Backlash over Sydney Sweeney's ‘great jeans' ad for American Eagle sparks internet firestorm
Some social media users are outraged, saying the wordplay of the tagline 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,' coupled with the actor's blue eyes and blonde hair, has racial undertones. Others are praising the campaign as lacking 'woke' politics.
'Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My genes are blue,' Sweeney, wearing denim on denim, says in one video.
People across social media have leveled criticism spanning the gamut, with some saying the campaign promotes 'white supremacy' and 'eugenics' while others have called it 'sterile,' a sign of 'regression' or simply 'rage bait.'
But many others have applauded the campaign, posting comments like 'woke is broke!' and 'culture shift!'
Conservative Republican senator Ted Cruz of Texas posted a photo of Sweeney on X and wrote, 'Wow. Now the crazy Left has come out against beautiful women. I'm sure that will poll well.'
Neither American Eagle nor the Emmy-nominated Sweeney, the 27-year-old actor best known for roles in the series 'The White Lotus' and 'Euphoria,' have publicly responded to the backlash.
'Sweeney's girl next door charm and main character energy—paired with her ability to not take herself too seriously—is the hallmark of this bold, playful campaign,' AE said in a statement last week when the advertisements launched.
Values of another time
The company said its collaboration with Sweeney was meant to 'further elevate its position as the #1 jeans brand for Gen Z.'
As part of the campaign, AE had also said it was launching a limited-run 'Sydney Jean' that retails for US$79.95 and features a butterfly motif on the back pocket, which the brand said is meant to represent domestic violence awareness.
Proceeds from the jeans will go to Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit offering mental health support, AE, a company started in 1977, said.
In the wake of the chatter triggered by the campaign, Washington Post fashion critic Rachel Tashjian wrote that whether or not the ad had racial undertones or anything intentional to say beyond selling jeans, it 'is part of a wave of imagery of influencers, pop stars and musicians that feels tethered to the values of another time.'
'For the past five or six years, it seemed like fashion and pop culture were very interested in—even dedicated to—body positivity. Now we're being fed a lot of images of thinness, whiteness and unapologetic wealth porn,' Tashjian said. — AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Trump praises Sydney Sweeney ad, American Eagle shares jump most since 2000
US President Donald Trump says that American Eagle's recent marketing blitz with actress Sydney Sweeney is the 'HOTTEST ad out there'. Photos: AP, American Eagle/Instagram American Eagle Outfitters shares jumped the most since 2000 on Aug 4 after United States President Donald Trump touted the company's ads – pushing the retailer's stock into meme stock territory. The shares spiked 24% on Aug 4 after Trump said in a social media post that American Eagle's recent marketing blitz with American actress Sydney Sweeney, 27, is the 'HOTTEST ad out there.' He said American Eagle jeans are 'flying off the shelves'. It is not yet clear whether the ad campaign – which controversially celebrates Sweeney's genetic traits as well as her jeans – is actually convincing shoppers to buy the company's apparel. Analysts say the real test will be how American Eagle performs during the crucial back-to-school season as consumers begin to stock up on jeans and other autumn essentials. So while Trump's comments on Aug 4 do not reveal any new information about the company's performance, they do add to the hype around American Eagle shares. And that has drawn investors betting on the hype itself – a telltale sign of a meme stock. 'What are meme stocks for the most part? Individual investors chasing after the hottest stock,' said Matt Maley, chief market strategy at Miller Tabak & Co. The move on Aug 4 pared the stock's year-to-date decline to 20%. The company has been battered by sluggish demand and last quarter, it registered a US$75 million charge related to a writedown of its spring and summer merchandise. Some traders who drove up the shares on Aug 4 are probably betting that the spotlight on the company will translate into greater sales. But that alone does not explain the magnitude of the share move, Maley said, adding that American Eagle executives should seize on the interest by, for example, issuing more shares. Meme stock darlings AMC Entertainment Holdings and GameStop have done this in the past. Representatives for American Eagle did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 'In the short term, traders are very adept at chasing hype,' said Steve Sosnick, chief strategist at Interactive Brokers. 'If one believes that the more this is talked about, the better it is for the stock, then that certainly is a boon.' 'Whether or not that translates into more or fewer people buying the actual products' after Mr Trump weighed in will not be clear for 'days, weeks or quarters', Sosnick added. The interest in American Eagle is likely to continue, even if there is not another major precipitating event like a social media post by the US president. 'The momentum is there,' Maley said. 'Today's marketplace with algorithmic trading, not only does it create buyers, but it eliminates sellers.' While Sweeney, a sought-after face for brands, has provided a pop for stocks in the past, those gains have not always endured. A year ago, footwear company Crocs disclosed Sweeney as a global spokesperson for its Heydude line. The stock rose 4.1% on the day of the announcement, but since then, shares are down nearly 30% per cent. – Bloomberg
New Straits Times
a day ago
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: US actress Loni Anderson of 'WKRP In Cincinnati' fame dies at 79
LOS ANGELES: The celebrated American actress, Loni Anderson, best known for her role as the glamorous and witty receptionist Jennifer Marlowe in the hit 1980s sitcom 'WKRP in Cincinnati,' has passed away at the age of 79. According to an AP report, her death, which occurred in a Los Angeles hospital on Sunday after a prolonged illness, was confirmed by her publicist, Cheryl J. Kagan. In a heartfelt statement, Anderson's family paid tribute to the late star: "We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our dear wife, mother, and grandmother. Loni will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her." Anderson's iconic role on 'WKRP in Cincinnati' (1978–1982) earned her two Emmy and three Golden Globe nominations. The show was set in a struggling radio station in Ohio, attempting to revitalise itself with a new rock music format. Anderson's character, Jennifer Marlowe, was a sharp-witted and highly capable receptionist who often used her charm and savvy to keep the station from falling apart. Despite her glamorous appearance, Jennifer was portrayed as the station's anchor of sanity and efficiency amidst the chaos created by her colleagues. The cast also included Gary Sandy, Tim Reid, Howard Hesseman, Frank Bonner, and Jan Smithers. Beyond her television career, Anderson also appeared on the big screen, notably starring alongside Burt Reynolds in the 1983 comedy film 'Stroker Ace.' The pair's high-profile marriage in 1988 made them a constant presence in tabloids before they divorced in 1994. Loni Anderson is survived by her husband, Bob Flick; her daughter, Deidra Hoffman, and son-in-law Charlie Hoffman; her son, Quinton Anderson Reynolds; grandchildren McKenzie and Megan Hoffman; and her stepson, Adam Flick, with his wife Helene, and step-grandchildren Felix and Maximilian.
