Research & analysis of a star & Dyer's theory

Richard Dyer's Star theory

According to Richard Dyer, a star refers to the semi-methodological set of meanings constructed around music performers in order to sell the performer to a mass audience. This is achieved through the artist's image which may involve a selection of the most common values of stardom which include:

• Youthfulness

• Rebellion

• Sexual magnetism

• Originality

• Creative/talent

• Aggression

• Success against the odds

• Disregard for social values such as drugs and sex

• Conspicuous consumption of sex, drugs and material goods

According to the theory, a 'star' is not considered to be a real person but an image constructed out for a range of materials such as advertising. A star is therefore a commodity that is produced on the strength of their meanings. Their image which depends on a range of subsidiary media is then marketed to their audience. The star's image is incoherent meaning it is incomplete and open. This ensures that audiences continually strive to complete or make sense of the image. Performance seems to promise the completion of the image but is rather unsatisfying. This leads to fans being determined to continue consuming the star in order to carry on attempting to complete the image. The star image is based upon two paradoxes:

paradox 1) the star must be simultaneously ordinary (relatable) and extra-ordinary for the consumer
paradox 2) the star must be simultaneously present (in the media) and absent for the consumer

Britney Spears is one of many artists who have entered the music industry at a young age and are still existent in the market. This is achieved through prolonging their career through adjusting their image to target a specific audience. They therefore go through drastic changes throughout the years. Britney Spears entered the music industry with a unique selling point of being an innocent youthful female. A contrast is created between her past and present image as the innocence is rarely visible in order to present the audience with a more mature artist who has grown up. A variety of the music videos that have been released at different stages of her career have been analysed in terms of:
1)Artist image
2)Audience
3)Goodwin's theory
4)Genre characteristics

...Baby One More Time

Britney Spears' image has evolved throughout the duration of her career in the music industry. Her first song '...Baby one more time' was officially released in September of 1998. The music video features a student from a Catholic high school performing to the song which refers to regretting breaking up with her boyfriend. Her image as a 'school girl' which consists of a pleated skirt and pigtails contribute to her innocence which her first song portrays.

Britney Spears being at a young age of 17 when her first song was released meant her music was aimed at a younger audience. This is reinforced by the environment of the music video; a school being relatable to a teenage audience. This setting is displayed through many different conventions such as a close up of a school bell and the diegetic sound of a ticking clock. and The lyrics of the song referring to a break up is also considered as a subject that many teenage girls can relate to.
Britney's first video represents her as a young teenage girl daydreaming about her love interest whilst in a classroom. This reflects the lives of her teenage fans which makes the video highly relatable.

According to Goodwin's theory lyrics may be parallel to visuals; in Britney Spear's first song '.. Baby one more time', this is clearly visible. The lyrics 'my loneliness is killing me' are reflected by the singer being isolated whilst a close up is able to show her emotion. This also illustrates Goodwin's theory in use as the demand for close ups of the artist is met. This is done in order to emphasise the artist's facial expression and therefore emotions felt which allows the audience to relate to the artist and therefore build a relationship.

There are no references to voyeuristic treatment of the female video. As this is the music video in which Britney Spears entered the market, and at a young age, she is presented in an innocent way and so there is no significant emphasis placed upon her figure. This is also due to her target audience which is made up of young individuals; both teenagers and potentially young girls. The artist is also of a young age herself and so a sexualised image would be deemed inappropriate. There is also no inter-textual reference as the video is aimed at a young audience who may not even be aware of brands. There is therefore no need for advertising as the audience may not have an interest or may not be able to afford items that could be worn or simply advertised by the artist.

Goodwin's theory states that music videos demonstrate genre characteristics. As Britney Spears belongs to the pop music industry and her first song is of a teen pop genre, a dance routine is involved.This is suitable for the audience which consists of individuals who are likely to learn the dance routine. The music video is therefore performance based however it also involves some narrative due to the artist being in a classroom thinking of her love interest. This is conventional for a pop song.

Womanizer

'Womanizer' released in 2009 provoked major controversy due to the provocative material featured in the music video. Unlike Britney's first song which portrayed her youthful innocence, 'Womanizer' presents Britney as a provocative young woman.

