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Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle campaign is part of a wider cultural backlash
Actress Sydney Sweeney is once again embroiled in controversy. This time the debate isn't centred around Sweeney selling soaps infused with her bathwater or posting pictures of MAGA-inspired red caps. Instead, the Euphoria star is making rounds for her role in a contentious ad campaign with American Eagle Outfitters. While the entire campaign sparked debate online, one particular ad has drawn especially intense criticism. In it, Sweeney lounges artfully on a chaise while fastening a pair of American Eagle jeans. In a breathy voiceover, she says, 'Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour.' As the camera slowly pans upward and she turns her eyes toward the viewer, Sweeney concludes, 'My jeans are blue.' Commentators and social media users have argued the campaign serves as a conservative dog whistle, conveying thinly veiled support for white supremacy and eugenics. American Eagle released a statement defending the ad on August 1, writing ''Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans' is and always was about the jeans,' on Instagram. Innocent marketing or intentional dog whistle? Eugenics is a discredited ideology rooted in white supremacy and scientific racism. It promotes the false belief that racial groupings are biologically determined, and that some groups are genetically superior to others and should selectively reproduce to preserve their 'good genes.' Historically, the end goal of eugenics has been to eliminate so-called 'bad genes' — often associated with non-white, disabled, poor or otherwise marginalized communities — so social elites can maintain their dominance. Fashion advertising playing on eugenic themes has a long history. Commentators have gestured to similarities between the Sweeney ad and the infamous 1980s campaign for Calvin Klein featuring a then-15-year-old Brooke Shields, who rolls around in her Calvins while talking about genetic codes, evolution and survival of the fittest — language evocative of eugenic thinking. The American Eagle campaign appears to be a direct homage to the Calvin campaign, but is rhetoric reminiscent of eugenics really something we want to reference in marketing? The return of 'traditional' femininity The American Eagle campaign is pointedly titled 'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,' with 'jeans' sometimes swapped out for 'genes.' It's clearly meant to be tongue-in-cheek. But this is not just a harmless ad. If the campaign didn't reflect broader cultural tensions, neither U.S. President Donald Trump nor Sen. Ted Cruz would have commented on it. 'The crazy Left has come out against beautiful women,' Cruz wrote in a tweet about the controversy. A right-wing media outlet went further, claiming body positivity was bringing 'the giggling blonde with an amazing rack … to the brink of extinction.' With its celebration of Sweeney's conventionally attractive appearance, American Eagle has reintroduced the 'traditional' feminine figure loudly and proudly. In this sense, the campaign symbolizes a changing of the cultural tides: out with body positivity, in with the 'amazing rack' and all it signifies. In our present cultural moment saturated with conservative messaging, Sweeney — a young, thin, white and sexualized Hollywood star — is hardly a surprising figure to hear extolling the quality of her 'genes' (sorry, jeans). Read more: From the rise of tradwife influencers and SkinnyTokers to the ritualized feminine performance of 'morning shedders,' the campaign lands squarely within a broader revival of regressive feminine ideals wrapped in aspirational, white-washed beauty. Exorcising self-love from the corporate agenda As a feminist media scholar interested in the intersection of pop culture and the far right, my ongoing research explores the rise of anti-feminism and right-wing politics. We are no longer in the age of popular feminism, when corporations eagerly appropriated feminist rhetoric to sell their products and services. In its place, brands are reverting to traditional imagery: thin, white women styled for the male gaze — a term referring to the objectification and sexualization of women in popular media, from film and television to fashion ads. It's a strategy that has long worked for them, and it's one they're glad is back in vogue. The aesthetic regression encapsulated in the Sweeney American Eagle campaign reveals what many critics suspected all along: the corporate embrace of feminism was never sincere. Read more: Campaigns touting 'love your body,' 'empowerment,' and 'confidence' in the late 2010s and early 2020s were intentionally designed to court progressive consumers and profit from the popularity of feminism. The core business model of these corporations — sell insecurities and reap profits for shareholders — had not fundamentally changed. If anything, as other scholars argue, self-love marketing encouraged women to not only upgrade their bodies but also their minds. It was no longer culturally acceptable that women look good; they had to also feel good about their bodies. That standard required more work and, of course, products, which brands happily supplied. Spurred on by an increasingly conservative political climate, many brands are no longer shy about expressing their motives. Thin is back in and whiteness is re-associated with rightness. Living through the cultural backlash As I have argued elsewhere, we are currently living in backlash times. In her 1991 book, journalist Susan Faludi wrote that backlash is 'a recurring phenomenon' that 'returns every time women begin to make some headway toward equality.' Although many news articles are describing a consumer 'backlash' to the Sweeney American Eagle campaign, I'm referring to something different: the rise of a cultural backlash against progressive social movements and politics. This backlash is currently taking shape across political, legal and economic domains, and it goes beyond a single ad. Today's current backlash is a reaction to popular feminism, Black Lives Matter, DEI and incisive systemic analyses found in feminist, anti-racist and queer scholarship and activism. The Sweeney campaign is just one expression of this larger pattern. Faludi shrewdly observed that 'images of the restrained women line the walls of the popular culture's gallery' during periods of backlash. That insight feels newly relevant. Just days after American Eagle dropped its campaign, Kim Kardashian's company SKIMS released their 'sculpt face wraps' — a product designed to give users a more 'sculpted' jawline. On the SKIMS website, product images show women ensnared in products that resemble Hannibal Lecter's famous mask or a surgical brace. They are disconcerting, to say the least. If Faludi has taught us anything, it's that a trend of images showing women restrained — physically or to rigidly defined roles — are not only harbingers of a menacing future, but are indicative of a chilling present that we must recognize to resist. