Through the Static

By Hannah Saunders

The 27-year-old Spokane native, Sydney Sweeney, is facing backlash over her new American Eagle jeans campaign that features the text and voiceover “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” which is a double entendre for “genes.” Many of the shots within the videos overwhelmingly neglect to showcase the jeans, and instead, focus on her features: blue eyes, blonde hair, and voluptuous body. These advertisements come as the Trump regime terrorizes communities of color under the guise of “immigration enforcement.” 

“Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My jeans are blue,” Sweeney said in one video, as the camera showed her putting on jeans while lying down, panning to her face and remaining there. 

“Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” was used to cap off the ad.  In another, the camera focused on Sweeney’s cleavage, as Sweeney said, “My body’s composition is determined by my jeans—hey, eyes up here,” as the camera moved to her face, which was followed by the text and voiceover. 

Sweeney represents traditional Western beauty standards that conservative men go googly-eyed for. She burst to fame through her roles in The Handmaid’s Tale, Euphoria, and The White Lotus. Her massive following base includes many young women and teenage girls. 

She’s previously faced scrutiny over throwing her mother a Trump-themed birthday party in 2022, which was full of MAGA and blue lives matter apparel. Sweeney isn’t outspoken about politics, and her hometown of Spokane is a more conservative city in Washington. Spokane has been one of the state’s most highly targeted cities when it comes to ICE/Gestapo kidnappings and incarcerations, according to the Washington Immigration Society Network. While Washington has more civilian protections compared to people living in other states, it’s home to hate groups and crimes, and people are regularly being kidnapped and disappeared. 

“Should we be surprised that a company, whose name is literally American Eagle is making fascist propaganda like this? Probably not, but it’s still really shocking. Like, a blonde-haired blue-eyed white woman is talking about her good genes. Like, that is Nazi propaganda,” said TikTok creator @midwesterngothic. 

The creator noted how many young girls are back-to-school shopping and seeing these ads that are also oversexualized. Many advertisers use psychology to sell products, and American Eagle targets 15-25 year old girls and women who are still growing into themselves, which can lead to body image issues and influence behaviors through subtlety.

As a celebrity with influence and creative power, Sweeney could have altered the scripts and screenplay, but instead, her and American Eagle chose to lean into what some are saying is the theory of eugenics, which has been used to promote certain inheritable characteristics and was largely adopted by the Nazis in World War II to justify their inhumane treatment of Jews, disabled people, and others. 

American Eagle quietly removed two of the campaign videos that have sparked the most outrage, but it and Sweeney have yet to release any statements acknowledging the uproar. 

UPDATE: On August 1 American Eagle issued a statement on its Instagram account:

“‘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.”

But some in the comment section were displeased with this response.