logo
Liberal media outlets argue Sydney Sweeney ‘Good Jeans' ad promoting ‘Whiteness,' ‘eugenics'

Liberal media outlets argue Sydney Sweeney ‘Good Jeans' ad promoting ‘Whiteness,' ‘eugenics'

Fox News7 days ago
According to critics at outlets like The Washington Post and MSNBC, Sydney Sweeney's new American Eagle (AE) jeans ad is promoting racist and "regressive" themes.
In reports published by the Post, MSNBC, GMA and Salon, journalists scrutinized whether the "Euphoria" star and fashion brand were taking digs at the body positivity movement and subtly pushing "Whiteness" and "eugenics" in the culture.
"The advertisement, the choice of Sweeney as the sole face in it and the internet's reaction reflect an unbridled cultural shift toward Whiteness, conservatism and capitalist exploitation. Sweeney is both a symptom and a participant," MSNBC producer Hanna Holland wrote in an MSNBC.com column on Monday.
Sweeney's American Eagle ad campaign, titled "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans," went viral on social media over the weekend for controversial reasons.
In one promo video posted to AE's Instagram page, the 27-year-old actress walked toward an AE billboard featuring her and the tagline "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Genes." Sweeney crossed out "Genes" and replaced it with "Jeans" before walking away.
AE's website also noted that a "butterfly motif on the back pocket of the jean represents domestic violence awareness, which Sydney is passionate about."
"In support of the cause, 100% of the purchase price from 'The Sydney Jean' will be donated to Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit offering free, 24/7, confidential mental health support to anyone in need—just text 741741," the site says.
Despite the jeans promoting a good cause, online critics were fixated on the ad's alleged White supremacist undertones.
Liberal outlets like Salon piled in on the backlash, with the outlet's weekend editor CK Smith linking the tagline of Sweeney's ad to "eugenics movements."
"Eugenics movements in the U.S. often promoted the idea of 'good genes' to encourage reproduction among White, able-bodied people while justifying the forced sterilization of others. Critics say those ideas still show up in modern advertising and influencer culture, often unexamined," Smith wrote on Sunday.
An analysis by Washington Post fashion critic Rachel Tashjian and the Post's media and fashion writer Shane O'Neil bolstered the claims made by the ad's online critics.
"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, what with this campaign, influencers like Alix Earle and Sabrina Carpenter's album cover," Tashjian wrote.
She added, "But it is strange to see a brand like American Eagle go in this direction. Should teenagers be served a vision of sexuality and fashion that feels so regressive?"
O'Neil said the ad campaign reminded him of the Department of Homeland Security under President Donald Trump.
"The first thing I thought of when I heard the tagline 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans' was the DHS Instagram account, which posted a subtly racist painting a few weeks ago and an explicitly racist painting last week," he said. "The latter depicted a gigantic blonde buxom woman chasing away Native people to make way for White settlers. When this is the imagery being promoted by our government, a pun about 'genes' hits differently."
On ABC's "GMA First Look" Tuesday, the show featured a clip of Kean University professor Robin Landa linking Sweeney's "good jeans" to the eugenics movement.
"The pun 'good jeans' activates troubling historical associations for this country. The American eugenics movement, in its prime between 1900 and 1940, weaponized the idea of good genes just to justify White supremacism," she said.
American Eagle did not immediately reply to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

The Real Reason Percy Hynes White Left 'Wednesday'
The Real Reason Percy Hynes White Left 'Wednesday'

Yahoo

time8 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

The Real Reason Percy Hynes White Left 'Wednesday'

