Star Theory

Richard Dyer

Richard Dyer, an English academic, and proposed star theory which is an idea that artists are manufactured by institutions for financial purposes. Dyer believes that artists are constructed through artificial images such as advertising, films, magazines and music in order to appeal to a target audience. As a result of this record labels have to market different artists to cater for certain target audiences as there are both ‘niche’ and ‘mainstream’ markets. Island Records have mainstream artists such as Ariana Grande, Drake and Disclosure while also catering for a niche market with artists: Gotye, Half Moon Run and Bombay Bicycle Club.

Ariana Grande, evidently has a target audience
of young teen girls.

Half Moon Run, a typical look for an alternative rock band-
more emphasis on the music than on their appearance.

He also claims that consumers prefer artists to not be groomed by record labels who try to create fake/artificial images for them. It is better for the artists to convey their true emotions themselves as the audience can then identify with them. A “real” artist can use this as their unique selling point. An example of this is Adele, who is not 'image' focused.

Promotion - Ideology And Culture

Another one of Dyers beliefs within his Star Theory is that artists become trendsetters in the sense that audience members will imitate hairstyles and artists clothing styles. Artists may also have certain religious beliefs and cultural values that audiences may also pick up on if shared by the artist. The growth of the internet and the proliferation of hardware has meant that audiences now have far greater, quicker access to the “personal” lives of stars. Social network sites such as Twitter and Facebook are often bombarded by fans/fan pages that follow, promote and communicate with the official page of the artists.

Stars support hegemony

Artists support the ideas of hegemony, proposed by Gramsci, which describes how society uses cultural institutions to maintain power in capitalist societies. They are presented as 'real' human beings, just glorified versions of 'us'.

Representation in music videos

Music videos offer signs and symbols that send out specific messages relating to race and gender identities. American hip-hop artist, Drake conforms to the stereotypical African-American rap which focuses greatly on a "rags to riches" type lifestyle. His song "Started From The Bottom" conforms to this racial stereotype and gives the audience something to look up to.

Drake as a young boy, succeeding in 'soccer' at school

Drake working at a local supermarket, a typical first job

Drake now wearing expensive chains with a sports car, 

a display of his wealth and success

Deconstructing Britney Spears (1998)

Britney Spears raises interesting issues regarding female identity in pop music. Spears was initially viewed as a role model for the teen girl market. From a gender perspective, Britney’s identity is placed securely within a male-dominated industry that manufactures limited stereotypes of femininity.

Early videos:

- Surrounded by ‘girlie iconography’ for example: bedroom culture, dolls, dressing up with friends, hanging out, applying make-up

- Teen pigtails to complete the image

- Choreographed dance routines create the desire to be part of ‘her gang’.

However, is this music video purely about a young girl having fun with friends? Is it exploitative and empowering? We can view this music video using Laura Mulvey's theory about the "male gaze". Britney Spears is viewed as an object of male erotic desire as she wears a low-cut top and skirt which both show a considerable amount of flesh. Likewise, her choreographed dance routine shows off her body in a sexual manner. The lyrics can also be interpreted in this way. This contrasts the cute 'girlie' image that she is conveying on the surface. Although she is the active character in this music video and has the most agency, the audience is forced to identify with the male gaze when taking the mise-en-scene into consideration. Mulvey's theory displays how music videos reflect patriarchal society as well as cinema does and reveals Britney Spears, the young, "innocent" teen, in an exploitative way.

Nevertheless, Britney’s songs and video narratives express teen girl identity, the concerns and reflections. By 2000, we see Britney in a different light. She ultimately 'grows' with her audience therefore her image changes with time.

"From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart" shows Britney leaving home and having troubles in her love life like most typical teenage girls as they enter adulthood.



A year later, with “I’m Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman” (2001) from film “Crossroads”, she is constructed as role model. The music video quite literally explores tensions of growing up and passage journey from childish innocence as a "girl" to realities of adult life as a "woman". But yet again, Britney remains an object of male erotic desire:

1) Representation of Britney Spears as a girl. She wears white which represents innocence and youth. The top does not reveal any flesh and her facial expression is soft and youthful.

2) Representation of Britney as a woman. She wears a similar white blouse but she falls under the male gaze again because it is low cut - she wears low cut denim shorts to match. Her body language and facial expression is open and sexual.

As she continues to move on in her career, her image is changed from "innocent schoolgirl" to "empowering woman". "Overprotected" (2002) is empowering to women in the sense that she is no longer a girl and should not be told what to wear. She made the music video in response to watching a news report on her wearing few clothes. She felt that it should not be a criticism but rather an act of empowerment and feeling confident in body image etc.

Modern Britney

When it comes to gender debates, her music videos are a polysemic text. Her career has evolved from ‘Teen Princess’ with connotations of innocence and girliness to a half naked woman who performs for a male audience in FHM and Loaded. Both identities are stereotypical visions of femininity as presented in a range of media texts. The effect of these evolving images is shown in Britney's more recent videos, in particular: "Hold It Against Me" (2011). She literally banishes these images with different colours of a paint-like substance as she rises up on a platform in a long white dress. The white dress represents the new, 'fresh' image in contrast to the artificiality of the media on the numerous screens surrounding her. As she rises up above the screens she is stating that she is either bigger than the media or that she can take over and manipulate it with ease. There is a conflict scene at around 2:45 where we see her fighting with a twin version of herself. I interpret this as an internal conflict; she is attempting to rid herself of the past in terms of her career and personal life.