The latest American Eagle advertising campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney has generated a great deal of criticism.
Some people say that the actress is supporting eugenics by making a pun between “genes” and “jeans” that seems innocent at first.
The 27-year-old star of Euphoria is the face of the brand’s fall release, which has the slogan “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.”
The ad is promoting denim, but it rapidly turned into a place for political debate.
In the ad that has since been taken down, Sweeney says, “Genes are passed down from parents to children, and they often decide things like hair color, personality, and even eye color.” My jeans are blue, which is a play on the words “genes” and “jeans.”
The picture, together with her pale skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes, rapidly drew the attention of people who write reviews online.
Some others thought the ad had eugenics undertones since it linked her attributes to a disturbing idea of genetic superiority. A TikTok user called the ad “Nazi propaganda” since “good genes” have been utilized in the past to promote whiteness and specific physical traits.
The criticism was quick, with many people saying that the ad’s images and wording looked to be similar to old ideas about race and genetics.
One critic said, “When those traits are always praised as genetic excellence, we know where this leads.”
The outcry reached its peak when people on social media said that the campaign was secretly promoting racial supremacy.
But not everyone thought this way. A lot of supporters supported the ad and said the claims were overblown.
American Eagle stood by its campaign, saying it was “about the jeans” and Sweeney’s personal narrative in reaction to the criticism.
They put this on Instagram: The song “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” has always been about the jeans. Her pants. Her tale. We’ll continue to appreciate how each person confidently and stylishly sports their AE jeans. Everyone wears nice pants and looks terrific.
Sweeney hasn’t said anything about it, but her brother Trent made fun of the response on Instagram.
He posted a picture of his award with the comment “It’s them good jeans” to celebrate his promotion to Staff Sergeant in the United States Air Force.
Politicians even got involved in the commotion.
After finding out that Sweeney was a registered Republican, President Donald Trump said, “Oh, now I love her ad!” He went on to say, “You’d be surprised at how many people are Republicans.” I think Sydney Sweeney’s ad is great if she is a registered Republican.
Credit: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Apple TV+
Vice President JD Vance, on the other hand, made fun of the controversy by saying, “You have a normal all-American beautiful girl doing a normal jeans ad…” and they have become so worked up about it.
Steven Cheung, the White House’s communications director, called the outcry “warped, moronic, and dense liberal thinking.” He said that this kind of reaction is a significant reason why Americans voted the way they did in 2024.