Richard Dyer's Star Theory discusses how record labels construct and market artists to appeal to target audiences. Artists can become trendsetters by influencing fans' styles and beliefs. Stars are presented as "real" people to support dominant ideologies. Music videos use signifiers of gender and race to appeal to genres' audiences. Britney Spears' early videos emphasized girly stereotypes but her 2007 videos showed personal struggles as her custody battle played out.

1. Star Theory
Richard Dyer

2. Stars As Constructions
• Dyer believes artists are constructed through artificial images such as advertising, films,
magazines and music.
• He claims that consumers prefer artists to convey their true emotions themselves and not be
groomed by record labels who try to create a fake image for them.
• A “real” artist can use this as their unique selling point.
• Ed Sheeran is a great modern example for this as he writes his own music and he also creates it
using a 'loop pedal' in his own unique way. His image has not been changed due to the fame, he
has not created a fake image to his audience which makes him a unique artist.
Industry And Audiences
• Richard Dyer also believes that stars are manufactured to make
money for their record labels by appealing to target audiences.
• As a result of this record labels have to market different artists to
cater for certain target audiences as there are both ‘niche’ and
‘mainstream’ markets.

3. Ideology And Culture
• Another one of Dyers beliefs within his Star Theory is that artists become trendsetters in the sense that audience
members will imitate hairstyles and artists clothing styles. An example of this for modern day can be Cheryl Cole. She has
been known to have a name as the ‘hottest female celebrity’ in which everyone wanted to be like her. She has a very well
known tattoo on her hand which many people have copied as way of setting a trend.
• Artists may have certain religious beliefs and cultural values that audiences may also pick up on if shared by the artist. An
example of this is Bob Dylan from the 1960’s. He was very anti-Vietnam war and wrote many famous protest songs. His
fans idolised him and also started to demonstrate against the war in Washington.
• The internet has meant audiences now have far greater access to the “personal” lives of stars. Nicki Minaj has been very
popular over the social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook. Many fans idolise her and would follow her further onto
these particular sites which they then can follow her steps along the way.

4. Stars support Hegemony
• Presented as 'real' human beings
• Stars support hegemony/dominant ideology of their time/ generation - glorified versions of 'us‘.
• Leadership or dominance, especially by one state or social group over others.
• Gramsci is best known for his theory of cultural hegemony, which describes how states use cultural institutions to maintain
power in capitalist societies.
• Drake is a very well known rapper in American in which has had a number 1 hit ‘Started from the bottom’. In this music
video he reinforces the American Dream by saying that if you try hard enough you can end up with what he has. He
wanted to imply that he started with nothing now he has made it to being a millionaire. As in this music video he has been
seen to going past huge houses, in a Bentley wearing a Rolex. These things can show dominance and can idolise many
young people in wanting to follow his footsteps.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RubBzkZzpUA

5. Representation in Music Videos.
• The music industry creates and promotes artists within clearly defined genres (categories) – rock, rap etc.
• These genres offer signifiers (signs / symbols that send out specific messages) relating to race and gender
identities.
• A good example of this may be a very popular rap artist known as Tyga. He has been very successful in his
music career in which he can afford many garments and cars. Tyga is a black rapper and may be a stereotype
to the rap music video genre. In many black rap artists’ music videos, cars, garments, drugs, women and
money are mostly shown in all of them. Tyga has produced a music video which shows all of the
stereotypical elements of a rap music video. Within this music video, following Laura Mulvey’s theory, we are
looking from ‘the male gaze’ as many women wearing barely any clothes are shown to the audience.
http://youtu.be/b-J95fYuVz4

6. Deconstructing Britney Spears
• Britney spears was a very iconic solo artist in the late 90’s-early 2000’s. Britney raised interesting issues
regarding female identity in pop music. She initially viewed as a role model for the teen girl market. Britney's
identity is places securely within a male-dominated industry that manufactures limited stereotypes of
femininity. In her early videos. Britney was surrounded by ‘girlie iconography’ in which she was made to have
a very girlie bedroom culture such as pink bedrooms ,dolls, dressing up with friends, hanging out, and
applying makeup. Britney was known for her pigtails which completed the image also it was an iconic look
which all of her fans would want to have. Britney had many choreographs dance routines to desire to be a
part of ‘her gang’. The most popular was her dance routine in the ‘one more time’ music video in 1998. She
was dressed like a typical popular school girl with her girl band, pigtails and many boys looking at her. Many
teenagers would learn this dance and would do it with their friends at party's or discos.
http://youtu.be/C-u5WLJ9Yk4

7. Deconstructing Britney Spears (2007-2008)
• In early 2007, Britney’s very close aunt died of ovarian cancer, in which a month later Britney ended up spending a night in
a drug rehabilitation facility in Antigua for less that a day. The following night, she shaved her hair off with electric clippers
at a hair salon in Tarzana, Los Angeles. She admitted herself to other treatment facilities during the following week. In
October 2007, Britney lost physical custody of her children to Federline. The reasons of the court ruling were not revealed
to the public. She was also sued by Louis Vuitton over her 2005 music video “Do Somethin” for upholstering her Hummer
interior in counterfeit Louis Vuitton cherry blossom fabric, which resulted in the video being banned on European TV
stations.
• In January 2008, Britney refused to relinquish custody of her sons to Federline’s representatives. She was hospitalised at
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after police that arrived at her house noted she appeared to be under the influence of an illict
substance. The following day, her visitation rights were suspended at an emergence court hearing, and Federline was given
sole physical and legal custody of the children. She was committed to the psychiatric ward of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical
Center and put on 5150 involuntary psychiatric hold.

8. “Hold it Against Me” (2011)
In 2011, Britney made an appearance back to the music industry bringing out “Hold it against me”. This music
video consists of her in a futuristic world, in a wedding dress, surrounded by videos of her past. Jeremy Bentham
came up with the theory of panopticonprison which means being trapped in your own image. This music video
really relates to this theory as she is trapped in a dress in a room with old videos that reflect her past. The lyrics
of the song “hold it against me” implies that she is apologizing to her fans for what she became, and is asking
whether they will still hold it against her. The scene where she is fighting with herself shows that she wasn’t
happy with who she was and wanted to destroy what she became. Also, the old music videos from her past
shown in the background shows that she wants to go back to the star she was, however she knows she cant so
she leaves it behind her. This music video was constructed very well, although not all of the lyrics relate to her
life, it still gives out a meaning for people to analyse that it is a meaningful and creative music video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-
Edv8Onsrgg