2. Starter Task
• Is Laura Mulvey’s theory proved correct? Are
women seen as sexual objects in the media?
Explain.
• What could be a down fall of Mulvey’s theory?
• Why do you think the media portrays women
in this way?
3. Down falls of Mulveys theory
• Women are seen as sexual objects in the media
and are there for voyeuristic pleasure. However
they may like to represent themself in such ways
as they feel powerful and desirable to both males
and females.
• Media also portrays men in a sexual way and are
now more sexualized for women to seek pleasure
from.
• Because the media has influenced how women
are represented it is hard to change that
perception.
4. Aims
• To understand the key areas of Richard Dyers
Star theory.
• To be able to apply this theory to ‘stars’ in the
media.
• To summerise the star theory in a shooting
star
5. Task 1
• In the centre of your page write down the
name of your favourite pop star.
• Create a mind map stating the reasons why/
what makes this person a star, what qualities
do they possess that makes them a star and
not just a celebrity?
6. Richard Dyer Star Theory
• Richard Dyer’s Star Theory is 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. Dyer’s theory can be broken down
into 3 sections:
• Audience and Institutions
• Constructions
• Hegemony (Cultural Beliefs)
7. He states
• “stars are commodities that are produced by
institutions”
• “A star is a constructed image, represented
across a range of media and mediums”
• “stars represent and embody certain
ideologies”
8. • Audience and Institutions – Stars are made to
make money for that purpose alone. Audiences
want to consume what they think is the ideal (or
made to believe is the ideal. The institution then
modifies the stars image around the target
audience. They make a star based on what they
think the audience want, think of X-factor
auditions they are looking for the ‘full package’
they want to please the audience as they are
what will make the star a success or not.
10. • Constructions – The star is built for an audience
and is not an actual person, a persona is created
for the audience to identity with and so stars
can differentiate between different stars and
why they like them or not. The star is built
specifically with someone's signature to them
that differentiates them from other stars, for
example Lady Gaga’s outrageous fashion, Katy
Perry’s bright hairstyles, Amy Winehouse's
beehive and eyeliner.
11. • Hegemony (Leadership or dominance, especially
by one state or social group over others)– We
relate to the the star because they have a feature
that we admire or share with them. This develops
from an admiration into an idolization. Some
people may attempt to replicate what they like
about the star, but this can be negative as even
though stars are seen as role models. Some times
these stars can be bad role models as the pressure
of the media takes its toll and they engage in
behavior which may be negative this may impact
on how the audience act as they may copy
negative actions as the believe this to be ‘cool’.
Girls often tend to want to be slim and beautiful,
and men muscular and in shape.
12. • Richard Dyer says that Stars are constructed to an audience
so they can relate to them. Stars are made to be consumed
and made money from, they are ‘personas’ not real people.
• Pop stars often have a persona so people can relate to
them, it also helps if they have a USP so an audience can
copy off them and create an ideology based on the stars.
• Dyer states “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 (e.g. advertising magazines etc as well
as films and music)” 1979
• Stars are made and groomed to meet the expectations of
an audience, we can link to Mulveys theory of the male
gaze as being a star comes with expectations and one of
these expectations is to be looked at as a desirable person.
• A pop star is an ‘image’ presented to an audience.
13. What are our expectations of the
following?
• Boy band:
• Girl band:
• Female solo artist:
• Male solo artist:
• Because stars are constructed, we are made to
have expectations of these stars. They have the
same ideology so audiences keep consuming.
15. • Stars construct ‘characters’ to create an
identity to appeal to a mass audience.
• Sometimes these characters may become
icons and enables the star to be known.
• Stars present an idea to an audience. We think
we know lady Ga Ga is ‘weird’ or is it all an act
to create a relationship with a consuming
audience?
16. Summary
1) STARS AS CONSTRUCTIONS
• Constructed, artificial images - advertising, magazines, films and music.
Good if they have a Unique Selling Point which makes them different
• Record companies groom starts (artificial constructions) - we have more
respect for them if they groom themselves
• We want to believe that stars convey their real emotions to us but in
most cases this is not so.
2) INDUSTRY AND AUDIENCES
• Stars are manufactured to make money from audiences for record labels
(institutions).
• "X Factor" – creates photocopied stars who repeatedly churn out what
they think we want
• Audiences need to feel they can associate with the star and connect with
them in some way.
17. • 3) IDEOLOGY AND CULTURE
• Stars create cultural values and attitudes - audiences may
share these beliefs - e.g. The Jonas Brothers - wearing of purity
rings.
• A star may initiate a fashion trend/hairstyle/clothing/copied
by audience - e.g Cheryl Cole’s out fit ‘fight for this love’ Amy
Winehouse and her beehive hair and eyeliner.
• Stars influence our culture. Stars have the power to shape
societies ideology so therefore need to be positive.
• 4) CHARACTER AND PERSONALITY
• Presented as 'real' human beings, even though they are
constructions.
• Stars support hegemony/dominant ideology of their time/
generation - glorified versions of 'us’.
• Stars are representations of the contradictions/reinforced
ideas of the music industry.
18. Task
• Fill your star with everything you have learnt
about Richard Dyers Star theory.
• High light areas in green you feel confident
with.
• Yellow a little unsure
• Red if you do not understand
