Richard Dyer – Star Theory

Fabiha Ferdous

• Stars (1979) developed the idea that the viewers perception of a film is heavily influences by the perception of its stars, Publicity materials and reviews determine the way that audiences experience the film.

• “A star is an image not a real person that is constructed (as any other aspect of fiction is) out of a range of materials (e.g advertising, magazines etc as well as films [music])”

Starts as Constructions

• Stars are constructed, artificial images, and even if they are represented as ‘real people’, experiencing real emotions.

• The pop industry tends to make these people seem like they are suppose to be idolized and that the audience must try to be like them even if their representation is far from reality.

• It helps if the image contains a USP. For example Justin Biebers haircut

Berger: Ways of seeing

• The whole book is based on the premise that the way we see things is affected by our knowledge and beliefs. An image is a sight that has been recreated or reproduced. It is a set of appearances, which has been removed from the place and time of its first appearance

• For example, living in a patriarchal society forces us to see men as dominant and superior whilst woman are portrayed as nurturing and sex objects.

Dyer’s Typography1) Re-presentation-this consists of media language, the

conventions which are used to represent the world to the audience

2) being representative of- the extent to which types are used represent social group (social stereotypes)

3) Who is responsible for the representation (institution creating the texts influence)- this is controversial as it is mostly the men in the industry who are responsible for gender representation)

4) What does the audience think is being represented to them?- as we see with our preferred readings, audiences often make different readings from the same texts

Hegemony • Men are represented as dominant and superior due to

the patriarchal society we live in. This is further emphasised through the mis en scene (tall, broad shoulders and aggressive) and the camera shots. The low camera angle allows the audience to view the male as hegemonic.

• Women on the other hand are over sexualised in the media and are portrayed as lustful objects as well as vulnerable. Women are passive and the high angle shots used in many scenes shows how they are week and fragile.

Barthes- symbolic codes• Enigma codes- this code refers to mystery within a text. Clues are

dropped, but no clear answers. This makes the audience want to know more and frustrates the audience.

• Action codes- this code contains sequential elements of action in the text. • Semantic code- This code refers to parts within the text that suggests or

refers to additional meanings. It has a connotative function in the text and is an extra layer of meaning in addition to its literal meaning.

• Symbolic code- This code exercises opposites to show contrast and creates greater meaning, creating tension, drama, and character development

• Referential code- this code refers to anything in the text which refers to an external body of knowledge such as scientific, historical and cultural knowledge.

Perkins- Stereotypes

• Stereotyping is not a simple process and contains a number of assumptions that can be challenged

• 5 such assumptions• Are not always negative• They are not always about minority groups or the

less powerful• They can be held at ones own group• They are not rigid or unchanging• They are not always false