Report shows how American Eagle stores have been affected by Sydney Sweeney campaign
The 'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans' campaign faced widespread criticism for allegedly promoting eugenic ideals through wordplay on 'jeans' and 'genes', and for perceived racist undertones.
The controversy intensified after Sweeney's Republican voter registration became public, leading to figures like JD Vance, Ted Cruz, and Donald Trump defending her.
Data from Pass_by revealed a 9 percent drop in American Eagle's foot traffic during the week of August 3-9 compared to the same period last year, a larger decline than some competitors.
American Eagle maintained that the ad was solely about jeans, while Sweeney has not publicly commented on the backlash.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
15 minutes ago
- The Independent
'Mamma Mia!' returns to Broadway after a decade away, bringing the dance party back to New York
When the musical 'Mamma Mia!' said goodbye to Broadway a decade ago, there were tears and hugs and tons of applause. In the audience of its last show, one woman wasn't entirely buying it. 'I felt then that it wasn't goodbye forever. I felt we'd be back one day,' says producer Judy Craymer, who had conceived of the show in the 1980s. 'I always hoped.' That one day has become today as the ABBA-fueled, feel-good musical returns to its first home on Broadway, the Winter Garden Theatre. It reopens Thursday night. 'It's like when you go to visit the old place where you went to high school,' says Victor Wallace, who made his Broadway debut in the show in 2012, stayed to the final curtain in 2015 and has returned. 'There's so many backstage stories and people and I'm a little overwhelmed.' Fans have fueled the return of 'Mamma Mia!' to make it among the top earners on Broadway, last week grossing $1.57 million over seven previews, fourth behind only 'Wicked,' 'The Lion King' and 'Hamilton.' 'A time of peril' 'Mamma Mia!' endured plenty during its first Broadway life — wars, hurricanes, the 2008 financial meltdown, the move to a smaller theater and critics, who never warmed to the show's high-energy sweetness. A hit in London — where it is still playing — 'Mamma Mia!' opened in New York just a few weeks after the 2001 terror attacks when there was deep gloom and anxiety. Christine Sherrill, who recently toured as the show's mom and is now making her Broadway debut in the role, says audiences are responding to another time of stress. 'We're kind of in a time of peril again, where communities are divided. So to be able to go into some of these cities and have 3,000 people — who would never find themselves enjoying the same thing outside of the theater — sitting there all enjoying this communal experience is really interesting.' The show, featuring more than 20 classic ABBA hits, including 'Dancing Queen' and 'Waterloo,' has been a smash in dozens of countries, including South Korea, Italy, Denmark, South Africa and Spain. Craymer sees the data about the new flock of theatergoers and notes this 'Mamma Mia!' is popular with groups. 'There were people that had seen it on Broadway — probably when they were younger — and now coming back in their 20s and 30s and then bringing their daughters or family.' A Greek story is born Craymer decades ago approached members of ABBA and made her pitch: Instead of doing a musical about the band, she insisted that their songs help tell an original story. Craymer teamed up with playwright Catherine Johnson, and a story set on a Greek island was born about a young woman who is about to be married and wants her father to give her away. But she's not sure who he is, so she invites her mom's three former lovers to her wedding. The musical prompted Craymer to produce a movie version starring Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth, that became the fifth highest-grossing film of 2008. A sequel, 'Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again,' came out a decade later. ABBA's music continues to be the backdrop for numerous popular TikTok trends. In some way mirroring the joy onstage, backstage at 'Mamma Mia!' is a party backstage, too, with milestones celebrated, outings, door decorating contests and gatherings 'Because of the nature of the show, I think it just bleeds into life backstage and that joy that you see on stage, it just overflows into our lives,' says Wallace. Themes of the 'Mamma' Wallace, who started in the musical's ensemble and grew to play the young leading man, Sky, and now is one of the three possible dads, says the show is about friendship, parenthood, hope and second chances. 'It's always surprising how the show surprises you emotionally,' he says. 'It's a great time. It's fun. But I think people identify with these themes and these characters and I think that people are caught off guard as to how the show captures their heart and moves them.' Sherrill looks at the story through a mother's eyes and realizes she's a different person than she was before she had twins. She offers another theme. 'It's a lot about finding your identity,' she says. 'I think that appeals to people on all levels — all people, all levels. Everyone's trying to figure out who they are and what the best version of themselves is. So, I think, that's sort of a universal message that's really playing on people's heartstrings as well, at least mine.'
