Following a start Image

Stars and Stardom:

·         It is important to consider the roles of music stars; the term ‘star’ refers to the semi-mythological set of meanings constructed around music performers in order to sell the performer to a large and loyal audience.

·         A ‘star’ is a product, which we make people into.

Richard Dyer

·         Stars have some key features in common:

-          A star is an image, not a real person, that is constructed, out of a range of materials

-          Stars are commodities produced and consumed on the strength of their meanings.

-          Stars depend upon a range of subsidiary media – magazines, tv, radion, the internet. To construct an image for themselves which will be marketed to their target audiences.

-          Stars have an image that is made up of a range of meanings which are attractive to the target audience.

Some common values of music stardom:

·         Youthfulness

·         Rebellion

·         Sexual magnetism

·         An anti-authoritarian attitude

·         Originality

·         Creativity/talent

·         Aggression/anger

·         A disregard for social values relating to drugs, sex and polite behaviour

·         Conspicuous consumption, of sex, drugs and material goods

·         Success against the odds

·         Fundamentally, the star image is incoherent, incomplete and ‘open’ Dyer says that this is because it is based upon two key paradoxes.

·         Paradox 1: The star must be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary for the consumer

·         Paradox 2: the star must be simultaneously present and absent for the consumer