logo
Sydney Sweeney's controversial ad campaign draws Trump's attention, he says 'advertising a very funny thing'

Sydney Sweeney's controversial ad campaign draws Trump's attention, he says 'advertising a very funny thing'

AP
US President Donald Trump was asked about the Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle's ad by Newsmax anchor Rob Finnerty
The ongoing controversy surrounding Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle ad has garnered a lot of attention online. Sweeney, 27, and American Eagle faced backlash earlier this week after the blonde-haired, blue-eyed 'White Lotus' starlet appeared in a new denim ad for the popular clothing and accessories retailer. It sparked a debate over race and Western beauty standards.US President Donald Trump was asked about the Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle's ad by Newsmax anchor Rob Finnerty. Trump was asked about the highly contested advertisement in a bizarre question that ended with the president going on a rant about transgender actress Dylan Mulvaney and his own experience with advertising, reports The Irish Star.
ALSO READ: Social Security eyes massive reform in US: New policy could hit 3.4 million Americans this month
"Your administration has been very open about the fact that American women are not having enough babies," the Newsmax anchor began his perplexing line of questioning. "There was an ad this week. Sydney Sweeney, an actress, was in an ad for Blue Jeans. The ad is doing very well. It's very popular. The jeans are sold out," he went on before asking, "Does America need to see more ads like that? And maybe fewer ads with people like Dylan Mulvaney on the cover?"
ALSO READ: Solar Eclipse on August 2 in US? What NASA has said on world going dark for 6 minutes
Trump took the bait and went on a rant about the Bud Light campaign. He said, "The Dylan Mulvaney ad was perhaps the most unsuccessful ad in history. It knocked 35 million dollars off the value of a certain company. You know what I'm talking about. That was one of the great disasters of all time. I would say it was probably the most unsuccessful ad, worst ad ever."
He continued, "You know, advertising is a very funny thing. I've done ads where I thought they were lousy and they turned out to be iconic, and then I've done some that I thought were beauties that were gonna be fantastic, and they weren't so good, so to each his own. But the Dylan Mulvaney ad was a total disaster." The Newsmax anchor paired the question with an onscreen banner that read, "Trump ends the era of woke."ALSO READ: 'Rage Against The Regime' protests: Over 300 US cities hosting anti-Trump demonstrations today on JD Vance's birthday. Full list
American Eagle is standing by its controversial ad campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney, which includes various commercials with the tagline: 'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.' The campaign has been criticized for promoting eugenics with its tagline, "Sydney Sweeney has good jeans," which many interpreted as a white supremacist dog whistle.
''Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans' is and always was about the jeans,' the company said Friday in a statement obtained by The Post. 'Her jeans. Her story.' 'We'll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way,' the statement continued. 'Great jeans look good on everyone.''I have great jeans… now you can too,' the 'Euphoria' actress wrote on Instagram on July 23, alongside a video for the controversial campaign. But some social media users compared the marketing move to "Nazi propaganda".
ALSO READ: Stimulus payments August 2025: These US states will receive financial benefit. Do you qualify?
'I thought it was gonna be, like, kinda bad, but wow,' one critic wrote on TikTok. 'That's gonna be in history books!'
'I will be the friend that's too woke, but those Sydney Sweeney American Eagle ads are weird,' another added. 'Like, fascist weird. Like Nazi propaganda weird.' Singers Lizzo, 37, and Doja Cat, 29, also took to social media to ridicule Sweeney and American Eagle over the controversy. 'My jeans are black…' the 'Truth Hurts' singer wrote alongside a digitally altered picture showing herself in the denim shirt and jeans that Sweeney wore for the American Eagle photo shoot. Doja Cat shared a TikTok video of herself repeating Sweeney's American Eagle campaign monologue with an exaggerated accent. American Eagle appeared to distance itself from the 'Nazi propaganda' backlash by sharing other ads from the campaign that did not feature Sweeney.'Denim on denim on denim… on denim,' the company wrote alongside the new ad on July 27. 'AE has great jeans.' Plus, American Eagle's stock rose more than 10% immediately after the new campaign kicked off on July 23.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Fantastic Four First Steps holds top spot despite big second-week drop; check the latest box office collection
Fantastic Four First Steps holds top spot despite big second-week drop; check the latest box office collection

Economic Times

time5 minutes ago

  • Economic Times

Fantastic Four First Steps holds top spot despite big second-week drop; check the latest box office collection

