1. S T A R T E R
In small groups divide the class into the following:
• Pop Princess/Boy Band
• Girl Band
• Hip Hop Artist (male)
• Hip Hop Artist (female)
• Indie/ rock artist
Describe the character type . In as much detail as possible state the
character types that they may find and what sort of behaviour, costume and
attitude they display

2. R E P R E S E N T A T I O N A N D
S T A R I D E N T I T Y
U S E M E D I A C O N C E P T S A N D A P P R O P R I A T E T E R M I N O L O G Y
U N D E R S T A N D H O W P S Y I S C O N S T R U C T E D A S A S T A R
A P P L Y L E A R N I N G T O D E C O N S T R U C T T H E R E P R E S E N T A T I O N O F M I L E Y C Y R U S

3. W H A T A R E T H E C O M P O N E N T S O F
S T A R I D E N T I T Y ?
‘Stars’ are studied through the semiotics approach. Stars should
be studied as clusters of signs, as systems of signifiers or texts
that communicate meaning to an audience. E.g.
• clothing
• behaviour
• genre of music
What happens if a star does not conform to any
of these constructions, how do we identify
them?

5. T H E C O N S T R U C T I O N O F T H E S T A R
T E X T
Geoff Dyer in his book ‘Stars’ argues that star identities
are constructed in a process that typically involves four
modalities, or stages in their formation.

6. S T A R
1.A Real Person - First off a
star is a real person

7. S T A R
2.Star is a public performer
role - The primary
encounter we have with a
television or music star is
through the roles they play.

8. S T A R
3.The Star is a persona -
this involves a merging of
the real person and the role
they play.

9. S T A R
4.Star is an image a cultural ‘signifier’ of a particular
concentration of qualities, specifically related to gender
and sexuality.
A U D I E N C E
E X P E C T A T I O N S

10. A N I N T E R T E X T U A L ‘ S T A R T E X T ’
• Although music stars are widely-known public figures, few people ever get to
meet an actual star in person. Instead, it is through the combination of
performances, promotion, publicity, and Tabloid and internet attention that
music stars reach the broad audience. This is the mediation
process. Consequently, we must see music stars as having mediated
identities. Somewhere there is the real individual; however, the vast majority
of the public will know only the mediated individual.
• Music video, television appearances, promotion or publicity materials, and
press attention are various forms of textual materials that mediate the
identities of stars. As the elements of a star text cluster around a given name,
these elements define the identity of an individual star, and as the elements
accumulate over time, they also form a public sense of music stardom in
general. This process is known as intertextuality where a range of media texts
intersect.

11. I N T E R T E X T U A L I T Y A N D S T A R
I D E N T I T Y
The star status of a band/artiste is maintained by a complex
intersection of many media forms which investigate and
celebrate star lifestyles.
• Print media, especially the tabloids in the UK keep star profile
high. Celebrity persona stories
• Magazines are usually celebratory in their coverage of stars.
Well known stars will often feature on the cover of magazines.
• TV appearances – particularly the X-Factor. Chat shows.
Documentaries.

12. I N T E R T E X T U A L I T Y A N D S T A R
I D E N T I T Y
Sponsorship: Product endorsement and TV commercials
Music video – key for music performer’s star identity.
Maintains and reinvents star identity
Posters and photographs.
Promotional publicity – Online official websites, My Space,
Twitter and Facebook Fan Pages.
Red carpet and awards events – maintains her glamour and
style, reinforces her image as a ‘fashionista’

13. T A S K O N E
Research and analyse the ‘star construction’ of Miley Cyrus.
Each group will take on one construction of the star looking at
a range of media texts. (Separate keynote to support)
• Star as a real person
• Star is a public performer
• the star is a persona
• the star as a cultural signifier

14. S U C C E S S C R I T E R I A
• In pairs, identity one example of how to achieve
success at this task?

15. A S S E S S M E N T C R I T E R I A
L E V E L 6
H O W D O I
S H O W ?
T H I S ?
L E V E L 3
H O W D O I
K N O W ?
T H I S ?
A N A L Y S I S O F M E D I A
T E X T S
C O N V I N C I N G A N D
E F F E C T I VE
D E T A I L E D
R E P R E S E N T A T I ON O F
D E / C O N N O T A T I O N S
B A SI C
A F E W P I E C E S O F
E VI D E N C E
M E D I A T E R M I N O L O G Y
E X T E N S I V E A N D
E F F E C T I V E L Y
E A C H S E N T E N C E U S E S
C O R R E C T M E DI A
VO C A B U L A R Y
O C C A S I O N A L L Y
Y O U S H O W A F E W K E Y
WO R D S
N A T U R E A N D I M P A C T O F
M E D I A R E P R E S E N T A T I O N
A N D I N S T I T U T I O N A L
A S P E C T S O F M E D I A
P R O D U C T
E X P L O R E D
C O N V I N C I N G L Y
Y O U D I S C U S S H O W/ WH Y
T E X T S A R E C O N S T R U C T E D
R E P R E S E N T A T I ON S T O
I M P A C T O N A U D I E N C E
S O M E
UN D E R S T A N DI N G
Y O U H A VE S O M E
E VI D E N C E T O S H O W
H O W/ WH Y T E X T S A R E
C O N S T R U C T E D
R E P R E S E N T A T I ON S
R E S P O N S E S
C O G E N T A N D WE L L
S T R UC T UR E D
C L E A R U S E O F P E E . Y O U
U S E M E D I A VO C A B T O A
B U I L D T O A
C O N C L U S I O N .
R E A S O N A B L Y WE L L
O R G A N I S E D
S O M E U S E O F P E E . S O M E
P O I N T S WI T H E X A M P L E S .
Y O U N E E D C L E A R
E X P L A N A T I O N S O F Y O U R
P O I N T S .
U S E O F L A N G U A G E
P R E C I S E A N D
A C C UR A T E
C O H E R E N T R E S P O N S E .
L A N G U A G E A N D E F F E C T
F O R M E A N I N G
R E A S O N A B L Y WE L L
O R G A N I S E D
C O N F U S I N G R E S P O N S E S
I N P L A C E S . Y O U D O N ’ T
A L WA Y S U S E T H E
C O R R E C T T E R M I N OL OG Y .
A R G U M E N T S / P O I N T S C L E A R L Y S UP P O R T E D
C L E A R U S E O F P E E . Y O U
E X P L A N A T I O N S A R E
L O N G E R T H A N T H E P O I N T
A N D E VI D E N C E A L O N E .
S O M E T I M E S
S UP P O R T E D
M U C H L E S S
E X P L O R A T I O N S O F I D E A S .
S O M E T I M E S P O I N T S A N D
E X A M P L E S A R E N O T
C L E A R L Y L I N K E D .

16. M I L E Y C Y R U S

17. T A S K T W O : S H A R E
Feedback one analytical response of your star
deconstruction of Miley Cyrus

18. T A S K T H R E E : Q U E S T I O N
Ask me one question to develop your analytical response

19. P L E N A R Y
How does the representation of the artist as a ‘character’
enable us to understand what they are like?