Representation and star image

1. By StefanoTowell

2.  The idea of voyeurism comes from Sigmund Freud and it originally
refers to the notion that erotic pleasure might be gained by looking
at a sexual object – when the “sexual object” is unaware that they are
being watched at all.
 This particular idea has been used in a variety of music videos in the
sense that women have been sexualised by the dominance of the
males.
 This particular idea has been used in many ways but perhaps the
most frequent “style” is where characters are shown watching the
sexual objects through aTV, Camera or anything similar to this.

3.  In complete contrast to the previous term, this term focuses more on independent female
artists such as Lady Gaga and how they are supposedly in control of the sexualised gaze
being put on them – artists like this have added a complexity to the politics of looking and
gender/cultural debates.
 A lot has been written about the representation of women in terms of race, e.g. the
recent trend of sexualised Jamaican style dance moves, within rap music videos, which
are influencing mainstream artist’s performance styles.
 The debate however is extremely polarised – is the cynical exploitation of the female
body within music videos simply used to increase profit margins? Or is it a life enhancing
assertion of female self-confidence and sexual independence or perhaps that due to the
long periods of being viewed for the male gaze women have t see themselves only for the
males’ eyes.
 Encapsulating this is the ‘queer gaze’ – the representation of a male/female artist covertly
addresses a homosexual and heterosexual audience, e.g. Madonna and Kylie Minogue.

4. ‘Star Power’ can take several forms:
 One of which being the economic power through earnings generated
by the sales of associated products – cinema tickets, merchandise
and CD’s being only a few of these.
 Artistic Power – this is when an artist has creative control over their
own image and how it is seen by the media.
 The last one if Ideological Power in relation to their influence over
their audience – this could potentially take the form of fashion,
attitude or even both.

5. Richard Dyer (1979) said that ‘a star is an image constructed from a range of
material’, for pop music artists these particular materials include:
 The songs in relation to their lyrical themes and musical structures/genres.
 The Covers of the Artists CD’s – the image of the star they present.
 Media Coverage, for example, interviews about the artist’s private life and
career all the way through to gossip in the tabloids.
 Live Performance – the image they present through their live shows
Music videos, which could be argued to be the most important aspect in building
star image, may draw upon the image presented in other media.

6. This is how a star is presented or perceived by an audience, this encompasses or
the characteristic of the artist and may be a combination of conscious construction
by the media industry for which the artist works and of extra-textual publicity in
other media. The actual construction of the star can only be controlled by the star
themselves and their employers up to a particular point, especially in the age of
magazines and tabloid media. The music promo has a particular role to play in the
construction of a pop star’s image, this is done by creating an associated
iconography – visual features that may regularly accompany the star during live
performances, such as the mise-en-scene of the star. This construction can be
reinforced through the notion of authenticity of performance where the audience
perceives the song lyrics as a direct reflection of the star’s inner or outer persona.

7.  ‘Star Vehicle’ is a product which is constructed around the image of the star in
order to promote the star – the prime example being a music video.
 The music videos essentially act as a showcase for the star’s talents and
playing a significant part in the construction and maintenance of their
image/brand.
 Each video may draw upon its predecessor both in terms of reinforcing the
star’s image and taking their image further or even to subvert it and create a
new one entirely.
 This would particularly apply to stars who have had lengthy careers.

8. In response to the Beetles in the UK, The Monkees were created in the USA. The four
members of the band were selected for how they would look and come across on TV – a
similar concept which has become a lot familiar with the creation of boy bands in the 90’s
right up to the mass amount of singing contests which are around today, such as X Factor.
Shortly after this music videos started to throw some artist’s into stardom without the
traditional method of live performances. The emphasis on image, performance and
choreography and the use of Close-Up shots have arguably been helpful to the success of
female artists. Goodwin argued that the female artist nowadays is objectified in a regular
basis, and this is often seen through the combination of camerawork and editing with
shots which emphasise a sexualised treatment of the star. The voyeuristic approach, to
the female body, seen within male music videos is often very apparent, with the use of
dancers as embellishments on the male artist’s ego. This idea becomes more complex
when we see the male body on display – the ‘female gaze’. This is where women exercise
their own power by looking at men as sexual objects opposed to the other way around.