The Real Reason Percy Hynes White Left 'Wednesday' originally appeared on Parade. After a long three years underground, Wednesday is coming to life once more. Netflix's take on the titular Addams Family daughter became an instant success in 2022, heralded for Jenna Ortega's performance and mystery box storytelling. And, while fans are waiting with baited breath for the first batch of Season 2 to premiere on Aug. 6, there will be one cast member who has not reenrolled at Nevermore Academy: Percy Hynes White. White's character, Xavier Thorpe, was a massive part of the teen drama's premiere season. Xavier nursed a complicated relationship with Wednesday, having met when they were 10 years old. Their first meeting in some time was a thorny one, to say the least, with the two immediately bristling upon their reunion at Nevermore Academy. Despite his attempts to help her, including the use of his prophetic painting powers, he is still framed for being the monster that is terrorizing Jericho and gets arrested as a result. By season's end, however, we find out that Xavier is a red herring, set up to obscure the identity of the real monster, Tyler Galpin (Hunter Doohan). 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 Despite Wednesday's clear error, her relationship with Xavier is mended by season's end. Thing is able to help him escape arrest and return to the school to help the heroes' battle against the resurrected spirit of Joseph Crackstone. And, in turn, Wednesday takes an arrow for her fellow psychic. Following Crackstone's defeat, the two reconcile, with Xavier even offering her a phone to make amends. With Tyler being sent away, it seemed like Wednesday was setting up for the heat to get turned up on the Wednesday-Xavier connection come Season 2. Unfortunately, that heat promptly cooled in May 2024, when Hynes White wrote in an Instagram post that he would not be returning to the series. "I had so much fun working on this show," he captioned over a photo of the cast, as well as director and executive producer Tim Burton. "I can't wait to watch season 2 :) Much love." Related: While Hynes White's dismissal may be shocking, specifically from a show perspective, his departure came as a culmination of a yearlong controversy involving the actor. In January 2023, an anonymous woman posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the actor would manipulate girls into sending nude photos or having sex with him. She even described a situation where Hynes White had "assaulted" her at a party he threw because she was "too drunk." While the woman would eventually go on to delete the post, several other people posted their own stories, claiming to corroborate the actor's behaviors. In June of that year, Hynes White made a statement in his Instagram Stories vehemently denying the allegations. "Earlier this year, somebody I've never met started a campaign of misinformation about me online," he wrote. "Because of this, my family has been doxxed, and my friends have received death threats. Underage photos of me were used, and examples of me acting in character were presented as hateful. My friend Jane was falsely portrayed as a victim, and her attempts to set the record straight have been ignored. She gave me permission to include her in this message. "The rumors are false. I can't accept the portrayal of me as someone bigoted, or criminally negligent of people's safety. These are the kind of baseless, harmful claims that can create mistrust toward victims. It's very distressing to know that this misinformation has upset people." Netflix has yet to comment on the reason behind Hynes White's departure from the show, so it has not been confirmed whether it came as a result of these allegations. Wednesday fans have their own theories to offer, such as rumors that the actor had been liking racist posts and accounts on Instagram, as well as posts criticizing both the show and Burton. Regardless of what the reason is, it will be intriguing to see how the show will handle Xavier's absence in Season 2 – if it even gets addressed at all. Otherwise, it may become yet another unsolved Real Reason Percy Hynes White Left 'Wednesday' first appeared on Parade on Aug 4, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 4, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword

The 'Wednesday' Season Two Cast Won't Include Percy Hynes White's Xavier - Here's Why
The 'Wednesday' Season Two Cast Won't Include Percy Hynes White's Xavier - Here's Why

Elle

time9 minutes ago

  • Elle

The 'Wednesday' Season Two Cast Won't Include Percy Hynes White's Xavier - Here's Why

