"Stars As Images” Hollywood and Elvis Richard Dyer
Description: Stars As Images Hollywood and Elvis Richard Dyer Stars (1979) groundbreaking in star studies Radically new way of looking at film stars effects on audiences Influential on all of film studies Heavenly Bodies (1986) how audiences
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slide1. "Stars As Images” Hollywood and Elvis<br>
slide2. Richard Dyer Stars (1979) groundbreaking in star studies
Radically new way of looking at film stars’ effects on audiences
Influential on all of film studies
Heavenly Bodies (1986) how audiences simultaneously consume & construct stars
In the Space of a Song (2011) role of song in film<br>
slide4. “Stars as Images” Stars can only be understood ideologically
Image=visual + verbal and aural
Star images function in relation to contradictions within & between ideologies
Star images seek to mange or resolve conflicts
Subversive stars expose conflicts or offer an alternative to dominant ideology
Studies relationship of stars & ideological constructs<br>
slide5. Image of Stardom Stardom= an image of the way stars live
Combines the special with the ordinary
An articulation of Western Values
Can be ambivalent
Often the anatomy of the life style
Mediated
Not confined to movie stars<br>
slide6. Conspicuous Consumption Thorsten Veblen Theory of the Leisure Class
Conspicuous consumption
The way the wealthy display that fact
Consumption scale
Access to arbiters of taste and style
Shows they don’t have to work
Women crucial in the process<br>
slide8. Idols of Consumption Leo Lowenthal, Frankfurt School
Shift in biographies in popular magazine
At first, idols of production
Between 1901-1941, became idols of consumption
Directly related to leisure time
Stars become models of consumption<br>
slide10. Success Vaudeville built around the myth of success
Film gets its star system from vaudeville
Myth=anyone can get to the top
Class system & old boy network don’t apply
Ordinariness hallmark of stars
The system rewards talent & “specialness”
Lucky breaks typify the career of the star
Hard work & professionalism necessary<br>
slide11. Paradox of Stars Ordinary people who live more expensively than everyone else, but aren’t changed
Wealth & success isolates stars’ qualities but don’t confuse or dilute them
Human attributes exist apart from materiality
Stars represent typical types
But are absent from our daily reality
Specialness is that they’re the only ones who are ordinary<br>
slide12. Social Type (Klapp) “a collective norm of role behavior formed & used by the group
“idealized concept of how people are expected to be or act”
Problems: doesn’t explore their sources
Sees them as positive & useful rather than stereotypes
Useful as description of prevalent types<br>
slide13. The Good Joe Friendly, easy going, fits in, likes people
Dislikes bullies, snobs, authoritarians
Has sympathy for the underdog
Won’t try to dominate others
The central American type
Klapp never asks what it suppresses or conceals<br>
slide15. The Tough Guy Can’t be beaten
Fights others as tough as himself
Displays loyalty to a limited code
Seeks to prove himself
Struggles by himself to make good
Problematic when he’s a hero (Klapp)
Confuses good & bad, presses anti-social into service of society<br>
slide17. The Pin-up Exists primarily in media representation
Bodily perfection
Not a great lover or society woman
Photogenic perfection enough
Promotes surface appearance
Woman as sexual spectacle & sex object<br>
slide19. Anomic Types Don’t fit into the prevailing norm
See it as pointless (Durkheim)
Alienation=don’t belong to the dominant group in society;
Goals not theirs<br>
slide20. The Rebel Various types
Immigrant
Anti-hero
Rebel against his own class
Generation gap rebels
The politically conscious rebel
Do the rebels promote or recuperate the ideal<br>
slide22. The Independent Woman High degree of intelligence or imagination
Doesn’t exploit her femininity
Adopts male characteristics
In order to enjoy male prerogatives or to survive<br>
slide24. Elvis Presley Third on the list of most reproduced images around the world
Mickey Mouse is #1
Jesus is #2
Earned $55 million in 2013; died in 1977
Michael Jackson #1 $160 million
2011 Apollo Global buys (CKX), American Idol, estates of Elvis & Muhammad Ali for $509 million<br>
slide25. Elvis Stats Estimated that he’s sold over 1 billion units
In US, 150 different records certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum
#1 singles, 80 weeks at the top
Estimated that 40% of his sales outside US
Never recorded in other languages
3 dates in Canada in 1957 only shows outsides the US<br>
slide26. Post Mortem Hits & Shows Elvis in Concert ’97
In Memphis with 30 of his former bandmates
20th anniversary of his passing
Proto-type for tour, 1st headliner who’s dead
3 night sold-out Radio City, NYC
8 night sold-out in Vegas
1st European date sells out Wembley Stadium<br>
slide28. Hit Single 2002 “A Little Less Conversation” (1968)
Remixed for Ocean’s Eleven soundtrack
Included on compilation of Elvis’ #1 songs
Becomes # 1 on 12 charts
Multi-platinum, platinum & gold in numerous countries<br>
slide29. Rags to Riches Started out poor in Tupelo, MS
Very religious family
Pentecostal Assembly of God
Black and white musical influences
Moved to Memphis, TN as a teenager
Really wanted to be a movie star
Became a truck driver<br>
slide31. Young Elvis<br>
slide32. Image Evolves<br>
slide33. Hillbilly Cat<br>
slide41. Why Elvis? His fans
Savvy marketing by his widow
Good business practices by EPE
Impersonators
Only explains so much
What is it about Elvis that makes him appeal to so many people worldwide?
