Richard's Dyers star theory applied to pop stars

  Dyer said that Pop Stars and Pop Performers were different things. Pop performers were quickly promoted by their management by publicity stunts or trademarks. 

Dyer makes the point that things that make celebrities iconic, such as , Bono's glassed, Britney's haircut and Minaj's make-up, change them from pop performer into a pop star. Branding them in a visual way makes them more memorable and gives them more of a star quality. Pop stars images are easily manufactured and changed. 

Star image is an artificial image, even if that star is presented as being a real person. 'The X Factor', a well known reality TV show shows us this change, going from humble 'normal' person to being groomed, manufactured and shaped into the product which is that 'X Factor' that record companies want. Audiences respond to these aspects of the star too, as that is the sole purpose of creating these artists, to generate money. This is why generic artists created from the mould, such as generic female artists like Nicki Minaj and Katty Perry being very similar in both music styles and band members. These copies of the same stereotypical boy bands attract the same range of audiences time after time.

Dyer says that pop stars establish their character and personality through songs and performance and will strive for immediate star identity with a first album. They appear to have more control over their persona in that many of them write their own songs, and that their body of work develops, chronologically over time, along with society. Pop stars don't do costume dramas or science fiction movies which take them out of place in time and space and confuse their audience.