Star Image

What is a Star Image?

Richard Dyer came up with the Star Image theory which basically describes how celebrities are constructed, artificial images to suit whatever audience they want/are told to appeal to.  Dyer proposed that:

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]).

It is also assumed that music stars have the advantage over film stars and depend more on a consistent image rather than their creative input into the industry. Also the niche audience has an impact on what a star becomes, because the aim of the industry is to make money and various aspects of a star's persona will sell to an audience if they are interesting which is why the image of celebrities change over time, to appeal to a range of audiences. Dyer said:

Stars are commodities produced and consumed on the strength of their meanings.

Ideology and culture also add to a celebrity's star image because it enhances their values and can interest various people, for example Lady Gaga uses social networks to express her thoughts on LGBT issues. Various people become interested in her ideologies and may keep a tab on what is happening because of her.

Character and personality also contribute to a star image, people get attention for what they look like and then what values and traits they have. For example, when Justin Bieber began to act against social norms with arrests due to speeding and assault he lost a fraction of his fan base because they disliked the personality he had come to obtain. Stars also give people an idea of what they aspire to look like for example most female music stars (e.g. Taylor Swift) are thin and beautiful which can either have a good or bad impact on an audience because they feel like they should look like that.

Regardless of these factors, star images are created so that the music industry can make money. Artists like One Direction barely write any of their own songs but they are attractive to their niche audience and have good singing voices which is why they are so well-known, whilst the writers and producers of these songs/music videos will get hardly any credit.

An example of how a star image has changed over time is Ariana Grande, a famous, young pop-star. At the beginning of her career she was on a children's show 'Victorious' and seemed very sweet and innocent, then she began a music career and remained sweet and innocent for only a matter of time until she had to change her persona. Her body quickly became sexualised when she performed her big hits, always wearing skimpy outfits and dancing in a sexual manner. This happened because as she became older her audience changed and she wanted to produce music that would suit her older age group to represent her growing up. However this is an example of how a star changed over time to suit a wider range audience and make more money for the music industry.