After the release of her seventh album, she is now 30 years old. Rather than suffering from a loss of sales due to producing music which is not of the same style as in the previous years, her audience has grown up and matured alongside her. Although the genre of the music has not changed, the style has. This is visible by the variance of lyrics; from a teenage crush to the experience of a womanizing man. The video to 'Womanizer' is of a different style however it is still relatable of her fans due to the topic of relationships which is a topic conventional of the pop genre.

According to Goodwin's theory,there is a frequent reference to notion of looking and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body. This is applied throughout the video in which Britney is seen naked and therefore portrayed as appealing to men; the visuals linked to the song title 'Womanizer'. Her being exposed is suggestive of her vulnerability caused by men treating women insignificantly. The demand for close ups is also met as the artist's facial expressions are emphasised through the use of such camera shots. A close up of the artist's face is visible on numerous accounts throughout the video; most in the steam room setting in which the artist is nude. Intertextual references in the music video aren't common however a product placement is visible when the male checks the calendar on his mobile phone; a Nokia 5800 XpressMusic.

Womanizer' is an uptempo electropop and so demonstrates characteristics of that genre. The music video demonstrates genre characteristics such as the involvement of a dance routine. This allows the audience to learn and mimic the routine in order to aspire to be like the artist. As a dance routine is visible in most of Britney's music videos, this is a consistent feature which the audience seek. The artist also changes in terms of costume which provides the audience with a variety of scenarios in which the artist is presented in a different way. The constant costume changes provide excitement and are also conventional of the pop genre.

Work B**ch

The music video to 'Work B**ch' released in 2013 does not present a major change in the way the artist has been presented in past videos. Britney maintains her provocative image which emphasises her transition from a teenage pop star to an adult sex symbol. However the video may be considered to be more erratic due to its sexual nature in terms of the props used. This prevents the audience from losing interest in the artist as the image is constantly evolving. 

The audience of the music video is likely to consist of teenagers and young adults, potentially adults also. The song is upbeat and provides the audience with excitement. Accompanied by a fast choreography and a change in costume, it follows the conventions which the audience seek in Britney's music videos.

Goodwin's theory element; a relationship between the lyrics and visuals is present in the video. The lyrics which refer to the need to work hard in order to achieve anything in life are illustrated through the use of a whip which conveys force. When lyrics refer to a Lamborghini, it is also shown which not only displays a relationship between what is heard and seen but is also an inter-textual reference. This presents the artist's lifestyle which is due to working hard as suggested by the lyrics. Inter textual evidence is also displayed with the artists's own perfume on the dressing table. This is a promotion of the product. 

Throughout the video, there is voyeuristic treatment of the female body. As Britney's image relies on her sex appeal, she is shown carrying out provocative dance movements. This would appeal to the target audience who expect to see Britney in minimal outfits that emphasise her figure. The demand for close ups is also met in order to show the performance aspect of the song i.e. the artist singing. 

Once again, a dance routine is featured adding a performance based aspect to the video. This suits the target audience who are likely to imitate the choreography. This is conventional of the genre and is an expectation of Britney's audience. 

Applying Richard Dyer's theory 

1)How does the video represent the artist?
The artist is presented in varied ways dependent on the stage of her career. Her first video emphasises her youth and innocence. Her target audience clearly consists of young adults who are able to relate to both her lyrics and the environment of the video. In 'Womanizer', a contrasting representation of the artist is shown with Britney Spears having a more mature and 'sexual' appeal. Her lyrics are aimed at an older audience that can understand or potentially relate to the the concept of a womanizer.

2)Can the artist be viewed as a product?
The drastic changes in the artist's image and the material produced display the significance of adapting in order to target a certain market. This suggests that all actions of a 'star' have a purpose of increasing the awareness of the artist through promotion which then has an impact on the sales and the overall sucess of the star. The star can therefore be seen as a product as opposed to an individual that is able to present herself in a way which gives a true reflection.

3)Is the artist both ordinary and extraordinary?
In her first video, the artist is presented in an ordinary way due to the way in which she is presented as a young Catholic girl in an educational environment. She can however be considered extraordinadry due to her talent i.e. performing the song as well as choreography. 'Womanizer' provides less of an ordinary representation of the artist due to her taking on a variety of roles as well as being undressed during parts of the video. Her ordinary self  is best presented by a long shot of her in a kitchen where she cooks for the man, suggestive of a traditional female role.

4)Does the video place fans for or against hegemony?
Hegemony refers to a predominant influence the artist has on the audience.