Megan Henckel: Core Post Week 1

In Richard Dyer’s work Stars, the concept of the star versus the character was something that stood out ot me. In my opinion, Dyer distinguished the differences between the two, but seemed not to go into specific detail about the fact that, in my opinion, star and character are deeply connected and function in a symbiotic relationship to one another. I want to touch on the ways in which the star and character work in a cyclical manner, where the star influences the character roles and where the character roles or personas on screen influence the star (and their star image) thus impacting our own identification and understanding of a star.

Dyer explains that while both stars and characters are representations of people, the two are distinct because characters are purely fictional whereas stars are also real individuals, and thus take on a more significant role in the world (pg. 20). I agree that stars and characters are both representations, yet it seems to me that the two actually intersect more than suggested in the readings. A lens through which to examine this intersection is the “star images” concept presented by Dyer in which “star images are constructed personas in media texts” that contribute to the way in which the audience perceives and understands a star (pg. 97). He notes that star images and characters share similarities and there are arguments debating the consistency of a star image, how star images work to overwrite the character roles, etc. However I still felt as though the connection, rather than the distinction, between star and character could have been discussed more in depth.

This connection between stars and characters is exemplified in John Wayne, a star whose image is that of a stoic, capable western hero (pg. 98). In this way, Wayne’s “star image” is crucial to understanding the way in which America attached itself to John Wayne and placed him in the role of American hero, the symbol for manliness, bravery, and morality. In I would like to point out that the characters most typically played by John Wayne were ones that directly mirrored his star image.In this instance, the reality of the star, and his star image of the all American hero intersects with his fictional character roles of the gallant western hero. How does this relationship between star and character then translate to modern day stars and celebrities?