Why does he translate worldwide?<br>
slide42. El Vez<br>
slide43. Asian Elvises<br>
slide44. Female Elvis<br>
slide45. Elvis and Class Many consider/ed him vulgar
Southern
Working class or poor
Tastes reflect this
How does this affect his fame?
Will his fame continue?<br>
slide2. Richard Dyer Stars (1979) groundbreaking in star studies
Radically new way of looking at film stars’ effects on audiences
Influential on all of film studies
Heavenly Bodies (1986) how audiences simultaneously consume & construct stars
In the Space of a Song (2011) role of song in film<br>
slide4. “Stars as Images” Stars can only be understood ideologically
Image=visual + verbal and aural
Star images function in relation to contradictions within & between ideologies
Star images seek to mange or resolve conflicts
Subversive stars expose conflicts or offer an alternative to dominant ideology
Studies relationship of stars & ideological constructs<br>
slide5. Image of Stardom Stardom= an image of the way stars live
Combines the special with the ordinary
An articulation of Western Values
Can be ambivalent
Often the anatomy of the life style
Mediated
Not confined to movie stars<br>
slide6. Conspicuous Consumption Thorsten Veblen Theory of the Leisure Class
Conspicuous consumption
The way the wealthy display that fact
Consumption scale
Access to arbiters of taste and style
Shows they don’t have to work
Women crucial in the process<br>
slide8. Idols of Consumption Leo Lowenthal, Frankfurt School
Shift in biographies in popular magazine
At first, idols of production
Between 1901-1941, became idols of consumption
Directly related to leisure time
Stars become models of consumption<br>
slide10. Success Vaudeville built around the myth of success
Film gets its star system from vaudeville
Myth=anyone can get to the top
Class system & old boy network don’t apply
Ordinariness hallmark of stars
The system rewards talent & “specialness”
Lucky breaks typify the career of the star
Hard work & professionalism necessary<br>
slide11. Paradox of Stars Ordinary people who live more expensively than everyone else, but aren’t changed
Wealth & success isolates stars’ qualities but don’t confuse or dilute them
Human attributes exist apart from materiality
Stars represent typical types
But are absent from our daily reality
Specialness is that they’re the only ones who are ordinary<br>
slide12. Social Type (Klapp) “a collective norm of role behavior formed & used by the group
“idealized concept of how people are expected to be or act”
Problems: doesn’t explore their sources
Sees them as positive & useful rather than stereotypes
Useful as description of prevalent types<br>
slide13. The Good Joe Friendly, easy going, fits in, likes people
Dislikes bullies, snobs, authoritarians
Has sympathy for the underdog
Won’t try to dominate others
The central American type
Klapp never asks what it suppresses or conceals<br>
slide15. The Tough Guy Can’t be beaten
Fights others as tough as himself
Displays loyalty to a limited code
Seeks to prove himself
Struggles by himself to make good
Problematic when he’s a hero (Klapp)
Confuses good & bad, presses anti-social into service of society<br>
slide17. The Pin-up Exists primarily in media representation
Bodily perfection
Not a great lover or society woman
Photogenic perfection enough
Promotes surface appearance
Woman as sexual spectacle & sex object<br>
slide19. Anomic Types Don’t fit into the prevailing norm
See it as pointless (Durkheim)
Alienation=don’t belong to the dominant group in society;
Goals not theirs<br>
slide20. The Rebel Various types
Immigrant
Anti-hero
Rebel against his own class
Generation gap rebels
The politically conscious rebel
Do the rebels promote or recuperate the ideal<br>
slide22. The Independent Woman High degree of intelligence or imagination
Doesn’t exploit her femininity
Adopts male characteristics
In order to enjoy male prerogatives or to survive<br>
slide24. Elvis Presley Third on the list of most reproduced images around the world
Mickey Mouse is #1
Jesus is #2
Earned $55 million in 2013; died in 1977
Michael Jackson #1 $160 million
2011 Apollo Global buys (CKX), American Idol, estates of Elvis & Muhammad Ali for $509 million<br>
slide25. Elvis Stats Estimated that he’s sold over 1 billion units
In US, 150 different records certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum
#1 singles, 80 weeks at the top
Estimated that 40% of his sales outside US
Never recorded in other languages
3 dates in Canada in 1957 only shows outsides the US<br>
slide26. Post Mortem Hits & Shows Elvis in Concert ’97
In Memphis with 30 of his former bandmates
20th anniversary of his passing
Proto-type for tour, 1st headliner who’s dead
3 night sold-out Radio City, NYC
8 night sold-out in Vegas
1st European date sells out Wembley Stadium<br>
slide28. Hit Single 2002 “A Little Less Conversation” (1968)
Remixed for Ocean’s Eleven soundtrack
Included on compilation of Elvis’ #1 songs
Becomes # 1 on 12 charts
Multi-platinum, platinum & gold in numerous countries<br>
slide29. Rags to Riches Started out poor in Tupelo, MS
Very religious family
Pentecostal Assembly of God
Black and white musical influences
Moved to Memphis, TN as a teenager
Really wanted to be a movie star
Became a truck driver<br>
slide31. Young Elvis<br>
slide32. Image Evolves<br>
slide33. Hillbilly Cat<br>
slide41. Why Elvis? His fans
Savvy marketing by his widow
Good business practices by EPE
Impersonators
Only explains so much
What is it about Elvis that makes him appeal to so many people worldwide?
Why does he translate worldwide?<br>
slide42. El Vez<br>
slide43. Asian Elvises<br>
slide44. Female Elvis<br>
slide45. Elvis and Class Many consider/ed him vulgar
Southern
Working class or poor
Tastes reflect this
How does this affect his fame?
Will his fame continue?<br>