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Associated Press
2 minutes ago
- Associated Press
American Eagle's 'good jeans' ads with Sydney Sweeney spark a debate on race and beauty standards
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. fashion retailer American Eagle Outfitters wanted to make a splash with its new advertising campaign starring 27-year-old actor Sydney Sweeney. The ad blitz included 'clever, even provocative language' and was 'definitely going to push buttons,' the company's chief marketing officer told trade media outlets. It has. The question now is whether some of the public reactions the fall denim campaign produced is what American Eagle intended. Titled 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,' the campaign sparked a debate about race, Western beauty standards, and the backlash to 'woke' American politics and culture. Most of the negative reception focused on videos that used the word 'genes' instead of 'jeans' when discussing the blonde-haired, blue-eyed actor known for the HBO series 'Euphoria' and 'White Lotus.' Some critics saw the wordplay as a nod, either unintentional or deliberate, to eugenics, a discredited theory that held humanity could be improved through selective breeding for certain traits. Marcus Collins, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, said the criticism could have been avoided if the ads showed models of various races making the 'genes' pun. 'You can either say this was ignorance, or this was laziness, or say that this is intentional,' Collins said. 'Either one of the three aren't good.' Other commenters on social media accused detractors of reading too much into the campaign's message. 'I love how the leftist meltdown over the Sydney Sweeney ad has only resulted in a beautiful white blonde girl with blue eyes getting 1000x the exposure for her 'good genes,'' former Fox News host Megyn Kelly wrote Tuesday on X. American Eagle didn't respond to queries from AP for comment. A snapshot of American Eagle The ad blitz comes as the teen retailer, like many merchants, wrestles with sluggish consumer spending and higher costs from tariffs. American Eagle reported in late May that total sales were down 5% for its February-April quarter compared to a year earlier. A day after Sweeney was announced as the company's latest celebrity collaborator, American Eagle's stock closed more than 4% up. The company's shares were trading nearly 2% on Wednesday. Like many trendy clothing brands, American Eagle has to differentiate itself from other mid-priced chains with a famous face or by saying something edgy, according to Alan Adamson, co-founder of marketing consultancy Metaforce. Adamson said the Sweeney campaign shares a lineage with Calvin Klein jeans ads from 1980 that featured a 15-year-old Brooke Shields saying, 'You want to know what comes in between me and my Calvins? Nothing.' Some TV networks declined to air the spots because of its suggestive double entendre and Shields' age. 'It's the same playbook: a very hot model saying provocative things shot in an interesting way,' he said. Billboards, Instagram and Snapchat Chief Marketing Officer Craig Brommers told industry news website Retail Brew last week that 'Sydney is the biggest get in the history of American Eagle,' and the company planned to promote the partnership in a way that matched. The campaign features videos of Sweeney wearing slouchy jeans in various settings. Her image will appear on 3-D billboards in Times Square and elsewhere, on Snapchat speaking to users, and in an AI-enabled try-on feature. American Eagle also plans to launch a limited edition Sydney jean to raise awareness of domestic violence and to donate the sales proceeds to the nonprofit Crisis Text Line. In a news release about the ads, the company noted '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.' Jeans, genes and their many meanings In one video, Sweeney walks toward an American Eagle billboard of her and the tagline 'Sydney Sweeney has great genes.' She crosses out 'genes' and replaces it with 'jeans.' But what critics found the most troubling was a teaser video in which Sweeney says, 'Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue.' The video appeared on American Eagle's Facebook page and other social media channels but is not part of the official campaign. While remarking that someone has good genes is sometimes used as a compliment, the phrase also has sinister connotations. Eugenics gained popularity in early 20th century America, and Nazi Germany embraced it to carry out Adolf Hitler's plan for an Aryan master race. Civil rights activists have noted signs of eugenics regaining a foothold through the far right's promotion of the 'great replacement theory,' a racist ideology that alleges a conspiracy to diminish the influence of white people. Shalini Shankar, a cultural and linguistic anthropologist at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, said she had problems with American Eagle's 'genes' versus 'jeans' because it exacerbates a limited concept of beauty. 'American Eagle, I guess, wants to rebrand itself for a particular kind of white privileged American,' Shankar said. 