Richard Dyer Star Theory

Richard Dyer’s Star Theory is the idea that icons and celebrities are constructed by institutions for financial reasons and are built to attract a specific audience. Dyer’s theory is usually broken down into the following three sections:

• Audience and Institutions
• Constructions
• Hegemony 

Audience and Institutions – Stars are made for financial purposes alone. The institution they are working with then moulds the stars image around the target audience in order to make maximum profits., e.g. Katy Perry

Constructions – The star is built for an audience and is not an actual person (what seems to be). The star is built specifically with someone signature to them that differentiates them from other stars, for example Lady Gaga’s outrageous fashion or Katy Perry’s bright hairstyles.

Hegemony – Many fans can relate to the star because they have a factor which they admire about them or share with them. Many fans then develop the admiration into a form of idolization which can often be so intense that fans attempt to copy many habits of the star regardless of whether they are good or bad, these habits can also become trends.