Research: Dyer’s ‘Star Theory’

Star Theory.

What is star theory?

Star Theory is a theory around what makes a star and how singers sell their music to mainstream or a about what makes someone a star. However, star theory is how a star is made.
niche audience as well as a loyal audience. The theory relates to mainstream music, however, can be applied to niche audiences as well. Star images are constructed to promote someone as well as make more money and to gain more audience to watch the music video. The theory differs from the concept of star image which is

Who is Richard Dyer and what is his theory?

Richard Dyer was born in 1945 and is the theorist behind star theory. He said the following about Star Theory:
Star theory is "incoherent, incomplete and 'open' this is because
“The star must be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary for the consumer to identify with and aspire to be.”
“The star must be simultaneously present and absent for the consumer.''
There are four elements to be recognised as a star;
Stars and Constructions
Industry and Audience
Ideology and Culture
Character and Personality.

What is a difference between a performer and a pop star?

A performer is when a talented individual or group who perform songs does it in an entertaining way
. Although they may not be as popular or famous compared to other performers. However, a pop star is when the performer starts getting a large fan base and promoted by management to the point where they are recognisable by large amounts of people because of their behaviour or their talent. However, a pop star isn’t just someone who talented enough to gain a large amount of audience, it is also a person who has a lasting impact on the music industry.

Stars as constructions

One of Dyer's ideas is that stars be constructions of the music industry or an artificial idea of a pop star. An example of this idea being applied is to shows like X-factor and Pop Idol. These shows have a major effect on the music industry since the music industry can and will influence these contestants’ which then may be seen as construction. Another example of this would be Justin Bieber. Several years ago, Justin Bieber started off his career with YouTube videos and his singing was good enough for him to get over a million hits on each video which led to him being picked up by a music label which then led to his success. This came at a cost since his attitude and personality has changed a lot and he has got himself in various amounts of trouble as well as caused a large amount of controversy such as getting trouble with fans for being late, drug abuse and got himself in serious trouble with the police. All his music is also based on his life or popular culture.

Industry and audience

Another of Dyer's ideas about pop stars is how the music industry affects the audience as well as the connections between the industry and audience. As I mentioned previously where I talked about constructions of how pop stars and shows like X-factor and Pop Idol can influence stars in regards of behaviour and the music they produce. However, it can affect the relationship between audience and the industry. Stars are mainly used as a way of making money from a star’s image and to make a lot of money from the audience. Record companies try to make money by finding out what is currently popular and make sure that the music that the stars are producing are aimed at what is currently popular. Moreover, they may try to attract a larger audience by making music that appeals to different groups.

Ideology and culture

Some artists will have their ideology and/or beliefs included in their music videos or when they talk about it on social media or on talk shows. This is done because the star may want to influence the audience on certain decisions Also it allows the audience to have a connection to the artists. An example of this would be Beyoncé, since in most of her music videos and music are aimed at women and trying to influence them to become more independent and should not be controlled or dependent on men. Most of her fan base and audience is mostly women and it is a good thing when artists try to convince fans and their audience to do the right thing. Another issue is Stars also represent popular culture since most of them will need to keep up with what’s happening currently around the world or at least in the west to stay relevant.

Character and personality

Dyer also talks about how character and personality do influence a star image. It is important that stars have they own character and personality since they don’t want the audience to think that the artists are seemed bland and reparative also important because it helps create a connection between the star and the audience. Also, it provides the audience with the idea of what they should be like or how they should be like. This, however, depends on the star/artist ideology. An example of a unique personality and character would be Miley Cyrus since she has changed a lot since leaving Disney. She has a unique personality which she is known for because of the music videos she has done in the past and how controversial they are.

How much control do artists/bands have on their star image?

This can vary from artist to artist and band to band. Because of various factors such as when they producing the music. Who is the recorded company they are working for; Is the music they are producing mainstream or niche and how did they become popular. Since they are varying amount of controls depending on those circumstances. Most of the time they will have a large amount of control on how they should be portrayed to the public. Music intuitions may instruct the artist on how to improve or adapt their image to meet the target audience expectations or keeping them relevant and how to make sure they are still noticed.

Conclusion

Richard Dyer's theory is important since it talks about what is a star and how an artist’s success can
depend on various factors, such as their image, personality and character and how they are portrayed to the audience. Dyer's theory also explains the role of music institutions on how they influence artists star image as well. Without a star image, the artist maybe is seen as “incomplete” or “lacking in areas.” While researching about Dyer's theory I also thought about how I should represent the artist/band during the music video that I will be making. It depends on the music, however, the artists should be portrayed as a genuine person as well as someone who is relatable to the public. Since I am looking at doing music in the Hip Hop or Rap genre it also needs to be representative of that genre as well. The music video needs to appeal to a larger and mainstream audience, therefore, I should follow the conventions of that genre.