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Why is everyone talking about Sydney Sweeney's jeans?
Let's talk about Sydney Sweeney's great genes. Sorry, jeans. At least that's what American Eagle's latest ad campaign wants you to believe. According to the brand, there's no hidden message in its new spot featuring the actor, or so it claims. In the ad, Sweeney earnestly explains, 'Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour. My jeans are blue,' before the narrator wraps up with: 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.' The wordplay is about as subtle as a brick through a window. Per the marketing team at American Eagle, the campaign — titled Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans — is simply a celebration of denim and confidence. 'Her jeans. Her story,' the company insisted in a statement, which is also its non-apology. 'We will continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.' Sure. But the backlash is less about jeans and more about genes. Sweeney, with her blue eyes, blonde hair and aesthetics of white American 'perfection', has the kind of genes that, historically, fascist regimes couldn't stop talking about. And that's exactly where the internet took the conversation. Of course, it didn't help that the ad sounded like a eugenics manifesto. Many online accused the campaign of evoking Nazi-era obsession with racial purity and ideal genetic traits. According to the New York Post, some slammed it as 'Nazi propaganda,' while others called it a 'dog whistle to the far-right.' The phrase 'great genes', especially when spoken over footage of a white, blonde, blue-eyed actor lounging in Americana denim, doesn't exactly scream diversity and inclusion. It screams something else, and the Internet heard it loud and clear. According to the brand, there's no hidden message in its new spot featuring the actor. Photo: Handout Sweeney, of course, has already been branded a bombshell and a far-right sweetheart. Articles have been written about 'Sweeney and the business of being hot' and the actress's 'style file'. Her past controversies include a MAGA-adjacent family party, photos with Blue Lives Matter fans, and, in June, willingly selling 5,000 bars of soap containing her bathwater for a viral men's brand — the soap resold online for as much as US$1,600, in case capitalism needed a punchline. So yes, she's a bombshell. But she's also become a bit of a cultural Rorschach test, and in Trump's America, she's testing positive for a lot of not-great things. Enter the White House — yes, the White House — to defend the American Eagle ad. Trump's White House communications chief, Steven Cheung, called the outrage 'dense' and 'moronic.' He wrote in an X post, 'Cancel culture run amok. This warped, moronic, and dense liberal thinking is a big reason why Americans voted the way they did in 2024. They're tired of this bull****.' To recap: an ad that sounded like it came out of an eugenics textbook is now being defended by a White House currently trying to rewrite actual history books. All while American Eagle — which once stood for inclusive, body-positive Gen Z branding — is doubling down on a slogan that feels tailor-made for MAGA couture. And plenty of people — mostly blonde, blue-eyed Americans, let's be honest — agree with it. The backlash is just as petty and precise as you'd hope. Supporters of the ad, particularly online, were quick to dismiss the controversy as hypersensitive liberal overreaction. 'It's obviously just a play on blue jeans and her blue eyes,' one user wrote. 'It says nothing about supremacy or a master race or anything. You're too sensitive to harmless things. Blue eyes are really pretty!' Another tweet insisted, 'Sydney Sweeney looks fantastic in jeans and she's got very good genes,' while one particularly proud defender added, 'She's beautiful and has a great body. American Eagle did nothing wrong, and neither did she. The jeans have sold out.' It's a sentiment echoed across right-leaning social media feeds, where defending Sweeney has become the latest skirmish in the never-ending war on wokeness. To them, it's not just about denim — it's about defending the right to compliment a white woman's genetics without being labelled problematic. But the backlash is also just as petty and precise as you'd hope. As one user wrote on X, 'life is so dystopian [right now]'. Another accused Sweeney of being a Nazi. 'The only way Sydney Sweeney would be okay with doing an ad like this is if she were a Nazi. This is blatant white supremacist eugenicist propaganda.' More chimed in. A user made a joke about others who also have preferences about genes. Others added, 'The American Eagles ad wasn't just a commercial. It was a love letter to white nationalism and eugenic fantasies, and Sydney Sweeney knew it', and 'Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle campaign has to be some of the most blatant eugenics propaganda I've seen in a minute.' Sydney Sweeney has already been branded a bombshell and a far-right sweetheart. Photo: Reuters It's not just that the ad missed the mark — it's that it aimed for the wrong mark. The entire execution feels like a wink-and-nod to a kind of beauty that America has always praised and protected above all others. In 2025, with a second Trump term in full swing and culture wars peaking, ads like these aren't innocuous. They're calculated. American Eagle may insist this is about denim, but not everyone is buying it. – Dawn/Asia News Network