Despite a significant 66% drop in its second weekend, Marvel's "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" retained the top spot at the box office. "The Bad Guys 2" and "The Naked Gun" debuted strongly, securing second and third place, respectively. While "Superman" crossed $550 million globally, analysts anticipate upcoming releases to boost August's box office performance. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Newcomer comedy 'The Bad Guys 2' bags second place Superman crosses $550 million globally Top 10 movies by domestic box office Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Marvel's 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' stumbled in theaters in its second weekend but still held on to the top spot at the box office. 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' earned $40 million from 4,125 North American theaters, a 66% drop from a healthy $117.6 million Marvel film was followed by the comedies 'The Bad Guys 2' and 'The Naked Gun" in the top three box office rankings. According to news agency AP, the superhero movie dipped significantly more than Marvel's previous film, 'Thunderbolts,' which took a 55% dive in its second on the box office performance of the Fantastic Four's latest installment, senior media analyst for the data firm Comscore, Paul Dergarabedian, said, 'First Steps' is the last major blockbuster of the summer. It added nearly $40 million internationally in its second weekend, bringing the film's global total to $369 million. The movie's box office drop-off was surprising given its strong reviews,' as quoted by further stated that despite the fact that the movie's debut weekend may have given box office results a strong push toward the $4 billion summer benchmark, August is off to a slow start.'It's a tough lift, but we might be able to get there. It really means that all the films are going to have to stand on their own,' Dergarabedian said. 'It's going to be about getting great reviews, having that staying power, that longevity in the marketplace.'Newcomer comedy 'The Bad Guys 2' earned second place at the box office this weekend, with $22 million from 3,852 North American theaters. That was on par with projections and also in line with the first movie in the series, which brought in $23 million in 2022. Paramount's slapstick comedy, 'The Naked Gun,' also in its debut weekend, snagged the third box office spot, earning $17 million from 3,344 Orr, president of domestic distribution for Universal Pictures, said the solid debut for 'The Bad Guys 2,' coupled with strong audience reaction scores, should point to a very long, very successful run through not only the rest of the summer, but really, I think into the fall."James Gunn's 'Superman,' which opened four weekends ago and already crossed $550 million globally, earned $13.8 million domestically this weekend, taking the fourth spot. 'Jurassic World Rebirth' followed with $8.7 million. The horror movie 'Together' had a strong debut weekend, coming in at sixth place and earning $6.8 million domestically, proof that August is a month for edgier and offbeat films, Dergarabedian said.'That's what this month is about. It's not just about box office," Dergarabedian said. "It's also about providing really interesting, rewarding movie-going experiences for audiences.' Dergarabedian said he expects highly anticipated movies hitting theaters in the next few weeks, including 'Freakier Friday' and Zach Cregger's horror movie 'Weapons,' to give August a needed boost. The box office is currently up 9.5% from last the final domestic numbers being released on Monday (August 4, 2025), this list includes estimated ticket sales from Friday to Sunday at theaters across the US and Canada, based on Comscore data.1. 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps," $40 million.2. 'The Bad Guys 2,' $22.2 million.3. 'The Naked Gun,' $17 million.4. 'Superman,' $13.8 million.5. 'Jurassic World Rebirth,' $8.7 million.6. 'Together,' $6.8 million.7. 'F1: The Movie,' $4.1 million.8. 'I Know What You Did Last Summer,' $2.7 million.9. 'Smurfs,' $1.8 million.10. 'How to Train Your Dragon,' $1.4 million.

US trade talks to stick to terms agreed earlier
US trade talks to stick to terms agreed earlier

Hindustan Times

time5 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

US trade talks to stick to terms agreed earlier

India and the United States are intensely engaged to conclude a mutually beneficial early trade deal by the end of this month, 'strictly' within the bilaterally agreed framework of March 29, irrespective of the ongoing political rhetoric and independent of their strategic relationships with other countries, people in the know said on Sunday. he two countries finalised the detailed terms of reference (ToR) to enter into negotiations of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) on March 29 during their first physical round of talks in New Delhi. (PTI) It may be part of the negotiations that India and the US may purchase and sell more energy as an outcome of the deal. But the agreed framework does not proscribe either nation from purchasing oil and gas from any third country of its choice, they said, requesting anonymity. The two countries finalised the detailed terms of reference (ToR) to enter into negotiations of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) on March 29 during their first physical round of talks in New Delhi. Later, on April 22, US Vice President JD Vance officially announced the finalisation of the ToR for bilateral 'trade negotiations' during his India visit, and called it 'a vital step toward a final deal' between the two nations in a post on X that day. ToR is a set of bilaterally agreed road map for BTA negotiations. Both sides have concluded five physical rounds of negotiations and several virtual discussions within that framework. In the process, the two sides have already reached some common ground, substantial enough to announce an interim deal, they said. 'We are engaged through virtual mode as on date and likely to iron out remaining differences when the American negotiating team visits India for the sixth physical round this month,' one of the people cited above said. The US negotiating team is expected to land in New Delhi on August 24 to participate in the sixth round of talks from August 25. According to the people, some concrete outcomes are expected after the successful conclusion of the sixth round towards the end of August, despite US President Donald Trump's recent statements and tariff actions against India. Trump on July 30 announced punitive tariffs on Indian goods through a post on Truth Social. The announcements involved 25% on Indian goods shipped to America and an unspecified levy for purchasing Russian oil. Trump's reaction was an outcome of India refusing to budge on retaining protections for its agriculture, dairy and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sectors from unfettered American imports. Another factor behind Trump's reaction was India importing almost one-third of its crude oil requirements from Russia. About that, Trump on July 31 said on Truth Social: 'I don't care what India does with Russia… They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.' According to the US Energy Information Administration's (EIA) country analysis updated on February 6, 2025, Russia was the primary source of India's crude oil and condensate imports in 2023, accounting for about 39% of its total imports, followed by Iraq (19%), Saudi Arabia (16%), United Arab Emirates (5%) and the US (4%). India imported 4.5 million barrels a day (b/d) of crude oil and condensate in 2023, it said. 'In 2022, after the United States and EU imposed sanctions on Russia, India began purchasing Russia's crude oil at a discount, increasing its imports more than sixfold to 740,000 b/d,' the report said. Energy hungry India, which is the world's third largest importer after the US and China, imports over 87% of the crude oil it processes. 'Economical and reliable energy supply is the top priority of India's energy security, and heavily discounted crude from Russia meets both the requirements. Our energy sourcing is diversified, involving 39 countries. We have recently increased energy imports from the US and this may go up further depending on commerciality. But our sourcing from Russia would not stop under any external pressure. We are not bound by any unilateral sanction as we follow the UN sanction,' a second person said. Energy security is India's key concern and the US is endowed with the natural resource. The proposed BTA may have some definite commitments for enhanced energy imports from the US, depending on the long-term commercial viability, the people mentioned above said. 'But the deal cannot and will not restrict India's freedom in pursuing its independent energy sourcing. We are buying crude oil from about 40 countries, including the US, the Middle East and Russia. And the policy of diversified sourcing will continue,' the first person said.

