Sydney Sweeney's latest ad campaign for American Eagle has sparked a wave of controversy, with some critics accusing the actress of promoting eugenics through a seemingly innocent pun about "genes" and "jeans."
The 27-year-old Euphoria star is the face of the brand’s autumn rollout, which features the slogan: "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans."
While the ad is a campaign about denim, it quickly became a battleground for political debate.
In the now-deleted ad, Sweeney narrates: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My jeans are blue,” playing on the words "genes" and "jeans."
The visual, paired with her blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin, quickly caught the attention of online critics.
Some viewers felt the ad had eugenics undertones, associating her traits with a troubling notion of genetic excellence. A TikTok user described the ad as “Nazi propaganda,” citing the history of “good genes” being used to uplift whiteness and certain physical attributes.
The backlash was swift, with many pointing out that the ad’s visuals, combined with the phrasing, seemed to echo historical ideologies about race and genetics.
One critic remarked: “When those traits are consistently uplifted as genetic excellence, we know where this leads.”
The backlash culminated in social media users accusing the campaign of being a subtle promotion of white supremacy.
However, not everyone saw it this way. Many fans defended the ad, dismissing the accusations as exaggerated.
In response to the criticism, American Eagle doubled down, insisting that the campaign was “about the jeans” and Sweeney’s personal story.
They posted on Instagram: “‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”
While Sweeney has remained silent on the matter, her brother, Trent, took to Instagram to mock the backlash.
In a post celebrating his promotion to Staff Sergeant in the United States Air Force, he shared a photo of his certificate with the caption: “It’s them good jeans.”
The uproar even reached political figures.
President Donald Trump weighed in after learning Sweeney was a registered Republican, saying, “Oh, now I love her ad!” He further commented, “You’d be surprised at how many people are Republicans. If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic.”
Meanwhile, figures like Vice President JD Vance mocked the outrage, stating, “You have, like, a normal all-American beautiful girl doing like a normal jeans ad… and they have managed to so unhinge themselves over this thing.”
White House communications director Steven Cheung dismissed the outrage as “warped, moronic, and dense liberal thinking,” suggesting that this kind of reaction is a big reason why Americans voted the way they did in 2024.