Richard Dyer's star theory states that celebrities are constructed images meant to appeal to target audiences and make money for institutions. Stars conform to certain ideologies and are given crafted personas by institutions to represent and embody cultural beliefs that audiences want to consume. Their images are modified based on what the target audience considers ideal. To be a star, one must take on this constructed image fully and act as a leader that people will follow and look up to.

1. Richard Dyer
Star Theory

2. The Theory
• Dyers theory states that in order to be a star you have to conform to certain
ideologies.
• Icons and celebrities are constructed by institutions for financial reasons and
are built to target a specific audience so that they can make money.
• This is the artists job.
• The idea is…To be a leader and make people follow you. (audiences)

3. What he states…
• “Stars are commodities that are produced by institutions”
• “A star is a constructed image, represented across a range of media
mediums”
• “Stars represent and embody certain ideology”
• “They are given themselves a persona to appeal to the public”

4. Breaking up the theory
The Theory can be broken up into 3 sections…
• Audience and Institution
• Construction
• Hegemony (cultural beliefs)

5. Audience and Institution
• Stars are made to make money.
• Audiences want to consume what they think/are made to believe are the
ideal.
• The institution then modify the stars image around the target audience.
For example: X-Factor contestants are made to; -lose weight, get nicer teeth,
better hair and skin, and are basically transformed into the audiences ‘ideal’.
• X-Factor want the full package – The personality, performance and the looks
– as this makes a star.

6. Construction
• The star is built for an audience and is not an actual person, a
persona is created for the audience to identify with.
• This is so that they can differentiate between other stars.
Lady GaGa puts on
a persona and
separates herself
from the rest by
wearing wacky
outfits like this.

7. Hegemony (Leadership/dominance)
• We relate to the celebrity because they have a feature that we admire or share
with them – this develops from admiration or idolisation.
• Some audiences attempt to replicate what they like about the star. For
example: the perfect figure or fashion sense.
• To be a star they have to be this all the time.
• They are to be looked up to, for us to follow and for us to understand life in
the sense that this is what we should be.
• They usually have a USP. (Unique Selling Point)

8. Richard Dyer
“A star is an image, not a real person, that is
constructed (as any other aspect of fiction is) out of
a range of materials (eg. Magazines, music, films)”
-1979