ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an alternative critical framework to the scholarly tendency to study Mexican female stars in terms of their crossover appeal – in particular, their ability to succeed in the US Starring Mexico is a worthwhile step towards better conceptualizing cultural industries and the stars who often keep media alive. Star studies, like most sub-fields of film and media studies, frequently privilege Hollywood and/or European cinemas. Most stars that entered the scene post-Golden Age did not begin their careers in the film industry, due to interwoven market forces including declining cinematic production in the 1960s and 1970s and the increasing popularity and availability of television. The chapter engages classic star studies by extending Richard Dyer's concept of the "star image" i.e. "constructed personages in media texts" to the star's mass media trajectory and public perception as a whole Stars.
