This document provides an overview of key concepts and theories to help analyze Beyonce's star image and representation in her "Formation" music video. It introduces bell hooks' feminist theory of intersectionality and how her work challenges considering gender in relation to race, class, and sex. Richard Dyer's star theory is also summarized, which views stars as constructed commodities that communicate ideology to appeal to audiences. The document poses questions for analyzing how Beyonce's star image has developed over time and how she is represented physically and through lyrics in "Formation" to construct her image and convey possible political messages.

1. LINKS TO THE EXAM

2. LEARNING AIMS
• To consolidate your knowledge and understanding of bell hooks
feminist theory.
• To develop knowledge and understanding of Dyer’s star theory.
• To analyse Beyonce’s star image by applying Dyer’s star theory.
• To critically examine how Beyonce is being represented
throughout the formation music video.

3. BELL HOOKS
FEMINIST
THEORY
A N I N T R O D U C T I O N

4. BELL HOOKS FEMINIST
THEORY

5. • Gloria Jean Watkins (born September 25, 1952)
• American author, professor, feminist, and social activist.
• Noting a lack of diverse voices in popular feminist theory, hooks
published Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center in 1984
bell hooks

6. FEMINIST THEORY
• Feminism is the struggle to end patriarchal oppression.
• Argues that if feminism seeks to make women equal to men, then it
is impossible because in Western society, not all men are equal.
• hooks challenged feminists to consider gender's relation to race,
class, and sex, a concept which came to be known as
intersectionality.
• Intersectionality refers to the intertwined relationship of race, class
and gender and what hook describes as their ability to produce and
perpetuate systems of oppression and class domination.

7. INTERSECTIONALITY OF
FEMINISM
Oppression
Race
GenderClass
The intersectionality of
race, class and gender, and
what she describes as their
ability to produce and
perpetuate systems of
oppression and class
domination
Consider how white working
class women may have a
different set of oppressions
linked to their class that white
middle class women may not
endure.
Then consider how black or other
ethnic minority women may have
a different set of oppressions
linked to their race that white
middle class or working class
women may not endure.

8. Watch the video from 28
minutes-38 minutes to hear
the section where bell hooks
discusses Beyonce’s
representation on Time
Magazine.
Beyonce Carter-Knowles
A role model for the
oppressed or a ‘cultural
terrorist’?

9. LINKS TO THE EXAM

10. REPRESENTATION OF STAR
IMAGE
• What is the main purpose of a music video?
• To promote and sell an artist’s song to the audience. Music videos
are a marketing tool which helps to construct and also promote the
star’s image.
• Star’s image (physical appearance/ values and beliefs)
• Music videos therefore help to establish a relationship with the
artist’s star image and the audience. Music videos in this sense can
be seen as a ‘star vehicle’ selling its product (the star's image and
song’) to the audience to make profit for the record company and
the artist.

11. DYER’S STAR THEORY
• Dyer states that stars and celebrities are created as either:
– A construction
– A commodity
– An ideology
• The star or celebrity are constructed (made, built, moulded) by the
media with a USP, or ideology, to appeal to their target audience.
• The purpose of this is to communicate their ideology and utilise the
star/celebrity as a commodity.

12. BEYONCE’S STAR IMAGE

13. BEYONCE’S STAR IMAGE
Key Questions to consider:
• How has Beyonce’s star image developed over time?
From’ Sasha Fierce’ to’ Mrs Carter’ to ‘Yonce’

14. INTRODUCING ‘YONCE’

15. WHY ‘YONCE’?
• What other factors or changes in the music industry might
have influenced Beyonce’s decision to construct a new alter
ego?
• Consider any social issues or the representation of other pop/
rnb female artisists at the time and how this might have helped
shape Beyonce’s new star image.
• Is Beyonce’s image just simply the product of a male dominated
music industry?

17. BEYONCE THE
FEMINIST/POLITICAL ACTIVIST
AND PHILANTHROPIST?
• Consider whether social context has helped to construct
Beyonce’s star image in terms of her values and beliefs – what
does she stand really stand for?
• Consider how a male dominated music industry has helped to
construct Beyonce’s star image in terms of her physical
appearance (overall styling and dress) how is she being
physically represented in the formation music video?

18. STAR IMAGE

19. READING HOMEWORK
Read the following articles and answer
the questions on the next slide
• https://www.indiewire.com/2016/02/heres-the-problem-with-
beyonces-formation-video-22050/
• https://www.salon.com/2016/05/17/bell_hooks_vs_beyonce_wh
at_the_feminist_scholarly_critique_gets_wrong_about_lemonad
e_and_liberation/

20. 1. Do you think the Formation music video seeks to offer representations of feminist ideology? use examples
from the video to support your points
2. ​To what extent does the music video challenge sexist/patriarchal oppression?
3. Has the feminist interpretation in Formation been overemphasised or misinterpreted in the video? Is the
video perhaps less concerned about portraying a specific feminist stance and more about Beyoncé's wider
concerns around racism and police brutality in modern day America?
4. How has Beyoncé been represented throughout the music video?
- describe her onscreen persona (which characteristics/personal attributes does she seem to posses e.g.
strong powerful woman? A leader? A 'star' etc, Beyoncé have a consistent representation or multiple
representations throughout the video? Why do you think this is? How has Beyoncé's representation been
constructed?( consider dress, hair/make up/camera shots and any significant lyrics that help to construct
her star image).
5. ​Does the physical representation of Beyonce reinforce and possibly condone the objectification of women?
6. ​Is Beyoncé exploiting the pain of New Orleans people for her own financial gain?
7. ​Is Beyoncé adopting feminism as a lifestyle choice to sell music or has she made a political commitment to
feminism?
8. As bell hooks suggests, is Beyoncé less of a feminist because she wears revealing clothes and uses her
body and sexual appeal to sell music?
9. ​Are the political messages less valid or questionable because they are packaged in a music video, which is
essentially a vehicle to promote Beyonce's star image and more financial gain? Or is Beyonce simply
‘playing the game’?
KEY QUESTIONS