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organisation bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Meaghan Furlano, Western University Read more: Girls' voices are needed to tackle misogyny and the manosphere – but they are being ignored Misogyny has become a political strategy — here's how the pandemic helped make it happen How Trump's racist talk of immigrant 'bad genes' echoes some of the last century's darkest ideas about eugenics Meaghan Furlano does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Fox News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
High-rise jeans, high returns: How Sydney Sweeney is helping American Eagle stock fly
Why Sydney Sweeney's "Jeans" Were a Brilliant Business Move for American Eagle When Sydney Sweeney slipped into a pair of high-rise jeans for American Eagle, it wasn't just a nostalgic fashion throwback—it was a business masterstroke. Folks, sometimes a commercial is just a commercial! You want real shame. Try having mom literally bring home a pair of "husky" jeans for you to try on as a kid. That's right. Three sizes. Small. Medium. And I dare say husky. Let's call this commercial what it was: bold, brilliant, and perfectly timed. In a retail landscape cluttered with uninspired influencer deals and recycled marketing campaigns, American Eagle made a bet on one of Gen Z's most bankable stars. And if the early numbers—and stock movement—are any indication, it paid off. And if you don't like the jeans or the company, don't buy them. Just like a few years ago, people stopped drinking Bud Light considering the Dylan Mulvaney commercials. The Power of Star Power Celebrity endorsements are nothing new. Especially with jeans. Think back to the 1980s, when Brooke Shields famously uttered, "Nothing comes between me and my Calvins." That iconic Calvin Klein campaign sparked controversy, but it also sent sales soaring. In the year following Shields' campaign, Calvin Klein's denim division reportedly increased sales by over 300%. Stock in the parent company (then part of Phillips-Van Heusen) responded positively as the brand became synonymous with cool, youthful rebellion. Fast-forward four decades, and Sydney Sweeney is pulling the same trick—but with a fresh twist. Her American Eagle ads—which showcased vintage Y2K aesthetics paired with body-positive messaging—hit home with Gen Z and Millennials alike. This wasn't just about selling jeans; it was about owning a cultural moment. American Eagle: A Brand at a Crossroads Let's be clear: American Eagle wasn't flying high before this campaign. In the five years leading up to the Sweeney rollout, the company had struggled to capture attention in a market dominated by fast-fashion giants like Shein and online upstarts like Fashion Nova. Their core demographic—young women aged 15 to 25—was drifting. The stock price reflected this. American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE: AEO) traded as high as $38 in 2021 when stimulus cash flooded the market, but as recently as two months ago, it had dipped under $8.50 a share. That's a painful 77% drop. Something had to change. Cue Sydney Sweeney. Could it possibly be like Michael Jordan's infamous Mars Blackmon commercial with Nike where Mars says, "It's gotta be the shoes" and maybe this is just a take that "It's gotta be the jeans". Get it? We know it's not the shoes and it's not the jeans, but some people just have it and there's nothing wrong with celebrating it. The Stock Price Needs Main Streets Approval, Not Wall Street. And here's the part that matters to investors about these commercials: Main Street noticed. The President noticed. And if you were a shareholder last week for the first time, you are a very happy person today. On July 28th the stock closed at $10.50 a share and in afterhours trading on August 4th the stock was at $13.90 a share. We don't know if the stock will get back to its heyday of $38 a share, but like John McEnroe once famously said, "Good News. Bad News. At Least They Are Talking." And up to this point, not too many people have recently been talking about American Eagle. What Could Make This Ad Move A Stroke Of Brilliance? Critics might argue that celebrity campaigns are fleeting. And that's true—if you pick the wrong celebrity. But Sweeney isn't just famous. She's relatable. She's outspoken about body image, known for her business savvy, and resonates with both red and blue state America. But how quickly again the far left has turned on her over a commercial, shooting a gun, and being a registered republican. Her appeal crosses demographics—she's as likely to show up on an Instagram fashion blog as she is in a conservative dad's Google search history. The risk American Eagle took here wasn't just choosing Sweeney—it was embracing a style era (the early 2000s) that many thought was best left in the rearview mirror. High-rise jeans are controversial. But controversy creates conversation, and in today's media landscape, conversation means conversion. Lessons from the Campaign We've seen other bold campaigns work wonders. Think Nike with Colin Kaepernick—stock dropped initially but rebounded sharply as younger consumers rallied around the brand. Or Old Spice's pivot with the "Man Your Man Could Smell Like" campaign, which turned a stale brand into a pop culture staple and doubled sales. But American Eagle's play with Sweeney may prove even smarter. It walked the tightrope of edgy. It wasn't just an ad—it was a marketing strategy built for virality, engagement, and ultimately, stockholder return. Bottom Line If you think marketing doesn't move markets, think again. Sydney Sweeney's jeans weren't just the right pair of pants—they were the right pair of genes for American Eagle's DNA. In an era where attention and today's soundbite are the new currency, American Eagle cashed in. And if the company continues to lean into this cultural relevance with the same courage, the best may be yet to come.
