Stardom has become embedded within American culture. Stars have become a social phenomenon, and have significance and meaning within culture. These stars are not known personally by the general public, so all perceptions of them are constructed socially within American ideologies and media texts. Justin Timberlake is no exception to this phenomenon. His star image is built through the culture and society that surrounds him. He manages to embody American ideas, such as the “American Dream”, but he still appears to be more than that. It almost seems as if he is a cross-over, or that he is a transcending star forcing us to look at opportunities in a new way.
The perceptions of stars are formed through ideologies. Ideologies are a “set of ideas and representations in which people collectively make sense of the world and the society in which they live” (Stars 2). Within these ideologies many aspects of American society play a part in perception formation such as class, gender, and race. Justin Timberlake is no exception to this, and it is within these divisions that his meaning begins to be formed. His identity may be embodied physically, but the meaning is constructed socially, culturally, and historically. When someone looks at Timberlake, they may just see an “ordinary” American white male. However, he does a great job of proving that he is far from ordinary, and he shows this through both his professional and personal life. He proves himself with his fans and family by being a friendly and relatable guy, staying humble, and being grateful for what he has achieved. Timberlake has also done a far from ordinary job is getting himself involved in many different modes of success. He has gone from boy band singer, to solo singer, to actor, to fashion designer. He has managed to prove his strong work ethic and ability to take advantage of all given opportunities by being successful in all aspects of his career. It seems that he embodies the societal idea of the “American Dream”. He has it all and he does it all, it looks as if he has everything any American man could imagine. Yet, Justin Timberlake’s success and popularity wasn’t achieved without a great amount of work. He has taken advantage of every chance he has been given, and he has worked as hard as possible to achieve and maintain his success.
Aside from his embodiment of the “American Dream”, Justin Timberlake can be viewed as a transcending star. Dyer describes transcendence as a star who “produces a fresh point of view, a feeling of integrity, and makes a new man” and also as someone who can “redefine and recreate standards by which experience is to be judged” (Stars24). Timberlake doesn’t necessarily go out and break the rules, but he has brought about a new perspective. He has shown that it is possible to achieve all that you want as long as you work hard. He has proven that he isn’t the typical “all-American white male” who expects things to be handed to them or gets lazy. He has worked hard to prove himself in every way. He really is the “total package” of looks, charisma, work ethic, success, and respect. This amazing image he has formed is well received by his fans. His fan base has developed over the years, and in some ways he can be looked at as a cross-over star. Mary Beltran defines a cross-over star as “non-white performers who succeed in becoming popular with white audiences” (277). Justin Timberlake is white, so this exact definition doesn’t apply, but the concept does. He has managed to become someone who appeals to many difference types and ranges of audiences, and he appears to be appreciated by all of them.
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