Richard Dyer Star Theory

1. Richard Dyer Star Theory
Representation Theory

2. The Idea that icons and celebrities are constructed by institutions for
financial reasons and are built to target a specific audience or group of
people. Dyers theory is broken down into 3 sections:
 Audience and institutions- make money, control weight/image
 Construction- a persona is created for the audience to identify with
 Hegemony (cultural beliefs)
Dyer states:
 “Stars are commodities that are produced by institutions”
 “A star is constructed image represented across a range of media
and mediums”
 “Stars represents and embody certain ideologies”
Dyer’s Theory..

3. For Example:
Beyoncé
Attractive
Style/fashion
Married someone
famous
TV appearances
Confident
Ambitious
Happy Personality
Powerful lyrics

4. Constructions
The star is built for an audience and is not an actual person, a persona is created
for the audience to identify with and so stars can differentiate between different
stars and why they are like them or not. The star is built specifically with someone's
signature to them that differentiates them from other stars e.g. Lady Gaga
Hegemony
(leadership or dominance, especially by one state or social group over others)- we
relate to the star because they have a feature that we admire or share with them.
Develops idolization. Some people might try to replicate what they like about the
star. However could be negative as some take drugs etc.

5. ‘A star is an image not a real person
that is constructed (as any other
aspect of friction is) out of a range of
materials (e.g. advertising magazines
etc as well as film and music)’