The Independent
15 minutes ago
- The Independent
MAGA lawmaker Anna Paulina Luna claims Congress has seen proof of ‘interdimensional beings'
Florida Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna has told podcaster Joe Rogan that Congress has seen proof of 'interdimensional beings.' 'I think that they can actually operate through the time spaces that we currently have,' Luna said on Wednesday's episode of the Joe Rogan Experience. 'And that's not something that I came up with on my own. That's based on stuff that we've seen. That's based on information that we've been told,' she claimed. Luna, and Kentucky Republican Rep. James Comer, sent letters in February to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, asking for a briefing on all records connected to UAP -- unidentified anomalous phenomena. The congresswoman, a rising star of the MAGA movement who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, claimed that via her investigations, she's uncovered new information. 'Based on testimony that would be based on witnesses that have come forward. But what I can tell you is just we're told that ... they've seen things,' Luna told Rogan. 'And what I can tell you without getting into classified conversations is that there have been incidences that I believe were very credible people have reported that there have been movements outside of time and space,' she added. 'Based on the photos that I've seen, I'm very confident that there's things out there that have not been created by mankind.' She went on to explain that while she has not seen a spaceship or a portal, she's searching for information that could lead her to more evidence. Luna leads a task force working on the declassification of federal secrets, organized by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. She told Rogan that during her time working as an airfield manager with the Portland International Guard, she met F-15 pilots who had likely encounters with UAPs. She added that she has seen photographic and historical evidence, and that she has spoken to pilots in the Air Force who alleged that UAP sightings are being covered up. 'There's definitely something that I can tell you with confidence, that we don't know how to explain currently,' said Luna. The Florida lawmaker added that she thinks the U.S. has reverse-engineered technology to build crafts originally created by non-humans. Luna criticized the intelligence community for allegedly withholding information on UAPs, and similar matters. 'When you have thousands upon thousands of people throughout time that have reported something, to say that those people are crazy, to say that the whole concept of just asking the question [may mean] that you are not psychologically sound, that in itself is a disinformation campaign to get people to shut up about it,' she said. 'We know the U.S. government has not exactly been clean in a lot of what they've done with the American people, specifically to the topic of UFOs,' she added. The congresswoman argued that there is a 'protective complex' from authorities who think that Americans might not be able to handle the realities of what has been found. In the last few years, Congress has addressed the issue of UAPs. Lawmakers have been pushing for more transparency and a safe reporting system for those encountering such phenomena, with a number of congressional hearings and investigations held. In November last year, subcommittees of the House Oversight Committee held a joint hearing entitled "Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth." That came after the Pentagon issued a report in March 2024 stating that they had found no evidence of extraterrestrial spacecraft. In July 2023, a House Oversight subcommittee also held a hearing with three former military officials who said they think the government knows much more about UAPs than it's letting on. Hearings have also included testimony from former intelligence officials and experts.
.jpg%3Ftrim%3D0%2C640%2C360%2C0%26width%3D1200%26height%3D800%26crop%3D1200%3A800&w=3840&q=100)
The Independent
15 minutes ago
- The Independent
CNN's resident MAGA defender keeps getting his past Jan. 6 condemnation thrown back in his face
In January 2021, CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings was unwavering in his criticism of Donald Trump following the Capitol riots, saying that the president 'caused this insurrection with his lies and conspiracy theories' and 'every Republican must condemn it.' Now that Jennings is the network's resident MAGA defender and Trump has federally taken over Washington while deploying the National Guard into the city because of a so-called 'crime emergency,' the longtime GOP strategist is now getting his past anti-Trump criticism of January 6 thrown back in his face. And, quite frankly, he is not thrilled about it. Hours after the president held his Monday press conference announcing that he was seizing control of the D.C. police department and mobilizing the military to patrol the city's streets to 'rescue' the nation's capital from 'crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse,' Jennings appeared on CNN NewsNight to discuss Trump's widely criticized move. Spurred into action by images of former DOGE staffer Edward 'Big Balls' Coristine bloodied following an attempted carjacking and Fox News reports about crime in D.C., Trump has called his move 'Liberation Day in D.C.' while giving the green light to law enforcement to 'do whatever the hell they want.' Critics, meanwhile, have noted that despite the president's rhetoric about 'out-of-control' crime, violent crime has rapidly declined in the city over the past two years and is at a 30-year low. During the Monday night CNN panel discussion, Jennings was unsurprisingly applauding the president's decision as being tough on crime while showing support for law enforcement, prompting fellow panelist Tara Setmayer to take issue with the idea that Trump 'backs the blue' by referencing Jennings' prior condemnation of January 6. 