'Stars' was Dyer's first full book. In it he developed the idea that the viewers' perception of a film is heavily influenced by the perception of its stars, and that publicity materials and reviews determine the way that audiences experience the film.
His theory suggests a 'star's' construction takes several forms:
The Star is a Construction:
The image of the star has been developed by the star themselves and/or the management team across a wide range of media (advertising etc). It helps if the star has a USP (unique selling point) for example, Lady Gaga's range of headpieces, Madonna's Leotards etc, this construction brings with it connotations of the artist i.e. Lady's Gaga's hats suggest she is eccentric and wants to stand out from the crowd, whereas Madonna's leotards show she wants to be a voyeuristic icon who relates best to the 70/80's style of dress as this was her best era for music.
The Star is a Commodity:
A record company will listen very closely to audience demands and will construct stars that will appeal to the likes and tastes of various different audiences. Stars are constructed to meet audience demand, for example, Girls Aloud were constructed to appeal to a female audience who would most likely try and copy the band's fashion and dance moves. Whereas the Kings of Leon were constructed to appeal to more grungy and down to earth audiences of both males and females.
The Star is an Ideology:
The star represents a set of values and attitudes that reflect audiences own values. For example, Miley Cyrus gained lots of media attention after claiming she is a virgin and wouldn't have sex till she is married - young girl audiences might follow her lead and this could be beneficial to society and its problem of underage sex etc.
Stars are very often connected to religious and/or moral beliefs which connect them to their audiences, an example being Eminem's raps about his life.
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