American Eagle responds to the controversy around its ad campaign with Sydney Sweeney: 'Great jeans look good on everyone'
The provocative spots feature blonde-haired, blue-eyed actor Sydney Sweeney.
Critics say the ads recall problematic connections with debunked theories of racial supremacy.
The retailer broke the silence on the controversy surrounding its "great jeans" ad campaign starring actor Sydney Sweeney.
"'Sydney Sweeney has Great Jeans' is and always was about the jeans," the company said Friday, in a statement on Instagram. "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."
The brand received both criticism and praise for its ad campaign, which features the 27-year-old star.
"Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My jeans are blue," Sweeney says in one spot.
The message — and Sweeney's blonde hair, blue eyes, and light skin — sparked a debate on social media over beauty standards, with some slamming the campaign as " regressive."
Some social media critics drew comparisons to the debunked theories of eugenics and the German Nazi movement.
"Eugenics propaganda does typically focus a lot on this idea of who has good genes and who has bad genes," said one TikToker who says she is pursuing a degree in history.
She added: "It's one thing to talk about good jeans with a J in advertising, but it's a whole other thing to say someone has 'great' genes with the G."
The backlash saw backlash of its own as well, with conservative commentators celebrating Sweeney's appearance and mocking"cancel culture run amok."
Elon Musk's Tesla even weighed in with a video of one of its quality control tests showing a denim-on-leather test at one of its facilities.
"Our seats robot also has great jeans," the Tesla account posted on X.
"Seatney," it added.
Marcus Collins, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Michigan, told the Associated Press that American Eagle might have avoided some of the backlash if it had made the "genes" wordplay with several models of different races.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
12% find Sydney Sweeney American Eagle ad offensive: poll
The uproar over Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle ad campaign has exploded on social media but it's a different story elsewhere, according to a new survey — with only a small sliver of Americans saying they were offended. Just 12% of Americans said they found the campaign offensive while an overwhelming majority said that they thought it was clever or didn't have an opinion one way or another. Nearly four of 10 respondents — 39% — said they viewed the 'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans' ad as clever, 12% called it offensive, 40% said it was neither and 8% were unsure, according to the Economist/YouGov poll. Advertisement 5 The ad campaign features a video of Sweeney fixing a Mustang. American Eagle The survey, which was conducted Aug. 9 to Aug. 11 among 1,635 adults, found that men were far more likely than women to describe the ad as clever (49% versus 31%), while women were more likely to see it as offensive (17% compared to 7% of men). Political identity proved a sharper dividing line, with the campaign resonating most among Republicans and far less with Democrats. Republicans responded most positively, with 57% calling the campaign clever compared to just 22% of Democrats, and older Americans tended to be more receptive than younger people. Advertisement The demographic breakdown in the poll underscored how reactions were shaped by both politics and age. Among those 65 and older, 34% found the ad clever and 13% thought it offensive, while younger adults aged 18-29 were more split, with 45% calling it clever and 12% offended. The gender gap was also notable, with women showing a higher tendency to view the ad negatively. Advertisement The results contrast sharply with the firestorm on social media that erupted after the ad's release in late July. 5 Just 12% of people surveyed said they found the ad campaign offensive. American Eagle 5 Sydney Sweeney in a promotional video for American Eagle's jeans campaign, which became a flashpoint in partisan culture wars. American Eagle The campaign featured the Euphoria star in a spot that touted her 'great jeans' alongside a video in which she referenced genetics before tying it back to the clothing brand's product. Advertisement Some online critics accused the ad of echoing eugenics and white supremacist ideas due to its wordplay, Sweeney's appearance and the historical baggage tied to 'good genes.' Others claimed the spot was hypersexualized and outdated. Most of the initial criticism came from a handful of accounts with few followers, and the conversation didn't gain traction until right-leaning commentators and politicians began framing it as an example of progressive overreaction, according to reports. 5 In the video ad, Sweeney is seen wiping her bottom. American Eagle That coverage helped fuel a second wave of attention, turning the ad into a culture-war flashpoint. The backlash intensified when far-right groups, including the Proud Boys, and President Donald Trump praised the campaign and highlighted Sweeney's reported Republican voter registration, describing the ad as 'anti-woke.' Vice President JD Vance also weighed in, using the controversy to attack Democrats during an appearance on the conservative 'Ruthless' podcast. 5 The American Eagle ad featuring Sydney Sweeney received far more attention online than in the broader public, poll results suggest. APEX / MEGA Advertisement 'Did you learn nothing from the November 2024 election?' Vance said. 'The lesson they've apparently taken is, 'We're going to attack people as Nazis for thinking Sydney Sweeney is beautiful.'' American Eagle responded with a statement saying: ''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.' The Post has sought comment from Sweeney and American Eagle.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Machine Gun Kelly Addresses Sydney Sweeney Dating Rumors After Recent PDA Moment
