NEW YORK, United States — An advertising campaign starring Sydney Sweeney for the clothing brand American Eagle has triggered the latest online firestorm causing an internet meltdown.
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!”
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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.
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“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 $79.95 and features a butterfly motif on the back pocket, which the brand said is meant to represent domestic violence awareness.
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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.