'And that is the kind of aspirational image they want to circulate for people who want to wear their denim.' A cultural shift in advertising Many critics compared the American Eagle ad to a misstep by Pepsi in 2017, when it released a TV ad that showed model Kendall Jenner offer a can of soda to a police officer while ostensibly stepping away from a photo shoot to join a crowd of protesters. Viewers mocked the spot for appearing to trivialize protests of police killings of Black people. Pepsi apologed and pulled the ad. The demonstrations that followed the 2020 killing of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis pushed many U.S. companies to make their advertising better reflect consumers of all races. Some marketers say they've observed another shift since President Donald Trump returned to office and moved to abolish all federal DEI programs and policies. Jazmin Burrell, founder of brand consulting agency Lizzie Della Creative Strategies, said she's noticed while shopping with her teenage daughter more ads and signs that prominently feature white models. 'I can see us going back to a world where diversity is not really the standard expectation in advertising,' Burrell said. American Eagle's past and future American Eagle has been praised for diverse marketing in the past, including creating a denim hijab in 2017 for customers who wore the traditional Muslim head scarves. Its Aerie lingerie brand was recognized for creating a wide range of sizes. A year ago, the company released a limited edition denim collection with tennis player Coco Gauff. The retailer has an ongoing diversity, equity and inclusion program that is primarily geared toward employees. Two days before announcing the Sweeney campaign, American Eagle named the latest recipients of its scholarship award for employees who are driving anti-racism, equality and social justice initiatives. Marketing experts offer mixed opinions on whether the attention surrounding 'good jeans' will be good for business. 'They were probably thinking that this is going to be their moment,' Myles Worthington, the founder and CEO of marketing and creative agency WORTHI. 'But this is doing the opposite and deeply distorting their brand.' Melissa Murphy, a marketing professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business, said she liked certain parts of the campaign but hoped it would be expanded to showcase people besides Sweeney for the 'sake of the brand.' Other experts say the buzz is good even if it's not uniformly positive. 'If you try to follow all the rules, you'll make lots of people happy, but you'll fail,' Adamson said. 'The rocket won't take off. '
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dave Ramsey Caller Discovers Her Boyfriend Hid $80,000 In Credit Card Debt. Now He's Asking Her To Co-Sign A $100,000 Loan On His Home
A woman from Raleigh, North Carolina, called into 'The Ramsey Show' recently with a jaw-dropping financial dilemma. Allie, who has been with her boyfriend for over a decade, recently learned he secretly racked up $80,000 in credit card debt. Now, he wants her to co-sign a $100,000 home equity line of credit on a house she doesn't even own. He Took Care Of Her After A Tragedy, Now She's Paying All The Bills Allie said she only discovered the debt when her boyfriend hit a financial wall. "He hit the end of the rope," she told co-hosts George Kamel and Jade Warshaw. That's when she learned he had maxed out every credit card. He also still owes $40,000 in student loans. Don't Miss: Accredited Investors: Grab Pre-IPO Shares of the AI Company Powering Hasbro, Sephora & MGM— 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. You can His spending problem? Classic cars. Allie explained that he runs a restoration shop but is terrible at managing the business side. "He sees a car he wants, he gets it. He cycles through like three or four sports cars a year," she said. Despite living with him for the last two years, her name isn't on the mortgage. He recently asked her to co-sign a $100,000 home equity line of credit, or HELOC, so he could pay off the credit card debt. Allie immediately knew that was a bad idea. "If he takes one of those sports cars and wraps her around a telephone pole, I'm stuck with his debt for the rest of my life," she said. Allie admitted she briefly considered helping because of what he did for her in the past. After a devastating car accident left her with spinal injuries and a traumatic brain injury, Allie lost her house, car, job and life savings. Her health insurance company sued her to recover the $500,000 they had spent on her care. With nowhere else to go, she moved in with her boyfriend, who helped her recover. But now, she's the one carrying the financial burden. "I'm currently paying all of our bills," she said. "Because he has nothing to pay them with." Trending: $100k+ in investable assets? – no cost, no obligation. Not Married, No Ring, No Security Kamel and Warshaw were straightforward: she should not feel guilty or obligated to co-sign anything. "If somebody does something out of an act of generosity, they're not looking to be paid back," Warshaw said. They also pointed out how financially risky her situation has become. "You're paying his bills and you're broke," Kamel told her. "You're not really gaining as much as you think." Allie revealed she now earns about $35,000 a year, down from $70,000 before her injuries. Her health limitations keep her from taking more physically demanding jobs. And she said she feels trapped because she doesn't make enough to afford a place of her own. Still, she admitted that if she had more money, she would leave the relationship. Kamel and Warshaw encouraged her to keep searching for a rental or roommate situation. "There's a bunch of great girls out there who would love a great roommate like Allie who can pay her fair share," Kamel said. "He has chosen his obsession over you." Read Next: Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." The average American couple has saved this much money for retirement —?Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Dave Ramsey Caller Discovers Her Boyfriend Hid $80,000 In Credit Card Debt. Now He's Asking Her To Co-Sign A $100,000 Loan On His Home originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'Suits' and 'Yellowstone' Actor Neal McDonough Reveals Rule He Won't 'Kiss Another Woman Onscreen' in His Contracts
