2. What is the Star Theory?
The Star Theory, founded by Richard Dyer, suggests that the artist that the
public sees is one of three things (but can be all three):
• The star as a construction
• The star as a commodity
• The star as an ideology
3. The star as a construction
Richard Dyer suggests that the artist we see is not a real
person but an artificial construction of what we think we want to
see in an artist. Their image is constructed to gain attention
from the media and the public and is often done through bold
statements or shocking stage performances such as Miley
Cyrus with Robin Thicke. These moments build an artists image
in the way that their managers and other businessmen want to
see them and not necessarily how the public wants to see
them. Both of these artists would not be at home doing that
type of thing which adds to the fact that they are a construction
in the public eye. This suggestion is backed up by the actual
names of the artists. Lady Gaga, who is famous for her
extravagant music videos and outfits at award shows, is
actually called ‘Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta’ which
adds to her constructed image. It is unlikely that Lady Gaga
walks around the house wearing a meat dress.
4. The star as a commodity
A commodity is defined as ‘a useful or valuable thing’ and is often
associated with raw materials such as oil or coal. In Richard Dyer’s
theory, he suggests that stars are created to create revenue for
the business side of the celebrity. That is often why we see the
star’s merchandise everywhere and them collaborating with other
companies. This is so that both ‘companies’ can benefit off the
collaboration and effectively make more money. This is often seen
in clothing adverts such as Rita Ora’s collaboration with Adidas
which sees her starring in their adverts being contracted to wear
their clothes and footwear. Today we see so many artists working
with other companies to expand their brand and parts of their
audience become frustrated and the frequently-said phrase ‘they
sold out’ is used to show their feelings towards the artist.
5. The star is an ideology
This section of the theory refers to the star as someone that represents a wider social group or idea as
a whole. They could represent women’s power or gay pride which is commonly seen in artists with a
large influence on the public. Public figures such as Beyonce symbolise girl power and this is shown in
her music and on stage as she performs powerfully. Her music specifically inspires her fans to feel
better about themselves and helps her to build herself as an artist. Another example of a star being an
ideology is Logic who represents racial freedom as his new album ‘Everybody’ highlights some of the
main issues in society today.