Fox News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Sydney Sweeney's steamy denim ad sparks comparison to Brooke Shields' controversial '80s classic
Years before Sydney Sweeney had "great jeans," Brooke Shields had her own controversial "genes" ad for Calvin Klein. Sweeney broke the internet late last month with an American Eagle Jeans ad that sparked backlash after she spoke about genes being "passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color." "My jeans are blue," she added as the camera closed in on her eyes. The ad is part of American Eagle's "Sydney Sweeney has Great Jeans" campaign and is strikingly similar to the one Shields did 45 years ago. Shields was just 15 years old when she starred in the Calvin Klein campaign, famously telling viewers that "nothing" comes between her and her jeans – a line that became controversial for its sexualization of a minor. In another commercial from the campaign, the "Suddenly Susan" star spoke to the camera and said, "The secret of life lies hidden in the genetic code. Genes are fundamental in determining the characteristics of an individual and passing these characteristics on to succeeding generations. Occasionally, certain conditions produce a structural change in the genes, which will bring about the process of evolution." She went on to say this could occur by "selective mating, in which a single gene type proves superior in transmitting its genes to future generations. Secondly by gene drift, in which certain genes may fade away while other genes persist. And finally, by natural selection, which filters out those genes better equipped than others to endure in the environment. This may result in the origin of an entirely new species, which brings us to Calvins and the survival of the fittest." Shields said her lines while struggling to put on a pair of jeans without exposing herself and while contorting herself into some interesting positions. The now-60-year-old actress told Vogue three years ago that the campaign was meant to be a series of commercials that had an "intellectual spin" on doing a jeans ad and involved "wordplay or historical references or literary references." She said the backlash to the ads was swift, with them even being banned in certain places, which she found "ridiculous." "What was shocking to me was to be berated by, 'Oh, you knew this was happening. This is what you thought. You were thinking these thoughts.' I was a kid and where I was, I was naive," she said. In Shields' case, the backlash was mainly over the sexual nature of her most famous ad, where she states, "You want to know what comes in between me and my Calvins? Nothing." "I feel like the controversy backfired," Shields told Vogue in 2021. "The campaign was extremely successful." The backlash to Sweeney's campaign was equally swift, but this time it faced the brute force of social media, with some suggesting it had shades of "eugenics" and "White supremacy." However, others, including President Donald Trump, have come to the ad's defense. "Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the 'HOTTEST' ad out there. It's for American Eagle, and the jeans are 'flying off the shelves,'" Trump wrote on Truth Social. "The tide has seriously turned — Being WOKE is for losers." He also told reporters, "If Sydney Sweeney is a Republican, I think her ad is fantastic." "'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." Jesse Watters mentioned the comparison on his show this week while dismissing the backlash. "This is a Madison Avenue campaign thing that they've done since the '80s, the play on words with the jeans," he said. "They've done it with brown-eyed girls and Blacks and blondes." American Eagle released a statement on its social media last Friday, 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 company's recent social media posts also include several models of color interspersed with Sweeney's campaign. Fox News Digital has reached out to American Eagle, Sweeney and Shields for comment.