The actor said that he was "blackballed" and "crucified" in the industry over his ruleNEED TO KNOW Neal McDonough revealed that he has a rule about kissing women for roles, saying that he refuses to kiss anyone but his wife, Ruvé McDonough The actor alleged that his rule led to him getting sued once, as well as "blackballed" and "crucified" in the industry He revealed that the saving grace has been his wife, and that he was thrilled to get to kiss her onscreen in his movie, The Last RodeoNeal McDonough opened up about feeling "blackballed" and "crucified" in the industry over his stance on filming romantic scenes. During a Wednesday, July 30, appearance on the Nothing Left Unsaid podcast, the 59-year-old actor — who fans will recognize from the likes of his 2025 film The Last Rodeo, Suits and Yellowstone — revealed that he has a rule that he will only kiss his wife of more than 20 years, Ruvé McDonough. "I had always had in my contracts that I wouldn't kiss another woman onscreen," he said while on the podcast, clarifying that it was not his wife who proposed the rule. "It was me, really, who had a problem. I was like, 'Yeah, I don't want to put you through it. I know we're going to start having kids, and I don't want to put my kids through it.'" Instead, the actor said that he decided to pursue a career as a frequent villain so that he was able to accept roles that didn't require romantic moments. Despite his plan, Neal said that the rule ultimately "got him blacklisted" and left Hollywood confused about what to do with him. "A lot of people say, 'Well, you kill thousands of people in all of your movies, sometimes millions, and you won't kiss another woman onscreen?' I'm like, 'Yeah, but you're not really killing anybody,'" he said. "And it's kind of funny on the day when we're doing it. But intimacy is a whole different thing for me." Elsewhere in the interview, Neal recalled a time when he faced pressure on set to film a "simulated sex scene" for the pilot of a TV show. After he refused and quit the role, he was sued as the clause was not included in his contract. Despite that, he adamantly stressed that he never second-guessed his decision. Saying that "Hollywood just completely turned on me," he recalled feeling untethered and said that he "lost everything you could possibly imagine." "Not just houses and material things. But your swagger, your cool, who you are, your identity, everything. My identity was an actor and a really good one. And once you don't have that identity, you're kind of lost in a tailspin," he admitted, saying that it continued "for a couple of years." Neal explained that his self-doubt about his role in the industry led to him developing a drinking problem, which he was only able to beat when Ruvé got him to go back to church and rediscover his faith. "When I stopped drinking and everything just kind of changed. Literally, the clouds parted. I was like, 'Oh. I don't need this crutch. Oh, people are calling me. Oh, I am successful. Oh, I do like myself again. Ok, I am God's child, and I have a job to do. Stop wallowing in self-pity. Dust yourself off and go hit it hard,'" he explained. Regarding his rule, he noted that his wife was "really hot." "That's the other thing. You know, she's a good-looking woman, and everything else pales compared to my wife Ruvé. But in all seriousness, it was just something I was never comfortable doing." The rule almost led to him giving up his role in The Last Rodeo, which he wrote and produced as well as starred in, because there were two flashbacks that entailed kissing the character's deceased wife. What changed his mind was convincing Ruvé to play the role. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "She was so great in the movie, and to kiss my wife, my real-life wife, in a movie that I wrote and produced and gave glory to Him in," he reflected, saying, that he couldn't picture "anything really better than that in my life when it comes to my career because it's finally one of those things where I made it, and I did it our way." He continued, saying, "We did it. We made a beautiful film that's made money, that everyone's loving, that the reviews are crazy for. I've never been part of a film that has a 95% Rotten Tomatoes approval rating from the audience. Never. You know, so we knew we did something right." The actor also shared a lesson that he learned from the experience, saying, "I think sometimes you need to be crucified in life to realize what life is really about. It's about God. It's about what you can do to make the world a better place while you're here for that finite amount of time." Neal and Ruvé exchanged vows in December 2003, and they share five children. "Almost 20 years of marriage, & 23 years together. The best decision I ever made in my life asking Ruvé to be my life partner and soulmate," he gushed about his life partner in a 2023 post on Instagram celebrating their monumental anniversary. Read the original article on People
