earned public attention after releasing three mixtapes
between 2007-09.

5. Stars as construction
Stars are represented as being “real people” who experience real emotions etc. They are
constructed and are artificial images. A unique selling point helps if their image contains
one of these as they can be copied or parodied, Justin Bieber’s famous “hair flip” and
Madonna’s conical bra are one of these USPs. A lot of stars nowadays such as Katy Perry
and Ariana Grande have used this iconical bra from the early 1990s to help them and it
worked.
“A star is an image not a real person that is constructed out of a range of materials
such as advertising, magazines and also films (music)” this is what Dyer proposed.
Young Money Entertainment constructed Nicki Minaj by making her first appearance wild
by letting her wear crazy wigs and absurd outfits which makes her stand out and more
noticeable. However Nicki Minaj is more tame nowadays wearing classy outfits and
keeping her hair simple and ‘natural’, the way she has transformed overtime helped keep
her in the spotlight showing her wacky days to her calm days.
Before After

6. Industry and Audience
There are purposes for the stars to be manufactures by the music industry, they take money out of the audiences by them
doing concerts and merchandise etc, the main ones are buying their records and just becoming their fan. Tv shows such as
‘The Voice’ and ‘The X Factor’ show us how record companies nurture and shape their stars, they tend to manufacture what
the audience ‘wants’ or so them may seem, this is why many boybands nature seems ‘photocopied’ as they’re all the same
or similar in a way.
The industry has provided us with a range of commodities with all a different appeal , playing different types of music and
producing new stars is one way to achieve this, a younger audience would always appeal to this, PSY - Gangnam Style was
a very famous song back in 2012, people from various ages were copying the moves and were trying to sing along even if it
was in a different language. Another way to produce a star with a long-lasting appeal is once their band is established they
can cater to a fan audience for decades, Rolling Stones and Nirvana have done this and their still icons to this day.
Nicki Minaj’s persona is constantly changing to help model the new trends that are being set. Her fashion for one has
changed the most, she has gone with a more elegant and classy style but still showing some cleavage as that is what guys
‘like’, her hair also changes colour depending on what trend there is and to also set trends.

7. Ideology and culture
Today Stars represent shared cultural values and attitudes, and to promote a certain ideology. Interests in these values
from audiences will enhance their ‘star quality’, stars may initiate a fashion trend which can make the majority of their fans
and the public copy their hairstyle, fashion and also their personality. Social media is a good opportunity for celebrities such
as Lady Gaga to establish their values outside of their musical world. Lady Gaga tweets frequently about issues to do with
LGBT which is Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgenders, her fans who are called ‘Little Monsters’ engage with this
topic just as much as she expects them to listen to her music. Another example is Katy Perry who uses her social media
sites to help against feminism and to make them aware of what is happen.
Nicki Minaj has over 20+ million followers on Twitter and over 42+ million likes on facebook, she also has a wide following
on many social media sites she is on such as instagram, and in magazine articles as well. Nicki Minaj can be seen as a role
model to many different people especially the ones that are her fans called ‘Barbz’, however as she has a barbie doll
persona people can mistake her for being fake, even though she has had plastic surgery which may influence some of her
fans to do this also. Fans will start to copy her actions if they think of her as a role model.

8. Character and Personality
Before a star is born they start as a ‘real’ human and is later on constructed and transformed into
something the audience wants to see. Star’s provide audiences women of what they want them to look
like, this is why photoshop is used, it creates an image of a ‘perfect’ women, this is why most models are
thin. On the other hand pop star's establish their character and personality through songs and
performance and for their first debut album they will thrive for success and immediate star identity. More
control over their persona is within their songs they produce and create, Dyer suggests that stars are
made to make money.
Nicki Minaj has become a worldwide known celebrity throughout the years but along with this she has
made changes to fit in with society and the trends and looks. Nicki Minaj has had plastic surgery on her
assets as a lot of men think that it is necessary and is attractive.