The Star Of Constructedness

What’s the conception of the star? What are the interconnections and representations between history, culture, society, politics and stars? Are stars the “cogs” in the film industry or the manipulators whose voices could be heard out loud in the system? How does the star system operate while utilizing the different media forms and textual materials? How do we comprehend the star phenomenon and stars per se?Some of the questions have been temporarily solved and some, however, haven’t been given any good answers with the constant, razor-fast, unpredictable changes of our society in general in which the media forms, technological developments, economic structures, transnational flows of human resources and capital are all in the processes of being renewed and mutated. As one of the significant factors of Star Studies, the star system is constantly being positioned into a renewed and developing film industry in which the elements of technology, capital, human labor etc. are changing with the latest trends. When the star system is thoroughly re-examined, the awareness of its relation to the economic terms with the combination of star texts would be ever more indispensible.Under the conditions above should the reconsideration on star system be integral to Star Studies.The three key dimensions of operations in star system—the conception in and of itself should neither be interpreted as an absolute or a catch-all typology —are only part of the star system as a whole. The comprisal of the key dimensions is:ordinariness\extraordinariness, authenticity and synergy of commerce and textuality.They are all the necessary constructs of the stars with the link to the star image which is the core content of the analysis of how the meanings are produced and interrelated to the wider social, cultural, political, or historical contexts. With the help of the three key dimensions, the star system could be understood with holistic and complete sophistication. The case study of Leslie Cheung, the late Hong Kong star with longstanding and increasingly acclaimed posthumous stardom, would be an attestation to the theory putted into practice.This thesis is divided into four chapters in totality. The first chapter is dedicated to the purposes, reasons, methods, backgrounds and the theoretical and historical arrangements of the research.The second chapter mainly resolves around the conception of star with the theoretical,historical and comparative perspectives. The core purpose of this chapter is to draw a definite and precise conception of star, which would be of great importance to the next chapter’s theories.The third chapter is one of the core parts in which the three key dimensions of operation in star system would be examined and analyzed in a detailed way dependent on appropriate examples.The fourth chapter would be the detailed case study of Leslie Cheung, whose images of an outsider and a rebel scatter around his sexuality and intimate choices. The close reading of his important films with the references to the queer groups and the three key dimensions would be an integral part of this chapter.The conclusion would include the re-emphasis on the main and terse points made in the thesis.