This document discusses theories of stardom and the construction of star images. It explains that a star is an image, not a real person, that is constructed through various materials like music, videos, interviews and other media. Stars are commodities that are marketed and consumed by audiences. The star image is "incoherent" in that it presents stars as both ordinary and extraordinary, and both present and absent, creating an incomplete image that fans strive to make sense of through continued consumption. This ensures the ongoing commercial success of the star. The document also discusses how star images can position audiences in relation to social values and norms.

1. Representation of...
 Stars 

2. Representation
 An image and an idea.

3. Stars & Stardom
 ‘Sometimes I just wish I could put
records out anonymously’ – Lou Reed

4. Think about Stardom
Meta-Narrative
Myth
Star
Qualities
Super Star Commodity

5. Create a Pop Star’s Life Story
 Where were they born
 What sort of life did they
have before stardom
 What sort of stories
circulate about them?
 How is their life event
reflected in their music?
 How are their personal
values and beliefs
expressed in their music?

6. Synergise the Star
 How can you use the
star image in other
media products?
 How can you use the
music in other media
products
 What benefit may be
gained by exploiting
the star in this way?

7. The Myth of Stardom
 In our society what
do we believe about:
• The nature of stars
• What benefits do they
get from being a star?
• In what ways are they
like us?
• I what ways are they
special?

8. Qualities of Stardom
 What sort of people
are stars?
 What attitudes and
beliefs do they hold?
 What do they do?
 How are they
‘allowed’ or
‘supposed’ to
behave?

9. Retaining Stardom
 Why do some stars
seem to go on and
on and on….
 Why do some stars
seem to be around
for the briefest time?
 What does a star
have to do to stay
around?

10. ...STAR IMAGE?
Your task: analyse a...

11. Task - Using a range of
materials...
..describe the representation of a star/band
image similar to yours...
 Your evidence comes from:
• Biographical information
• Videos / Album Art
• The style / design of promotional materials
• The content of those material
• Material in other media texts about the star(s)
(Meta-narrative)

12. Lana Del Rey

13. Album Art

14. Official Videos

15. Other Media

16. Websites (Official and Fan)

17. Stars & Stardom
Some Star Theory 

18. Richard Dyer
 Dyer has written extensively about the role of
stars in film, TV and music.
 Irrespective of the medium, stars have some
key features in common:
• 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])
• Stars are commodities produced and consumed
on the strength of their meanings.

19. Richard Dyer
 Stars depend upon a range of subsidiary
media (magazines, TV, radio, the web) in order to
construct an image which can be marketed to
their target audiences.
 The star image as commodity is valuable and
can be positively attached to other products
 Music can be consumed in many different
ways and appear in a variety of different media

20. Richard Dyer - Meta-narrative
 Stardom is a meta-narrative and can be
described as ‘mythical’
 Meta-narratives are something we will be studying in
G325 Postmodernism and is something you need to
learn.

21. Stars & Stardom
Some Superstar Theory…

22. Richard Dyer
 Fundamentally, the star image is
incoherent, that is at once ‘incomplete’
and ‘open’. Dyer says that this is
because it is based upon two key
paradoxes.

23. Paradox 1
 The star must be simultaneously
ordinary and extraordinary for the
consumer

24. Paradox 2
 The star must be simultaneously
present and absent for the consumer

25. Fulfilling the promise of
stardom…
 The incoherence of the star image ensures that
audiences continually strive to ‘complete’ or to ‘make
sense of’ of the image
 Completion is thought to be achieved by continued
consumption of the star through his or her products
 In the music industry, performance seems to
promise the completion of the image, but it is always
ultimately unsatisfying
• This means that fans will go away determined to continue
consuming the star in order to carry on attempting to complete
their image

26. Hegemony
 Finally, it can be argued that the star image
can be used to position the consumer in
relation to dominant social values, this is
called ‘hegemony’
• Depending upon the artist, this may mean that the
audience are positioned against the mainstream
(though only to a limited degree, since we are still
consumers within a capitalist system) or within the
mainstream, or somewhere in between.