Latest news with #eugenics
BBC News
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Diddy On Trial Macron vs Candace Owens lawsuit
Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty and guests discuss an advertising campaign starring actress Sydney Sweeney for American Eagle which has prompted criticism for what some describe as eugenic overtones. The advert's wordplay on 'jeans' and 'genes' has led to accusations of racial insensitivity and critics argue the campaign invokes language historically linked to white supremacy. Podcaster and commentator Candace Owens is facing a lawsuit from French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron over conspiracy theories Owens promoted on her podcast. The Macrons allege Owens spread false and defamatory claims regarding Brigitte Macron's identity and personal history, despite having received formal retraction requests. Owens says the lawsuit is evidence that Brigitte Macron is definitely a man. Blake Lively is suing her former co-star and director Justin Baldoni, for sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, and defamation. She is about to sit for her deposition where she will face questions from Justin Baldoni's lawyer. Her claim alleges there was inappropriate on-set behaviour and that she was targeted in a smear campaign. Baldoni has said the allegations are categorically false. Anoushka speaks to criminal defence attorney Shaun Kent and crisis PR manager Molly McPherson. Got questions? Send us a Whatsapp message on 0330 678 111 4 or find Anoushka on social media. Subscribe to Fame Under Fire on BBC Sounds and turn on push notifications so you never miss an episode. We'll let you know as soon as new episodes are available. Host: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty Series Producer: Laura Jones Producer: Louise Clarke Senior Impact Producer: Melanie Stewart-Smith Production Coordinator: Tammy Snow Technical Producer: Craig Boardman Editor: Clare Fordham Assistant Commissioning Producer: Rechmial Miller Commissioning Producer: Adam Eland Assistant Commissioner: Will Drysdale Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
ABC News
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Sydney Sweeney and American Eagle's advertisement controversy explained
US jeans brand American Eagle is facing accusations its new ad campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney is "tone deaf" and promotes eugenics theory. The advertising campaign, which launched this week, features the blonde-haired and blue-eyed actor dressed in denim and it bears the tagline: "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans." The company saw a 10 per cent surge in sales after the advertisement's release. However, the campaign has faced mixed reviews online, with some social media users saying it alludes to theories of racial superiority. Here's why. The advertising campaign features several videos in which the company uses "genes" and "jeans" in a play on words. Several videos show Sweeney, dressed head to toe in denim, discussing how great her genes/jeans are while playing with a puppy or starting up a Ford Mustang. "Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour," she says in another video which has since been removed. "My jeans are blue." But some critics online say the ads allude to eugenics, a theory popular among white supremacists, that suggests the human race could be improved by breeding out "less desirable traits". "After watching the full thing, I was a bit confused because I thought, 'OK it's not about selling jeans, it was about Sydney Sweeney,' and I took a step back and analysed the symbols and language used," TikTok creator and activist Jeff Kissubi said. "She's obviously conventionally attractive but it was what they considered great genes. Pale skin, blonde hair, blue eyes." "When eugenic theory started in America, it was saying that everything that was not centred around whiteness would make your gene pool bad." "And it was the word play of the advertisement that subtly mirrored far-right Americana themes." Mr Kissubi said, given the current political climate in the US, the reaction online was "valid". "In a country where identity and belonging are already being weaponised, especially now with the far-right MAGA narrative that is on the rise, I don't think it was this overreaction," he said. "I think that when people consume things that evoke a sudden reaction, that emotion is valid. "When people feel erased and unsafe by what they see, it's very important brands don't exist in a vacuum." Lauren Rosewarne, from the University of Melbourne, said while the conversations around the advertisements and race were valid, the negative interpretations of the brand's messaging could have been missed by advertisers. "There are focus groups and these ads are never just designed in a vacuum," she said. "They are shown to groups of people to see what things jump out at them, but this is the danger of social media; you can never focus-group enough people to fully gauge what a social media response might look like. "Something that might not seem particularly obvious to focus groups will enter niche parts of social media. She said advertisers were navigating an era when there were social media users with high media literacy