Core Post 4 - Joyce Chun

"The Building of Popular Images" By Thomas Harris

Through Thomas Harris's article, we are reminded of, once again, the importance of media and the influence it has on creating an image for stars. Grace Kelly's 'lady' image was played of by her actual family background, being tied as a product of wealth ad close family ties. She was the representative of one's ideal "longings within the family structure". A constant emphasis on her family's commitment to the "good life" and her lady-like qualities on and off the screen reinforced the her 'lady' image. Harris states that American's choice of public heroes is determined by the never ending exposure to the media as today's screen heroes are reached to the audience through movies, television shows, commercials, and recently, social media. As the social media medium expands, it has become easier for an audience member to create images of active celebrities in a more intimate way, giving him or her the illusion of personally having a relationship with a celebrity. This contradicts what Harris states, "In the stereotyping process Hollywood publicists have worked with the studio policy makers to assure that their efforts will be consistent with the screen image. If an actress has achieved recognition through 'the-girl-next-door' roles it is important that her publicity reinforce this image," (41). The image of a star had to mirror each other on and off the screen, as this was seen crucial in the publicity world. However, I am reminded of our midterm assignment, as we focus on the contradictions of popular images of stars, how instead of a star having to uphold a certain image to match what role they portray on screen, they are contradicting to common understanding of audiences. Bella Thorne, for example, is notoriously known for her transformation from the innocent Disney Channel child actor image to a crude, rebellious one. She recently, however, starred in a movie called "Midnight Sun" as a protagonist who suffers from a life-threatening condition who falls in love with a guy she ran into during the night. This role she plays as a sick teenager who the audience feels bad for contradicts greatly with the image she portrays in real life through media, as Dyer said, "star images function crucially in relaton to contradictions within and between ideoogies, which they seek variously to 'manage' or resolve".