Fantastic Four First Steps holds top spot despite big second-week drop; check the latest box office collection
Fantastic Four First Steps holds top spot despite big second-week drop; check the latest box office collection

Time of India

time5 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Fantastic Four First Steps holds top spot despite big second-week drop; check the latest box office collection

Despite a significant 66% drop in its second weekend, Marvel's "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" retained the top spot at the box office. "The Bad Guys 2" and "The Naked Gun" debuted strongly, securing second and third place, respectively. While "Superman" crossed $550 million globally, analysts anticipate upcoming releases to boost August's box office performance. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Newcomer comedy 'The Bad Guys 2' bags second place Superman crosses $550 million globally Top 10 movies by domestic box office Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Marvel's 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' stumbled in theaters in its second weekend but still held on to the top spot at the box office. 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' earned $40 million from 4,125 North American theaters, a 66% drop from a healthy $117.6 million Marvel film was followed by the comedies 'The Bad Guys 2' and 'The Naked Gun" in the top three box office rankings. According to news agency AP, the superhero movie dipped significantly more than Marvel's previous film, 'Thunderbolts,' which took a 55% dive in its second on the box office performance of the Fantastic Four's latest installment, senior media analyst for the data firm Comscore, Paul Dergarabedian, said, 'First Steps' is the last major blockbuster of the summer. It added nearly $40 million internationally in its second weekend, bringing the film's global total to $369 million. The movie's box office drop-off was surprising given its strong reviews,' as quoted by further stated that despite the fact that the movie's debut weekend may have given box office results a strong push toward the $4 billion summer benchmark, August is off to a slow start.'It's a tough lift, but we might be able to get there. It really means that all the films are going to have to stand on their own,' Dergarabedian said. 'It's going to be about getting great reviews, having that staying power, that longevity in the marketplace.'Newcomer comedy 'The Bad Guys 2' earned second place at the box office this weekend, with $22 million from 3,852 North American theaters. That was on par with projections and also in line with the first movie in the series, which brought in $23 million in 2022. Paramount's slapstick comedy, 'The Naked Gun,' also in its debut weekend, snagged the third box office spot, earning $17 million from 3,344 Orr, president of domestic distribution for Universal Pictures, said the solid debut for 'The Bad Guys 2,' coupled with strong audience reaction scores, should point to a very long, very successful run through not only the rest of the summer, but really, I think into the fall."James Gunn's 'Superman,' which opened four weekends ago and already crossed $550 million globally, earned $13.8 million domestically this weekend, taking the fourth spot. 'Jurassic World Rebirth' followed with $8.7 million. The horror movie 'Together' had a strong debut weekend, coming in at sixth place and earning $6.8 million domestically, proof that August is a month for edgier and offbeat films, Dergarabedian said.'That's what this month is about. It's not just about box office," Dergarabedian said. "It's also about providing really interesting, rewarding movie-going experiences for audiences.' Dergarabedian said he expects highly anticipated movies hitting theaters in the next few weeks, including 'Freakier Friday' and Zach Cregger's horror movie 'Weapons,' to give August a needed boost. The box office is currently up 9.5% from last the final domestic numbers being released on Monday (August 4, 2025), this list includes estimated ticket sales from Friday to Sunday at theaters across the US and Canada, based on Comscore data.1. 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps," $40 million.2. 'The Bad Guys 2,' $22.2 million.3. 'The Naked Gun,' $17 million.4. 'Superman,' $13.8 million.5. 'Jurassic World Rebirth,' $8.7 million.6. 'Together,' $6.8 million.7. 'F1: The Movie,' $4.1 million.8. 'I Know What You Did Last Summer,' $2.7 million.9. 'Smurfs,' $1.8 million.10. 'How to Train Your Dragon,' $1.4 million.

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