Star Theory: Richard Dyer

What is Dyer's theory?

- Dyer believes a star is an image not a 'real person'. The celebrities are constructed out of different materials (e.g. music, films, performances). They are commodities produced to represent 'real person' experiencing real feelings in order to relate to the audiences and sell their products (music, films etc).

Three main features to form Dyer's Theory

• The star as a construction
• The star as a commodity
• The star as an ideology

Iconic Image

• Creating an iconic image that can be easily associated with the celebrity and helping them to sell their star image.
• For example, Michael Jackson

 white gloves as his star image 

The star image is incoherent, Dyer says that this is based upon two key paradoxes.

Paradox 1: 

"The star must be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary for the consume."

Paradox 2:

"The star must be simultaneously present and absent for the consumer."

Example:

Ed Sheeran

His iconic image is most likely to be his casual clothing and guitar, maybe his glasses.

There are always stuff around him taking pictures of him, such as...

which suggest 'the star as a construction'