As excitement builds for Wednesday season two, many will be visiting the trailer and images of the key cast on the red (actually purple) carpet at events to launch the series alongside titular star, Jenna Ortega. And they will find one of the key characters - Xavier, played by Percy Hynes White - missing. As the first season (way back in November 2022) closed, it seemed like Xavier would take on a big part in the show's second outing. Handing Wednesday her first mobile phone so they could keep in contact over the summer holidays - and as the surviving member of the former 'love triangle-ish' from the show - he seemed sure to return. But Xavier will not return to the show, after Hynes White was accused of assault by a young woman in January 2023. A user on X claimed he assaulted her at a party and that he had done the same to other women, as well as throwing parties with intent of giving underage women alcohol. The post was later deleted. Other women made more allegations and some social media users called for him to be removed from the show. In June that year, Hynes White branded the allegations a 'campaign of misinformation'. He said in a statement on Instagram: 'Earlier this year, somebody I've never met started a campaign of misinformation about me online. Because of this, my family has been doxxed, and my friends have received death threats. Underage photos of me were used, and examples of me acting in character were presented as hateful. My friend Jane was falsely portrayed as a victim, and her attempts to set the record straight have been ignored. She gave me permission to include her in this message. 'The rumors are false. I can't accept the portrayal of me as someone bigoted, or criminally negligent of people's safety. These are the kind of baseless, harmful claims that can create mistrust toward victims. It's very distressing to know that this misinformation has upset people. I'm really thankful for everyone who's stood by me and helped share the facts. Harassment of my family, friends and coworkers needs to stop please. Thank you for taking the time to read this.' In May 2024, Hynes White confirmed he wouldn't appear in season two of Wednesday saying: 'I had so much fun working on this show. I can't wait to watch season 2 :) Much love.' Ortega spoke about the departure of Xavier in an interview with Vanity Fair. Asked about the issue, she said it was 'a weird redirect, but we're introducing so many different characters that I think it kind of will get lost,' adding Wednesday's 'world does feel slightly askew anyway.' ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE.

‘The Lord will make it happen': Bridget Masinga stuns with gorgeous maternity photos
‘The Lord will make it happen': Bridget Masinga stuns with gorgeous maternity photos

News24

time35 minutes ago

  • News24

‘The Lord will make it happen': Bridget Masinga stuns with gorgeous maternity photos

Bridget Masinga has shared baby news with a beautiful pregnancy photo shoot. Fans are expressing heartfelt congratulations and celebrating her perseverance following two miscarriages in 2018. Masinga previously shared her struggles with faith during tough times, encouraging other women to remain hopeful amid trials. South African actor Bridget Masinga shared stunning photos from her pregnancy shoot on Instagram, in which she showed off her baby bump in a black ensemble. The 44-year-old former Generations star tagged the pictures with the hashtag #postpartum, sparking curiosity about whether she has already welcomed the baby. However, no official confirmation has been made regarding the birth. The first-time mom captioned the post, '…and when the time is right, I, the Lord, will make it happen. #postpartum' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bridget Masinga (@bridgetmasinga) Fans, who are undoubtedly excited about the news, flocked to the comment section, where they shared heartwarming congratulatory messages with the South African star. 'Never been so happy for a stranger! Congratulations, B! This is truly a prayer answered for you,' one fan wrote while another chimed in: 'Amen and Amen, congratulations. You look absolutely stunning. You claimed it, and faith prevailed. I'm so happy for you!' The radio presenter's news is remarkably joyful for many who heard her story of suffering through two miscarriages in the space of 10 months back in 2018. During a radio interview with media personality Skhumba, Masinga shared the devastating news. At the time, Masinga similarly announced the pregnancy news with a photo online and reflected on how looking at the photo brought her hope during dark moments. 'What I do know is that having lost another pregnancy, I often refer back to this picture in my dark moments and remind myself that, for whatever reason, God has made my biggest dream my most devastating test. And I can only keep praying that one day this test will be a testimony to the power of faith and prayer,' she told Skhumba at the time. Masinga advised other women facing the same 'heartbreaking trial' to continue holding on to faith. She shared, 'I truly believe that one day, I will be blessed with the greatest love of all and one day I will post my very own baby bump. But until then, I will not lose faith in the almighty nor be discouraged to stop believing in miracles and the power of true love.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store