New York Post
02-08-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Sydney Sweeney jean fury and more: Letters to the Editor — Aug. 03, 2025
Sweeney haters Some 40 years ago, in a Calvin Klein commercial, Brooke Shields said, 'Do you know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing' ('Sydney 'Nazi' madness,' Kirsten Fleming, July 29). Do you know what comes between Sydney Sweeney and her American Eagle jeans (genes) ad? Woke liberal sheep and the usual race baiters. Thomas De Julio Delray Beach, Fla. Sydney Sweeney's viral American Eagle jeans ad has sparked intense backlash online for its delivery. AFP via Getty Images Canada's Pal nod Israel shouldn't worry about Canada recognizing a Palestinian state ('Mexico rates an extension,' July 31). Every condition for recognition, like free elections and giving up their weapons, will never come to fruition. Joe Markovic Boynton Beach, Fla. Unfair fares The MTA is planning to raise the subway and bus fare to $3, and according to the board it's no big deal ('Don't call it a hike?!' July 31). Maybe, just maybe, if everyone paid the fare, no hike would be needed. Instead, the fare now goes up for the average citizen, and those who break the law will just continue their ways. And what happened to congestion pricing helping out rail commuters? That is just so last year. Gov. Hochul needs to go. She's a true upstater who has no idea what's it like for those in New York City to pay for all her bad decisions. Smarten up, voters — this is what it's like living in a state with a one-party system. Maybe we should just try the other party — doing the same thing over and over is the true definition of insanity. Philip Vallone Ossining Homeless hazard President Trump is 100% on the right track to remove the mentally ill and drug addicts from public spaces and streets ('Prez edict on homeless care,' July 25). A business owner should not have to pick up used needles or have his entrance be a homeless person's toilet. I see men passed out on subway stairs, covered in vomit and feces. It is dangerous, filthy and a health hazard to the public. Commuters have emotionally disturbed lunatics pushing them onto the tracks. Take these people away to institutions, where they can be cleaned up, fed and receive treatment. Carol Meltzer Manhattan Bragg's education Thankfully, Scotty Enoe was acquitted after being charged with manslaughter for protecting fellow workers at a CVS from a violent thug (' 'I took the blame for Bragg,' ' July 29). Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's next job should be stocking shelves at CVS instead of stacking up court loss after court loss for the city of New York. There, he could gain an understanding of how to protect law-abiding citizens from the frontlines of our endless war on crime. Donathan Salkaln Manhattan Faux 'protection' It no longer makes any sense to have 'protection agency' in the Environmental Protection Agency's name ('Rollback of $1T 'hidden eco tax,' ' July 30). In fact, only a moron would ever believe that President Trump has our best interests at heart when it comes to the inherent danger of climate change. In its proposed rollback of emission standards, the agency that he's determined to dismantle piece by piece is out to protect only the best interests of big business. Bob Ory Chicago, Ill. Want to weigh in on today's stories? Send your thoughts (along with your full name and city of residence) to letters@ Letters are subject to editing for clarity, length, accuracy, and style.
New York Post
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
American Eagle's ‘good jeans' ads with Sydney Sweeney spark a debate on race, beauty standards
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.' Advertisement 8 The ad blitz included 'clever, even provocative language' and was 'definitely going to push buttons,' the company's chief marketing officer told said. American Eagle 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. Advertisement '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 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 requests for comment from The Associated Press. A snapshot of American Eagle Advertisement 8 Some critics saw the wordplay as a nod, either unintentional or deliberate, to eugenics. 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 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. Shares were volatile this week and trading nearly 2% down 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. Advertisement 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,' Adamson said. Billboards, Instagram and Snapchat 8 Other commenters accused detractors of reading too much into the campaign's message. American Eagle 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 would promote the partnership in a way that matched. The campaign features videos of Sweeney wearing slouchy jeans in various settings. She will appear on 3-D billboards in Times Square and elsewhere, speaking to users on Snapchat and Instagram, 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, with sales proceeds going to a nonprofit crisis counseling service. In a news release, 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 8 The campaign features videos of Sweeney wearing slouchy jeans in various settings. American Eagle Advertisement 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 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. Advertisement 8 American Eagle also plans to launch a limited edition Sydney jean to raise awareness of domestic violence. American Eagle 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 Advertisement 8 Civil rights activists have noted signs of eugenics regaining a foothold through the far right's promotion of the 'great replacement theory.' American Eagle 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 apologized 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. Advertisement 8 'I can see us going back to a world where diversity is not really the standard expectation in advertising,' Burrell said. American Eagle 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 cousin 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 8 Marketing experts offer mixed opinions on whether the attention surrounding 'good jeans' will be good for business. American Eagle American Eagle has been praised for diverse marketing in the past, including creating a denim hijab in 2017 and offering its Aerie lingerie brand in a wide range of sizes. A year ago, the company released a limited edition denim collection with tennis star 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. '
