Theories: Dyer's Star Theory

In Media Studies, you look at media products. These are manufactured carefully. Their message is considered, their audience is researched and they are targeted. The hope is that not only will as many people as possible engage with our product but also that as many of them as possible will have a preferred reading of the product.

You might think your favourite star is special, but the reality is that they've been manufactured by a process just like every other product in the media!

The same is true of the celebrities that appear in these media products as well. Film stars, musicians, sportspeople and those who appear in the adverts, TV shows, videogames or films that you study are all manufactured like the products themselves. Managed well, a celebrity is a great vehicle for the company managing them to make lots of media products and ensure both attentive audiences and a stream of revenue for a long time. Consider how much money Taylor Swift or Bruno Mars have made for their record labels - and not just all at once, but steadily over a number of years.

The celebrities you see are just characters or star personas. Even if the celebrity is using their own name, they're actors pretending to be someone else. Dyer also says that this star persona will have a unique selling point - something that makes them stand out from other stars in their genre without being too different (and yes, Neale's genre theory applies here!) A star's hair colour, costume, musical style, catch phrase, off-screen behaviour or more could be their unique selling point. It's all just an act. What Dyer calls a meta-narrative. Their appearance, mannerisms, behaviour, attitudes, beliefs, responses and energy will be totally different on stage or in front of a camera compared with when they're walking around the supermarket on a weekend! Your favourite star is just a creation, manufactured, a story! The real person underneath is potentially very different and supported by a huge team of people with a wealth of different expertise.

Here's a really simple example. Compare the stage Taylor Swift on the left with the real-life Taylor Swift on the right. The left image is the result of a manufacturing process. Note the significant differences in hair, makeup and attitude.

The Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars you know from the music videos will be different to the people known by those stars friends, family and colleagues. In fact, it's for this reason that many celebrities can be completely unrecognisable in public or are noticeably different when giving interviews. That's important, because Dyer says that there are two paradoxes when it comes to stars. There are two ways in which they exist in two different states that it should be impossible to exist in together and at the same time. They are at once ordinary and extraordinary. They need to be just like us while at the same time somehow being better - perhaps more talented, gifted, successful or attractive. Remember, though, that a lot of this talent/success/attraction is manufactured with hair, makeup, costume, editing, sound design and all the tricks of the media trade!

So your favourite celebrity will appear to be a much better singer than you (the truth is, it's usually just really good sound editing) but will also be a parent of children, just like many of their audience. Another example could be a celebrity who seems to be much fitter, faster and stronger than you (it's amazing what CGI can do, isn't it? Take a look at the featurette above!) yet they are pictured jogging to the shops on a Saturday morning, much like you might. Gossip magazines and newspaper columns particularly like to catch this ordinary side of celebrities, photographing them when trying to lead their private lives doing the same, everyday things that you and I do, thus diminishing this star power.

Social media means some celebrities feel closer than ever before. In many cases, this is still an illusion, and the social media account is in fact run by a staffer. For some celebrities, though, that's not the case!

Dyer's second paradox is that a star is both present and absent. We see and hear them absolutely everywhere while at the same time being completely unable to reach them. Some of the most private celebrities manage the absence very well, with little clue as to what they get up to off stage or off camera. Others will refuse to answer questions about their personal lives for fear that the answer will take away from a desirable or marketable part of their star persona. Many celebrities rely on the attraction and desirability that their fans feel for them, for example, and so won't answer questions on their love life lest a fan's illusion be broken by the answer! On the other hand, both social media and the hunger for celebrity news mean that some celebrities are becoming more present and accessible than ever before.

Lady Gaga is one of the best examples of a celebrity who has gone through a number of meta-narratives. Think about all the different looks and phases of her career.

Dyer says that the more we consume a celebrity's products, the more we complete this star image. Both the fans and the celebrities themselves can cause the meta-narrative to shift and change. Perhaps a gossip column reveals a less than savoury detail about a celebrity's private life, or the celebrity themselves chooses to totally change their style, stage a comeback or something else to refocus attention on themselves in a new way. It's why the talent managers and public relations staff of celebrities can sometimes even manufacture feuds with other celebrities, small scandals and more - anything to refocus public attention on the celebrity and their products. For those working to bring a celebrity to life, there's only one thing worse than audiences talking about the celebrity, and that is not talking about them at all!