Richard Dyer is a British academic who specializes in film studies. His star theory examines how a celebrity's public image and persona ("star") is constructed through four elements: construction, ideology, commodity, and paradox. Specifically, Dyer argues that a star's personality is shaped by how they present themselves through media like interviews and photos. Their ideology or message appeals to certain fans, and stars also sell merchandise to make money beyond their artistic work. Finally, stars must seem both ordinary enough for fans to relate to but also extraordinary and unattainable in some way.