and accounts dedicated to unpicking subtext and pop culture. The advertisement is not the first to cause controversy. Dr Rosewarne said the American Eagle videos reminded her of a 1980s ad campaign for Calvin Klein jeans. The advertisement featured 15-year-old actor Brooke Shields and the tagline: "Nothing gets between me and my Calvins." It was criticised at the time for its suggestive nature. Some TV networks declined to air the ad because of the suggestive double entendre and Shields's age. But Shields told Vogue in 2021 that she thought the backlash was "ridiculous". Sweeney has also faced controversy before. In 2022, she shared pictures of her mother's 60th birthday in which family members wore MAGA-style hats that read "make sixty great again". Sweeney later tweeted that people were turning an "innocent celebration" into an "absurd political statement". Neither Sweeney nor American Eagle have commented on the backlash to the jeans ads. And the proceeds of the jeans will be donated to The Crisis Text Line, a US charity hotline for people who need mental health support. Dr Rosewarne said Sweeney was "always going to be a divisive figure". "It also works for her," she said. "She gets the opportunities because of the decisions she's made and, so long as you don't cross the line where the majority of people think it's quite problematic, throwing caution to the wind is quite seductive in certain markets, and she gets away with it because she's pretty. "This is where we talk about pretty privilege … and that kind of slack isn't given to people who are older or less conventionally beautiful." Eugenics is a racist and scientifically inaccurate theory that humans can be improved through selective breeding, according to the US National Human Genome Research Institute. British explorer Francis Galton coined the term in 1883. Galton believed health and disease, as well as social and intellectual characteristics, were based on genes and the concept of race. He advocated for a system where "the more suitable races or strains of blood have a better chance of prevailing speedily over the less suitable". He interpreted certain physical traits and characteristics as more socially and economically valuable. The implementation of eugenics theory has caused widespread harm to marginalised populations throughout history. The movement gained traction in the late 1800s and early 1900s and some leaders and intellectuals believed the use of methods such as involuntary sterilisation, segregation and social exclusion would rid society of individuals deemed by them to be unfit. The theory was so prevalent in America in the early 1900s that it was supported by US president Woodrow Wilson and prominent families such as the Rockefellers. The most radical interpretation of the theory came during the Holocaust, when a large number of Nazi persecutory policies stemmed from theories of eugenics. In Germany, the term was largely referred to as "racial hygiene" and it influenced the thinking of Adolf Hitler who blended racial antisemitism with eugenic theory, according to the US Holocaust Museum. He used it to justify the Nazis's treatment of Jews, disabled people and minority groups. Eugenics theories continue to be pushed by the Neo-Nazi movement, which some fear is increasingly influential in right-wing US politics. US President Trump has been accused of dog whistling by signing executive orders cracking down on diversity, equity and inclusion programs. At Mr Trump's inauguration, his former head of department of government efficiency, Elon Musk, was accused of making a Nazi salute. Mr Musk said the "everyone is Hitler attack is so tired" but offered no other explanation. Meanwhile in February, US Vice-President JD Vance courted the leader of Germany's far-right, anti-immigration party AfD which has been labelled by Germany's spy agency as racist and "extremist". Some marketing experts say they have observed a shift in the industry since Mr Trump returned to office. Jazmin Burell, a founder of a brand consulting agency in the US told AP she had noticed more advertisements featuring white models. "I can see us going back to a world where diversity is not really the standard expectation in advertising," she said.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Why new Sydney Sweeney ad campaign is sparking backlash
Sydney Sweeney 's new American Eagle denim campaign has drawn criticism for its tagline, 'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Genes/Jeans', which some found problematic due to its association with eugenics and the ad's perceived lack of diversity. Social media users expressed concern that the campaign, featuring a blonde, white woman, inadvertently promoted ideas of 'good genes' and white supremacy. A significant, yet largely overlooked, element of the campaign is that all proceeds from 'The Sydney Jean' are donated to Crisis Text Line, a non-profit that offers confidential mental health support to anyone 24/7. Many observers noted that the charitable purpose of the campaign was not clearly communicated in the advertisements, leading to public misunderstanding. American Eagle invested heavily in this campaign, aiming to boost sales ahead of the back-to-school season amidst economic pressures and recent operating losses.
