This document discusses how Lady Gaga fits Richard Dyer's star theory across five categories: 1) lasting significance and brand awareness, 2) being a constructed artificial image with a unique style, 3) being a product of the music industry before and after fame, 4) having a unique fashion sense that creates a fan base despite not being easily copied, and 5) representing a "wild child" persona that alters preconceptions of womanhood. The document analyzes aspects of Lady Gaga's career and public image in relation to Dyer's conceptualization of what defines a pop star.

1. Lady Gaga

2. 1. How do you become a
pop star
• Well placed news stories:
“Lady Gaga might be a
hermaphrodite”
• Famous
boyfriend/girlfriend: Taylor
Kinney - Actor
• Attendance at premieres
and parties: “Lady Gaga at
‘The Great Gatsby’
premiere”
• Features in magazines:
Vogue

3. • As Richard Dyer says, “A true pop star does
have a lasting significance, and has “brand
awareness” amongst a wider market over a
period of time.” As Lady Gaga does have a
lasting significance and brand awareness, she
fits Dyer’s star theory.

4. 2. Stars As Constructions
• Constructed artificial image
• Unique Selling Point/Iconic Representation:
sense of fashion/style
Lady Gaga wears ‘meat dress’
to MTV Music Video Awards

5. • Richard Dyer says, “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 advertising, magazines etc. as well as films
[music]).” As Lady Gaga is an image and most
definitely not a real person, she fits Dyer’s star
theory.

6. 3. Industry and Audience
• Product of their record company/manager.
• E.g. Lady Gaga before and after she became
famous.
Before After

7. • Richard Dyer says, “Stars are commodities
produced and consumed on the strength of
their meanings.” As Lady Gaga was made to
produce a physical embodiment pop-
culture, she fits Dyer’s star theory exactly.

8. 4. Ideology and Culture
• Lady Gaga has a unique fashion sense that is
almost impossible to copy. This makes her
difficult to idealise. It is however because of
her fashion sense and image she portrays that
has created her fan base.

9. • As Richard Dyer’s theory suggests that a star’s
fashion must start a trend that fans can copy
and Lady Gaga does not do this, it may fail in
this part. However as her fashion still sparks a
fan base, Lady Gaga meets Dyer’s theory.

10. 5. Character and
Personality
• Similarly to industry and
audience, Lady Gaga was
created. Before her name
was Stephanie Germanotta
but her stage name ‘Lady
Gaga’ has become the
persona that everyone
chooses to call her by. She is
made to be presented as a
‘wild child’ someone to
idolise as the inner workings
of a woman’s mind rather
than what women represent
in the physical sense.

11. • Richard Dyer says, “Stars are representations
of persons which reinforce, legitimate or
occasionally alter the prevalent
preconceptions of what it is to be a human
being in this society.” As Lady Gaga does this
she fits Richard Dyer’s star theory.