Stars

by Dyer, Richard; McDonald, Paul

• ISBN13: 9780851706436
• ISBN10: 0851706436
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-04-26
• Publisher: British Film Institute

Summary

On publication in 1980, STARS was the first attempt to bring together various critical and theoretical approaches to the phenomenon of stardom. This revised edition features a new, supplementary chapter by Paul McDonald, which traces developments in the study of stardom since Dyer's text first appeared. 40 illustrations.

Author Biography

Richard Dyer is Professor of Film Studies at the University of Warwick. Paul McDonald is Senior Lecturer in Media at South Bank University.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
Stars as a Social Phenomenon	p. 5
Conditions for Stardom	p. 7
Production: Consumption	p. 9
Origins of stardom	p. 9
Stars as a phenomenon of production	p. 10
Stars as a phenomenon of consumption	p. 17
Ideology	p. 20
Star versus character	p. 20
Life-as-theatre	p. 20
A historical paradigm - from gods to mortals	p. 21
Stars and the status quo	p. 23
Compensation	p. 28
Charisma	p. 30
Stars as Images	p. 33
Stars as Stars	p. 35
Consumption	p. 35
Success	p. 42
Ordinariness - are stars 'different'?	p. 43
The dream soured	p. 44
Love	p. 45
Stars as Types	p. 47
The notion of social type	p. 47
Alternative or subversive types	p. 52
Stars as Specific Images	p. 60
A specific image: Jane Fonda	p. 63
Stars as Signs	p. 87
Stars and 'Character'	p. 89
The notion of character	p. 90
The construction of character	p. 106
Stars as characters in films	p. 126
Stars and Performance	p. 132
Trends in the study of performance	p. 132
Performance signs	p. 134
A Note on Authorship	p. 151
Conclusion	p. 160
Bibliography	p. 164
Supplementary Chapter: Reconceptualising Stardom	p. 175
Supplementary Bibliography	p. 201
Index	p. 213
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.