Al Bawaba
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Al Bawaba
Sydney Sweeney 'Great Jeans' Ad slammed as tone-deaf and racist
Published July 28th, 2025 - 02:54 GMT ALBAWABA - People don't like Sydney Sweeney's new "great jeans" ad campaign because it seems racist. The Euphoria star is in a new ad campaign for American Eagle. The motto is "Sydney Sweeney has great genes." But a lot of people on social media have pointed out that the play on words with "great genes" has racist meanings because it's linked to eugenics and praising whiteness in the past. "That Sydney Sweeney ad didn't make sense to me at first, but then I realized I should watch it with the sound on, and OH MY GOD." "Yeah, that's some fucked-up Aryan eugenics shit," someone wrote on X. American Eagle Instagram profile Someone else said, "Maybe I'm too fucking woke." "But getting a blonde, blue-eyed white woman and basing your campaign on the idea that she has perfect genes seems strange, especially given how things are in America right now." "I don't like the Sydney Sweeney jeans ad; it makes me wonder why we're promoting eugenics when the country is in such bad shape. NO, I don't want your genes." "Fuck you, American Eagle," said a third. "Are Sydney and American Eagle really hoping that people won't see this as a code word for eugenics and white supremacy?" A fourth wrote. I didn't know what everyone was freaking out about with that Sydney Sweeney ad but then I realized I should watch it with the sound on and OH MY GOD. Yeah that's some fucked Aryan eugenics shit — Dr. Mia Brett (@QueenMab87) July 27, 2025 The campaign also wants to bring attention to domestic violence through a line created by Sweeney called "The Sydney Jean." The full price of the line goes to the Crisis Text Line, which helps people with mental health issues. Maybe I'm too fucking getting a blue eyed, blonde, white women and focusing your campaign around her having perfect genetics Feels weird, especially considering the current state of America — David (@davejr307) July 25, 2025 However, some people have said that this part of the campaign is tone deaf, with one writing, "Is this really the ad they came up with to raise money for a domestic violence organization?' ✨Re: Sydney Sweeney'Genes are passed down from parent to offspring, often determining traits like eye color, personality, and even hair color…' So Sydney (& American Eagle) somehow expect audiences to not interpret this visual as a euphemism for eugenics and white supremacy? — My Fairy Godfather (@MFG_iWPJ) July 26, 2025 Another person told MailOnline, "As someone who has used and volunteered for this organization, this is SO disgustingly tone-deaf." Sweeney's next movie will be the drama Christy, in which she plays boxer Christy Martin. The movie is set to come out in September. In other news, the actor said she would like to be in a Barbie sequel with Margot Robbie. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Science
- The Guardian
Phrenology and IQ tests: the far-right revival of discredited race science
Phrenology was long ago added to the junk heap of discredited theories. But in the 200 years since the Edinburgh Phrenological Society turned this pseudoscientific method to study the skulls of black Africans, Indians and white Europeans, scientific racism has continued to re-emerge in different guises. In the 19th century, as scientists were intent on classifying the natural world into taxonomic categories, some of Edinburgh's most celebrated intellectuals argued that different human races were so distinct that they ought to be considered separate species. The University of Edinburgh report on its legacy of links to slavery and colonialism notes that non-white populations were invariably depicted as inherently inferior, offering a convenient justification for colonialism. As this view became untenable, scientific racism shifted into the domain of eugenics in the 20th century. Francis Galton, the English statistician who coined the term, argued for social measures aimed at 'improving the stock'. Edinburgh's then chancellor, the former Conservative prime minister Arthur Balfour, was a prominent supporter and became honorary vice-chair of the British Eugenics Education Society in 1913. In the US, eugenics inspired forced sterilisation programmes, which disproportionately targeted African American women and, in Nazi Germany, was the ideological backdrop to the Holocaust. The advent of modern genetics and human population data has shattered the idea that there are biologically distinct groups, or that humans that can be neatly categorised based on skin colour or external appearance. Genetic variation between populations is continuous and does not align with social, historical and cultural constructs of race. Race, as a genetic concept, does not exist. Yet, says Angela Saini, author of a book on the return of race science, 'people don't stop believing falsehoods just because the evidence suggests they are wrong'. As IQ testing became the metric of choice for those seeking to draw conclusions about racial differences – often based on biased or fraudulent datasets – old, discredited arguments resurfaced. The Bell Curve, a 1994 bestseller, argued that IQ was heritable and unequally distributed across racial groups. At the University of Edinburgh, students boycotted the lectures of Christopher Brand, a psychology professor, in which he claimed a genetic basis for white intellectual superiority. After he repeated these arguments in his 1996 book, The g Factor (and stoked further controversy by defending paedophilia), Brand was eventually dismissed, while his book was withdrawn and pulped. With the recent rise in ethnic nationalism and the far right globally, a resurgence of interest is under way into theories of racial exceptionalism. Last year, the Guardian revealed that an international network of 'race science' activists, backed by secret funding from a US tech entrepreneur, had been seeking to influence public debate. Discredited ideas on race, genetics and IQ have become staple topics of far-right online discourse. 'The ideas have absolutely not changed at all,' says Prof Rebecca Sear, an anthropologist at Brunel University of London and president of the European Human Behaviour and Evolution Association. 'If you can provide a measurement – IQ, skull size – that helps give racism a respectable gloss.' Just like phrenology, Sear says, a lot of contemporary scientific racism is simply 'shockingly bad science'. But when communicated in the form of a graph or chart – whether in a 19th-century lecture theatre or on social media today – pseudoscience and credible science can look similar. 'I would love to see a world in which people stop turning to biology to explain socioeconomic and cultural differences, in which nobody is judged by their racial classification,' says Saini. 'But the University of Edinburgh report is a reminder of how even seemingly smart, educated people can come to believe ridiculous things.'
