Research: Dyer's 'Star Theory'

What is star theory?

The term ‘star’ refers to the set of meanings constructed around singers in order to sell their music to a mainstream or loyal audience, but mainly mainstream money. Star theory is an ideology put across the music video industry by Richard Dyer, about the different images artists present to the audience. Richard Dyer was a media theorist who also went into analyzing music videos, he stated that star image is incoherent, that half of it is incomplete and ‘open’.

For years, the media society has been confused with the difference between a pop star and a performer, as the two have distinguished differences and can be identified with careful analyzing. A performer may or may not be famous, but will still perform their music to their loyal fans no matter the turn out, they’re more for fans enjoying their music than creating a stand out image because of their social life or controversies, and it is clear performers don’t stand out within the music industry for their star image, but more for their music. Whereas a pop star will be recognized for their social life and their actions behind all that music production. A pop star generates an image constructed to an audience to increase the chances of fame and attention within the music industry. However, there is a contrasting difference to be made between those who are simply known for performing pop music and those who are known for being pop stars. Pop performers are described as pop stars promoted to this status by their management, a strong example of synergy. A true pop star does have a lasting significance and carries a trait of ‘brand awareness’ amongst a wider market over a period of time.

Richard Dyer carried on with his theory and stated two more ideologies, the first being that ‘the star must be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary for the consumer’, simple explanation of that is the artist might relate to the audience, but they will also have to have the ability to blow you away while doing this, artists such as Beyonce, Rihanna are examples of this ideology, a song like ‘Man Down’ is a simple song about the female character being raped and then murdering the rapist, but it is shown and conveyed in such a way the audience can relate but still be drawn back by the video and the artists performance. The second ideology was that, ‘the star must be simultaneously present and absent for the customer’, the idea that the artists are making so much music at one point, they then take a break and leave the music scene for a bit while fans and audiences enjoy their recent crop of music not even noticing the absence of their star.

Stars and construction

Richard Dyer had stated there were four characteristics of his star theory, with stars and construction being one of them. Dyer stated that stars are constructed through music videos, advertising and magazines, then nurtured into what the music industry needs to allow for more fame and success. An artificial image is created to benefit the star and increase their chances of success, it may go against the artists’ morals as they may not do what they do to audiences in the comfort of their own home and away from the camera, but it is a beneficial action and artists prosper from it.

However, it tends to help if the artist has a unique selling point as someone like Nicki Minaj has attained sexual attraction from within the music industry by allowing cameras to see her voluptuous body and can help to achieve a lasting star image for her.

Industry and audience

Dyer stated that stars are made for money purposes only. Further increasing the brand identity benefits the institution the artist is signed to as they go on to become a household name, which increases sales in all of the media platforms they subside in. This is an opportunity for the institution to model and manipulate the artist to suit the target audience of their choice, and also the audience they thrive more from in terms of feedback, sales and fan support.

An example of this would be Annie Lennox, as in accordance to Dyer, she has been modeled around charity work to ensure the audience can see this as an act of respect and humble compassion for helping others, this allows the audience to relate to her as a person and also her music.

Ideology and culture

Onto ideology and culture, it is a sincere topic as this can generate both negative and positive reaction from the audience. With the introduction of social networking, pop stars have the opportunity to establish their own values outside their music, such as their personal beliefs and life lessons.

Social networking apps such as Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram amongst many others help fans to connect with their favourite artists on a bigger scale by seeing what they get up to on a day to day basis and what they prefer in food, and clothing style, which can influence fans to follow suite and copy. Stars represent cultural values and attitudes, and promote a certain ideology, audience interest in these values enhances their star ‘quality’.

Character and personality

Within character and personality, Dyer stated rather esoteric statements on them. He went with the ideology that the star is a construct, but that the construct has a foundation with strands of realism, with stars going on to provide audiences with a focus for ideas of ‘what people are supposed to be like’. This gives them the opportunity to allow for audiences and fans to relate on an average persons’ life, and attracting audience attention.

Further stating that stars may support Hedgemony by conforming to a dominant cultural ideology of audiences loving the slim, petite and beautiful star. It is rare but artists will go to change that and provide a clear difference, by being ‘fat’ yet staying this lovable character. Artists such as Cee-Lo Green and Meghan Trainor may not be as slim as other artists in the music industry, but audiences will still listen to their music and return positive feedback.

Control and how much artists/bands have on star image

Artists rarely have any control of how they come across in the media. The main negative of generating a star image is the impact it has on the artist, as they may not be the same person on screen, behind it. Even an artists’ social life could be controlled by the institution they are signed to, in order to keep mainstream attention at a high, gaining more and more attention from social headlines and controversial situations. How Miley Cyrus went from a Disney star to a rather immaculate young pop star, continuously exposing her body in controversial fashion, nobody knows but the main finger is pointed at the record label and institution of which she is signed to. This may be the reason why some artists would prefer not to sign to a record company and instead form their own label and go independent. 

This is a common thing in the industry and several artists have gone on to have successful careers by failing to sign to a record company and instead take their own path to success, many British artists do this in comparison to American artists. Another common agenda is the constant use of the triangle in the eye, linking it to the conspiracy that ‘Illuminati’ control everything and grant you imminent success within the music industry, many artists use it to attract attention and further corrupt the media with speculation that the industry is using this to attract attention to artists who needed that little controversial push to get them to where they are now. Fetty Wap, Kanye West, Chris Brown, Jay-Z and Rihanna, amongst many others, are the most famous names to have been put under the same window as illuminati cult followers, or worshippers of the devil.

Conclusion 

This theory is really important and can be used to generate attention around the artist, the smallest things could place an artist on the music map just like that. Allowing for the increase of a chance of success in the industry. Controversies can project the artist into the media industry, which in turn attracts more audiences as they are noticed through another form of media such as the front page of a newspaper, or in the news and even a magazine. I may represent my artist/band as being rather joyful and stand out. This can be influenced through intertextuality and different uses of synergy. I may go for the controversy but I would prefer my artist/band to be a performer rather than maintain a star image quality. This is something I would further discuss with my group and see how we can adapt this to our artist/band.