Here is a summary of a theory we learnt at class today with our Media Studies teacher (Mr Nick). It’s about the Theory of Stardom by Richard Dyer which helped us build our star’s image for our music video project. This blogpost is summarized by Rara and Audrey, however some of the celebrity research was done by Kalista and Chelsea as well.
Richard Dyer’s theory suggests that celebrities are constructed by media institutions to attract their target audience and promote their product. The celebrities are portrayed as a mix of relatable qualities (to appear ordinary) and unique traits (to appeal to fans). It focuses on how the image of the star is vital to the marketing to build both commercial success and a deep emotional connection with fans.
Dyer believes that a duality of a ‘reel’ and ‘real’ persona of a celebrity keeps audiences engaged.
REEL persona: A curated version of themselves, designed to fit the expectations of an audience (such as Performances, Music videos, social media)
REAL persona: The authentic personality of the individual—the way they are in their personal life, away from the public eye (such as Interviews, documentaries, behind-the-scenes footage)
Celebrities are appealing due to 5 main reasons:
Love: We are fascinated with the love lives of the stars, can also feel a romantic affiliation with them
Ordinariness: We like to see them doing routine things, living normal lives just like our own
Success: We like the idea of overnight success, and failure before success. This appeals to our sense of fair play. (Why we like reality TV so much)
Consumption: We are fascinated by the huge material wealth brought by media success. Not just luxury homes and cars, but also strict dietary regimes set by expensive nutritionists, holidays etc.
Dream turned sour (downfall): The one thing we enjoy more than building up a celebrity is tearing one down. We like to exploit their misery.
Here are two celebrities that we researched and analyzed upon in detailed.
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