Machine Gun Kelly publicly addressed rumors of a romance with Sydney Sweeney. During an appearance on the Sunday, August 10, episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, MGK, whose real name is Colson Baker, was asked point-blank about his relationship with Sweeney, 27. Andy Cohen read from a question card that contained a viewer query from 'Kyle P.' The TV host said, 'MGK, Kyle P wants to know if there's any truth to the rumor that you and Sydney Sweeney were more than just friends.' MGK, 35, responded while shaking his head and looking directly down the camera barrel, 'Kyle P, shut up, dude,' at which Cohen and the audience laughed loudly. Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly's Relationship Timeline, From Costars to Couple In May, photos published by Page Six showed the musician and Sweeney hugging at a Las Vegas club opening. Later that month, MGK shared an Instagram carousel that included a snap of himself posing alongside Sweeney as they flashed peace signs at the camera. (Patrick Schwarzenegger and Hollywood hair stylist Glen Oropeza were also in the snap.) An Instagram Story shared by Sweeney at the time, published by the outlet, also featured a photo of herself posing with Schwarzenegger, 31, and MGK at the Vegas event. Both MGK and Sweeney are currently single after the musician's split from Megan Fox was confirmed by Us Weekly in December 2024, and Sweeney's engagement to Jonathan Davino was called off in May. (MGK shares a daughter, Saga, 4 months, with Fox, 39, in addition to daughter Casie, 16, whom he shares with ex Emma Cannon.) MGK and Sweeney have been friends for years, with Sweeney starring in MGK's 2021 directorial debut, Downfalls High. The pair also appeared in the 2019 film Big Time Adolescence alongside MGK's close friend Pete Davidson. MGK's appearance on WWHL also saw an audience member ask him who his dream musical collaboration would be, living or dead, to which he responded, ' I like Frank, man, Frank Sinatra. I'll do that.' Machine Gun Kelly Sings About Wanting a Lover to 'Stay With Me' 5 Months After Megan Fox Split He was also asked by Cohen about how age, which garnered an interesting response from MGK: 'It's a weird thing, dude, I don't know if it exists.' Cohen likened MGK's 'connection to' his age to that of Mariah Carey, who told Harper's Bazaar in July that she doesn't 'allow' herself to age, which drew MGK to say, 'I just don't know many facts about my life, so I'm starting to just be like, like, my skin, if it just rips open, it heals really quick, there's just things where I'm starting to be, like, who's my dad, you know?' Hinting that he may have otherworldly origins, MGK noted that he once asked his mother if there was any 'period of time where you went missing,' which provided an unusual answer. 'She told me she got abducted at one point so I was just, like,' MGK said with a shrug. Solve the daily Crossword
Gizmodo
3 hours ago
- Gizmodo
A Viral Cybertruck Hoax Got So Big, Tesla Had to Break Its Silence
Elon Musk has always wanted the Cybertruck to be the vehicle everyone talks about. After a bizarre video went viral over the weekend, he got his wish, just not in the way he intended. The rumor grew so outlandish and spread so far that Tesla, a company that famously doesn't have a public relations department, was forced to do something it rarely does: publicly deny it. The incident highlights the Cybertruck's strange and precarious position. It's a vehicle so polarizing and so relentlessly hyped by its creator that it has become a magnet for controversy and, now, viral hoaxes. The drama started on Sunday when a user named 'bighuey313' posted a frantic video on Instagram from the driver's seat of his supposedly stranded Cybertruck. 'Wtf I'm in the middle of traffic, bro,' the user says, panning his camera over a dashboard screen displaying an alarming message: 'Tesla Cybertruck De-Activated. Critical Issue Detected | Contact Customer Service, Comply with Cease & Desist to Re-Activate.' 'Everything is locked. Cybertruck deactivated,' he continues. 'I can't move the car, bro, I'm stranded as f**k.' In a follow-up post, the user shared a photo of a supposed 'cease and desist' letter from Tesla, claiming the company was taking legal action against him for writing a song titled 'Cybertruck.' The implication was terrifying: Tesla had remotely disabled his vehicle over a minor legal dispute. He also claims Tesla sent him a cease and desist letter because he made a song titled Cybertruck or something like that. That's why the error message in the video mentions a cease and desist. 🤣 — Jeremy Judkins (@jeremyjudkins_) August 11, 2025The video exploded across every major social platform. But as it spread, eagle-eyed users began pointing out inconsistencies, noting that the signature on the letter was from a Tesla lawyer who no longer used that title. The rumor became so damaging that on Monday, Tesla's official account on X posted a rare, direct denial. 'This is fake – that's not our screen,' Tesla wrote. 'Tesla does NOT disable vehicles remotely.' This is fake – that's not our screen. Tesla does NOT disable vehicles remotely. — Tesla (@Tesla) August 11, 2025The fact that Tesla had to respond at all speaks to the Cybertruck's troubled reputation. As Gizmodo has previously reported, the sci-fi pickup has been a commercial bust. Its new vehicle sales plunged by over 50% in the second quarter, and its resale value has crashed by more than 30% in the used car market. This reality is a stark contrast to the relentless hype from Musk, who has called the truck 'apocalypse-level safe' and 'built bullet tough.' This combination of high-profile hype and real-world failure has made the Cybertruck a perfect target. People are primed to believe the worst about it, and the idea of a powerful, faceless corporation remotely disabling a customer's vehicle taps into the deepest fears of EV skeptics. For Tesla, the stakes were too high to ignore. While the recent, last-minute rush for expiring EV tax credits has given the Cybertruck a temporary sales pulse, its long-term viability is still in question. A viral rumor about the company having a remote 'kill switch' is the last thing a struggling brand needs. The entire saga shows that the Cybertruck is a cultural lightning rod, and Tesla will be forced to keep putting out the fires it inevitably creates. For a truck that's already struggling to win over buyers — and is increasingly viewed as a commercial flop — even a fake viral story can further erode its image.
