Richard Dyers Star Theory applied to Pop Stars

Pop performer= someone who merely sings pop, and will probably be forgotten by all but there most avid fans within a few years.

Pop star= musicians who have an identity or persona which is not restricted solely to there musicianship. They have a lasting significance and brand awareness in a wider audience, making both sociological and cultural impacts

Dyer believes that a distinction between the two terms needs to be made, stating that pop performers are often quickly promoted to the status of a pop stars by there management, using tactics such as stories placed in magazines.

Stars= constructed, artificial images created out of a range of materials eg through characteristics created through styling eg Bono’s “fly” sunglasses. They have an advantage over film stars as there image may be much more consistent over a period of time, and not dependent on the creative input of others. They are manufactured by the music industry to serve a purpose of making money that responds to various elements of a star persona by buying records and becoming fans. Stars are shaped and nurtured by their record company to create an image that they think audiences want. Resulting in multiple artists trying to create the same image

 

The industry generally tries to produce artists who belong to a variety of genres to cater for the different age groups in a population. This is done by constantly mutating genres of music, or by creating a star with long lasting appeal.

 However a healthy music industry will develop both types of talent, as younger fans cannot identify with older, long lasting artists.

 Ideology and culture

 With similar cultural values and attitudes, promoting the same ideology whilst audience interest enhances their star quality. Through the rise of social media, now more than ever stars personal opinions are conveyed and establish their own values.

Character and personality

The star begins as a “real” human gender and race characteristic, however they tend to develop into a generalisation of a particular generation, providing the focus for ideas of what people are supposed to look like. Eg by either conforming or going against cultural hegemony. Eg displaying the women to be slim and beautiful or providing a difference eg being fat but still loveable. In other words stars are representations or persons, which reinforce legitimate or occasionally alter the prevalent preconceptions of what it is to be a human in society.

 

I could use this article when producing my own products by choosing stars that either conform or go against cultural hegemony of how a human should be, whilst giving the star a key feature which they can be associated with, which fans an try out to keep themselves engaged.