Richard Dyer | Star image

    Richard Dyer    

Star image

Richard Dyer is a Theorist who had various influential ideas in terms of music culture. In order to understand the relationship between the music industry and its audiences, it is important to consider the roles of music stars. The term ‘Star’ Refers to the semi-mythological set of meanings constructed around music performers in order to sell the performer to a large and loyal audience. Dyer has written extensively about the role of stars in film, TV and music. 'Star image' (his most famous ideology) dictates that: 

Stars are representations of people, they are an image, not a real person, constructed out of a range of materials (advertising, magazines, films). They are merely products created by institutions for financial gain, and target one specific audience.

He encourages that stars are commodities produced and consumed on the strength of their meanings. Stars depend upon a range of subsidiary media - magazines, TV, Radio, the Internet - in order to construct an image for themselves which can be marketed to their target audiences. Dyers theory suggests that stars are made to make money and that purpose alone. Although there is a real human being behind the star, the institution transform the artist in order to ratify the needs of a specific group i.e their target audience. For example one direction were originally styled to look young, clean and fresh, as this is what appealed to their target audience. Through this image they were able to attract millions of fans. However as they grew older and so did their fans, they began to reveal a slightly more grown up and defiant side to the group, it may seem that this was done through leaked videos, and a mistake from the band members, however Dyer would argue that this was all purposeful to create a more anti-establishment, 'cooler' image to appeal to older audiences.

Here are Dyers common values on music stardom, with examples from Miley Cyrus's career:

• Youthfulness (Began as Hannah Montana; a young children's TV star/singer)
• Rebellion (Videos of her taking drugs began to be exposed)
• Sexual magnetism (Wears very revealing and provocative clothing)
• An anti-authoritative attitude (reported to have parked in disabled parking space)
• Originality (Music is fresh and delivers a very unique popular sound)
• Creativity/talent (Very good singer)
• Aggression/anger (songs such as "Cant be tamed" and "Wrecking ball" have an aggressive undertone)
• A disregard for social values relating to drugs sex and polite behaviour (seen doing drugs, lots of provocative pictures have been released, has an overall demeanour which conveys carelessness and a bad attitude.
• success against the odds (this does not necessarily apply to Miley, however it does apply to most rappers: "Started from the bottom now we're here" - Drake

Fundamentally, the star image incoherent that is incomplete and ‘open’. Dyer says that this is because it is based upon two key paradox’s:

Paradox 1: The star must be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary for the consumer

Example: Beyonce has a family, she is a mother figure, and therefore seems like a regular person however at the same time she still seems unbelievably extraordinary to her audience. 

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

Example: Beyonce is often featured in magazines and performing concerts therefore she remains in the public eye. However, she is such a celebrity that she is completely untouchable to the audience. Even at a concert, the audience get the impression that they are meeting her, however there is still a barrier between the artist and her audience meaning she is still untouchable. 

The incoherence of the star image ensures that audiences continually strive to complete or to make sense of the image. This is archived by continued consumption of the star through his or her products. In the music industry, performers seem to promise the completion of the image, but is always ultimately unsatisfying. This means that fans will go away determined to continue the star in order to carry on attempting to complete their image.