Richard Dyer's Star Theory
Richard Dyer's 'star theory' suggests that stars are constructed to target a specific audience for a financial gain. This can be broken down into audience and institutions, construction and hegemony (cultural beliefs) and the institutions mould the stars image around the target audience for example Kiera Knightly is now typecast as she is now well known for her traditional characters in films. Each movie she is in has used her specifically due to the target audience that she has built up from previous films, and these characters are all traditional so institutions will use her to gain her already attained audience so that their film is better.
This can also relate to Lady Gaga and her extreme fashion which makes her well known. This specific signature will resemble the star and how she differentiates from the other stars similar to her in the same category, she will be more iconic as a pop star due to her outrageous fashion and become and immediate image for this making her reinforce Richard Dyer's 'star theory'.
When this star fits the theory, we can relate to them as they have features we can relate, aspire or admire to which then develops us to form and idolization towards them. However there can be some constraints to this idolizations towards them and wanting them to be like them as the stars can often abuse the use of drugs and alcohol which some young fans may feel they need to copy to be like the star they idolise so they aren't always good.
Stars are mainly constructed to something that can't be copied by others for example Justin Bieber's hair helped him become a massive icon, Michael Jackson's white glove, Daft Punk's masks. These are features that make them recognisable to the audience and also something that can't be copied by others. This image is also reinforced by the use of media press such as magazine articles boosting the image of Justin Bieber's hair.
The stars are constructed for a severe purpose, to make money out of the audience. They respond to elements of the stars persona by buying records and becoming fans, this wouldn't be done if it wasn't for the iconic images. Justin Bieber has fans cutting their hair the same as him, Joey Essex from the hit show 'The Only Way Is Essex' also had millions changing their fashion sense to be like him and cutting their hair and changing the way they talk to be like him which will in turn make more money for him and his managers. They will continue to construct his image in the show to make him more and more popular so that more and more people will watch it and get higher views and rating which will bring in more money.
Culture is also brought into Richard Dyer's 'star theory' as icons such as Shakira often use other cultures in their music and the way they represent themselves. She is shown in some of her videos to be wearing clothes similar to a particular culture such as Waka Waka which was filmed in Africa with other African people in the background and she took this cultural influence and made her video and music more culturally diverse by singing, dressing and dancing like they do. This different style music coming from a pop artist made her stand out and become very iconic so that more and more people would buy the song which then made her manager and institute more money.
​Psychology can also be brought into Richard Dyer's 'star theory' as the majority of people will dress a certain way to match that of an iconic star and others will then conform and copy them so that they then don't stand out to not be copying them. Having a conforming audience will also bring in much more money for the institute and for the star themselves.