'You look at what Donald Trump did and what MAGA has done to the police officers who defended our Capitol on January 6th,' Setmayer, a former GOP strategist and Never-Trump conservative, declared. 'You want to talk about spitting in the face? Donald Trump spit in the face of every single one of those officers who took that oath to protect and serve on January 6th when he pardoned those insurrectionist bastards and who wanted to take down our Capitol and stop the free and fair, peaceful transfer of power.' One of the president's first acts after his second inauguration was to issue a blanket pardon to roughly 1,600 rioters who were charged with crimes during the attack on the Capitol, including many who were jailed for violently attacking police officers. 'And so how dare people sit here and say that he backs the blue? He abdicated that, because you know what? He did not protect or defend the Constitution and he violated his oath of office,' she continued. 'You know, who said that? You did after January 6th. And that's exactly what he continues to do right now with the way he is throwing around our military, our police, talking about moving us to other states. This is something people should be very concerned about.' Indeed, shortly after a MAGA mob stormed the Capitol on January 6 in an effort to stop the certification of Joe Biden's electoral victory, Jennings wrote a scathing opinion piece for CNN chastising the president and any Republican who didn't rebuke Trump's actions. 'I'm ashamed and embarrassed for our country, and for any Republican who fails to condemn this shameful behavior,' Jennings stated at the time. In an on-air appearance the night of the riot, Jennings also suggested that Trump had become such a threat to the country that he may need to abdicate his office immediately. On Monday night, however, Jennings was seemingly stunned into silence and merely held his hand to his chin after Setmayer aired her receipts, prompting anchor Anny Phillip to move on to another guest. Several minutes later, though, Phillip circled back to the right-wing pundit to see if he wanted to finally jump back in. 'I want to give Scott a moment because he has not said a single thing,' the CNN host said. Saying that 'what happened to the cops that day was a disgrace,' Jennings then pivoted to defending Trump's federal takeover of Washington and deployment of the National Guard, adding that 'the only city' that Trump really has control of is Washington. 'If he controls D.C., why didn't he do it on January 6th?' Setmayer shot back. 'Why didn't he do it on January 6th when he sat there and let them take over the Capitol? He had the opportunity, but he didn't.' Two days later, another longtime political strategist would once again confront Jennings on his harsh criticism of the president's behavior on January 6 as it related to Trump now invoking the D.C. Home Rule Act. This time around, however, Jennings didn't sit in silence and instead lashed out with personal attacks. 'I think in Washington, D.C., you're gonna have to have substantial reductions in violence, substantial reductions in murder, substantial reductions in carjackings, and people are generally gonna feel like they can walk around and not be under threat all the time,' he said, boasting about the number of arrests that have occurred since the takeover. Julie Roginsky, a Democratic operative and former Fox News pundit, snarked that she was 'old enough' to remember when Jennings was 'appalled as the rest of us were on January 6th,' leading the former Mitch McConnell adviser to cut her off. 'Because January 6th happened, should we not enforce the law today?' Jennings sneered, resulting in a heated back-and-forth in which the GOP commentator accused Roginsky of engaging in a 'silly argument.' At one point, Phillip jumped in to ask Jennings to allow Roginsky to finish her point, only for the conservative pundit to grouse that he's 'not gonna allow it' if Roginsky kept taking 'potshots' at him. 'Scott, I know you're thirsty for that seat, but let me finish,' Roginsky snapped back, referencing reports that Jennings is considering a Senate run in Kentucky to replace the retiring McConnell. 'What are you thirsty for? Some kind of relevance out here? I mean, I don't even know what you do for a living,' he fumed in response. An undeterred Roginsky, though, continued on with her point following the broadside from Jennings. 'Can I just finish what I was about to say, which is that on January 6th, [Trump] could have deployed the National Guard. He chose not to. Now today, because somebody named Big Balls got beat up, allegedly, he wants to deploy the National Guard to a place that has had a 30-year low in violence. And we all know that he's doing this because it's a power grab.' Noting that Trump 'could have done this when this district was actually in danger on January 6th' but didn't, Roginsky said the president 'didn't give a d*mn' about 'backing the blue' then before invoking Jennings' past comments. 'And you agreed, back on January 6, he didn't give a d*mn about those police officers and about the safety of people in Washington, D.C.,' she concluded. 'Today, because he wants a power grab, he's doing this despite the fact that every statistic shows that Washington, D. C. has not been safer in the last 30 years.' Meanwhile, other progressives have called for CNN panelists to continue to challenge Jennings with his own words during discussions about the president's current actions in Washington. 'Not sure why every liberal pundit on CNN, confronted by Jennings, doesn't just read out every night his own words from Jan 6th back to him,' Zeteo founder Mehdi Hasan, who recently got into a heated exchange with a NewsNation anchor after invoking January 6, tweeted. 'Jennings called it an insurrection by domestic terrorists caused by Donald Trump. Remind him. Every. Single. Night.'
