RESEARCH : Who is Richard Dyer and what is his theory?

Who is Richard Dyer?

Richard Dyer is an English academic currently holding a professorship in the Department of Film Studies at King's College London. He Specializing in cinema (particularly Italian cinema), queer theory, and the relationship between entertainment and representations of race, sexuality, and gender.

His Theory:

Richard Dyer's "star" theory is about artists (icons and celebrities) being formed/changed into a specific look for the audience, by the institution, so that they gain a larger target audience and a larger finance.

From this the "star" starts introducing new things such as fashion trends which also helps to gain a larger audience and make money.

3 parts of the theory:

• Audience and Institutions 
• Constructions
• Hegemony (Cultural Beliefs) 

Audience and Institutions 

This is the idea that celebrities and icons are made just for the purpose of money.  They become a household name and increase sales in other media platforms that they are part of.

Constructions 

This is the idea that the institutions change the appearance of the celebrity/icon so that they attract a larger target audience which then also gains a larger amount of money.

Hegemony (Cultural Beliefs) 

Hegemony is the "Culture" that the celebrities/icons portray. If the audience can relate a feature they have with the star (appearance or behavior) they will try to imitate them.  This could have a positive or negative affect on the target audience who attempt to become like their favorite "star". If the celebrity/icon represents a negative culture, it is likely that the audience will impersonate them. For example, in the late 80s to 90s,  the band 'Nirvana'  introduced a new fashion trend , especially with their popular song "Smells like teen spirit" ; the messy look, dirty hair, lose plaid shirts and baggy sweaters. Teenagers who were into 'Nirvana' started dressing like them and behaving in a way that Kurt Cobain did; easy going and slightly reckless.