The
documentary "Amy" by Asif Kapadia I viewed was an insight into her
life where the director tried to view it from her perspective rather than that
of the paparazzi who apparently place a negative view of her as a drinker and
substance abusing but talented individual, This can greatly be related to
Dyer's star theory in the way that she had an image that was constructed by
media which was due to her troubled lyrics and general attitude and drug use
the attraction of such a disposition was perhaps how it repulsed people so they
had to see/hear her.
As her image was personified by something she wasn't but it
eventually forced her with a sense of peer pressure to become it which sheds
light on the titles aptly named tagline "the girl behind the name"
obviously to show there was more or a different
her below the media's surface slander. While people consider her loud
and morally unsure she was in fact simply damaged and misunderstood going
through her parents' divorce and loose parenting then later in life an abusive
boyfriend. Meanwhile the news agencies that acquired this information would not
necessarily warp what they found more shed it in a different light so it fit her
image. There was a point however when the two identities merged as her most recent
hardships with her boyfriend Blake, breaking up with her hit hard while her grandma's death was piled on top. As she was the main source of encouragement for her
music career this dealt a killing emotional blow and degraded her to a point
she resorted to drugs when she was back with Blake. A demand for her
intoxicated state became her selling point.
So in great relation to dyers star theory she became what people viewed her as in order to maintain her star status. She even predicted even stated "I couldn't handle being famous" and that
she was "out of her depth" however even though her life till her
death fluctuated highs and lows she found stability towards the end and was
clean but her own album "back to black" was her downfall symbolising
all the hardships shed faced. She struggled to face singing the album live
again. She began drinking again and in her frail state with a week heart beat
already. On Saturday the 23rd of July 2011 she passed away. I believe this can truly
show media's influence and power in swaying peoples opinions and decisions, as long
as they get the publicity and work.
