Importance of pop stars' visual images

Why is the visual image of a pop star important?

its what sells their music! no-ones going to listen to music made by someone they don't like! or someone who presents values that they dont agree with! its like saying someone who's been into old skool hip hop will suddenly start listening to heavy metal! this is rarely the case as people already have their own preference and tastes in music, so pop stars will have to conform to this! they are made in a way that presents these views for their given audience. and if their image was bad, i.e. they had bad press and their music had different values to their target audiences, then not many people would listen to their music and spend money on them! Richard Dyer explains star theory, which is all about how pop stars are created to make money out of audiences! which is the whole idea behind why making the visual image of an artist so appealing!

How did Dyer explain why audiences become fans of particular stars?

Stars represent shared cultural values and attitudes, and will promote a certain ideology. audience interest in these values enhances their 'star quality', and it is through conveying beliefs ideas and opinions outside music that performers help create their star persona ( like Bono, Britney and virginity). a star may initiate a fashion trend, with legions of fans copying their hairstyle and clothing. stars initiate or benefit from cultural discourse, and create an ongoing critical commentary - whether this is in the form of tabloid tattle or serious reviews.

stardom, and star worship in general is a cultural value in itself. ideologies drawn upon include materialism and sexuality. whole sites of institutional support (eg radio & tv shows, magazines) are devoted to stars; we seem to have an insatiable appetite for information about them.

stars also provide us with a focal point for our own cultural thinking - particularly to do with youth and sexuality. Britney spears has generated thousands of column inches of ideaological discussion since her debut - centering around the virgin/whore dialectic, mainly.

How is the star’s visual image used to achieve this?

stars are merely constructions, made to satisfy audience belief, pop stars are made by institutions to match the values of audiences, the way they look is what people themselves wish to look like, the way they act is in a manner in which certain audience types enjoy and admire.