Star Theory

Richard Dyer - Star Theory

Richard Dyers star theory is the idea that icons and celebrities are manufactured by institutions for financial gain. He believes that stars are constructed to represent 'real people' experiencing real emotions. Stars are manufactured by the music industry to serve a purpose; to make money out of audience, who respond to various elements of a star’s personality by buying records and becoming fans. 

His theory is split into three sections:

1. Audiences and Institutions 

2. Constitutions 

3. Hegemony

Audience and Institutions 

Stars are made for money purposes alone. Increasing the brand identity benefits the institution as they become a household name increasing sales in all of the media platforms they are in.  The institution then models the artist around the target audience they choose. For example Lady Gaga, according to Dyer, was modeled around fashion forward people so the audience can relate to her as a person and also her music. 

Britney spears

Britney Spears is a well known artist. She is an actress as well as a singer and since signing with Jive Records in 1997 she has been successful in the music industry internationally. In her early days of her music career she was represented as a girly artist. She wore pink, had her hair in pigtails and wore make up. In her video "Baby One More Time" her dance routine was choreographed in a way to make the audience desire to be in her gang. Her look was branded to suit the record label. The whole music video enhances the idea of innocence and purity.

However, she later changed her image to be a more sexualised singer, which was in order to please the record label and to enhance her image, supporting Richard Dyer's Star Theory.  An example of this sexualised version of Britney was "Oops!... I Did It Again", where she wore a full body suit of Red Spandex. This was a much more mature version of Britney, which was created in order to please the record label and to conform to Richard Dyer's Star Theory.