By Matija Šerić
Sydney Sweeney is one of the most popular American actresses of the new generation. At 27 years old, her career is skyrocketing, and she gained fame with roles in the TV series Euphoria and The White Lotus, for which she received Emmy nominations. Besides her on-screen talents, she has recently attracted attention with unusual controversies. All these disputes stem from her extremely sexy appearance (blonde, fair-skinned, blue-eyed, 161 cm tall, weighing 52 kg, with 34D breasts), which she tries to maximize for marketing purposes.
Controversial Soap with the Actress’s Bathwater
In June, in collaboration with the men’s grooming company Dr. Squatch, she released a soap containing ingredients like sand, sea salt, shea butter—and a small amount of her real bathwater. Only 5,000 pieces of this soap were produced and sold. Many criticized Sweeney for turning women into sexual objects, accusing her of trying to creatively monetize her appeal to men. She responded that the idea was hers and that she finds the online reactions entertaining.
Ad for a bathtub soap
American Eagle Jeans Advertisement
This soap controversy turned out to be just a prelude to the uproar sparked by a jeans commercial for the American fashion brand American Eagle Outfitters (AE), in which Sweeney stars. The campaign, consisting of several video clips and posters, launched on July 23 and immediately attracted massive public attention. Although aimed at attracting young Generation Z buyers to purchase jeans, the ad also caught the attention of the highly polarized American political public. In several clips, Sweeney promotes the jeans in various poses emphasizing both the jeans and her attractive figure. The camera lingers especially long on her large natural breasts.
Controversial Advertisement Script
In one of the ad clips, the actress, originally from Washington state, says a line that viewers interpreted in two ways: “Genes are passed from parents to offspring and often determine traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color,” before the camera zooms in on her blue eyes. “My jeans are blue. Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.” American Eagle later removed this video from their social media profiles, but it can still be found online.
The controversial video clip
Left-Wing Attacks
American (ultra)left activists influenced by woke ideology took to social media, especially TikTok and YouTube, accusing American Eagle and Sweeney of promoting eugenics, white supremacy, Nazi propaganda, fascism, racism, and other forbidden right-wing ideas through the campaign. They claimed the ad used wordplay to promote the genes of an attractive white blonde with blue eyes. Eugenicists generally believe that the human race can be improved through controlled breeding of people with certain physical traits such as skin color, eye color, hair color, height, and other inherited features, aiming to eliminate “undesirable” or “weaker” genes from the population. Liberal woke activists saw AE and Sweeney as part of a covert eugenics campaign, partly because the actress’s initials S.S. matched those of a notorious military unit.
Some commentators also criticized the overly sexualized nature of the ad, especially because part of the proceeds from the jeans sales would be donated to Crisis Text Line, a charity providing mental health services to victims of domestic violence. Critics argued the contrast between the donation and the way the product was advertised created an impression of trivializing the serious issue of domestic abuse.
2nd clip
American Eagle Rejects the Criticism
Representatives for Sydney Sweeney did not respond to requests for comment. The actress herself has not publicly addressed the negative reactions to the campaign. American Eagle responded to the backlash with an Instagram post, stating their campaign “‘Sydney Sweeney has great jeans’ was and always will be about jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We will continue to celebrate everyone wearing their AE jeans confidently, their own way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”
Support from the Right
The right wing and many neutral observers came to Sweeney’s and AE’s defense. Texas Senator Ted Cruz expressed support, as did Vice President JD Vance and former President Donald Trump. Vance said, “My political advice to Democrats is: keep telling everyone who thinks Sydney Sweeney is attractive that they’re Nazis.” On August 3, reporters asked Trump for comment, and he called the ad “fantastic” and “the hottest,” especially after news leaked that Sweeney is a registered Republican in Florida. “You’d be surprised how many Republicans there are. Glad you told me. If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, then I think her ad is fantastic!” On his social platform Truth Social, Trump praised Sweeney and attacked companies Jaguar and megastar Taylor Swift for their alleged woke agenda. Meanwhile, American Eagle jeans are selling like hotcakes, and the day after Trump’s comments, August 4, the company’s stock value surged by 23.5 percent. The company name became the most searched on Google in the last two decades.
3rd clip
Sweeney’s Sex Appeal Sells Everything
The idea that “sex sells” has been an advertising golden rule since the “Roaring Twenties” in America. Sweeney has become known for marketing collaborations with many brands (Hey Dude, Laneige, Baskin-Robbins, Samsung), where her sexual appeal helps sell products—often drawing criticism. Over the years, she has candidly spoken about dealing with public commentary on her body. “People feel connected and free to talk about me however they want because they believe I’ve written off my life,” she told Variety in March 2024. “They think I’m no longer on a human level because I’m an actress… It’s a strange relationship people have with me, over which I have no control or say.” In May, Sweeney told The Times of London that “the female body is much more than power, beauty, sex appeal, and all that,” adding, “I think one day I’ll be able to take control of the narrative about my body. I will take that power.”
A Misguided Left-Wing Witch Hunt
It is reasonable to conclude that the liberals’ attacks are completely unfounded and that Sweeney and American Eagle are neither Nazis, fascists, nor eugenicists. The clips clearly promote jeans, not genetics, even though “jeans” and “genes” sound the same in English. Yes, the actress mentions her genes in the controversial video, but that should not be an issue. People often compliment each other for having “good genes” when they look good. That’s normal. The truth is that Sweeney has great genes responsible for her top-tier looks that paved her way to Hollywood stardom.
The problem for woke activists is simply that she’s white. If a Latina, Asian, or Black woman (e.g., SZA, Zendaya, or Lola Tung) had advertised jeans, nothing would be controversial, and the left wouldn’t be upset. Woke activists secretly envy white people, especially when they look “hot.” This is plain racism, visible in many actions by the Black Lives Matter organization. Add to that the pure jealousy from women over Sweeney’s brilliant looks they don’t have.
Donald Trump Supports Sydney Sweeney
Shock for the Left, Triumph for Sydney
It is unclear how the ad and the revelation that she is a Republican will affect Sweeney’s career. However, it is unlikely that “cancel culture” will destroy her because Sydney does her job well and will continue to rack up film successes with her great looks. If it’s true she’s a registered Republican, it shouldn’t hurt her (the right wing will watch her films and series with even more enthusiasm), even though Hollywood is mostly left-leaning. Being a Republican is not a crime, even if it scares radical American leftists. There is no doubt that the actress’s sex appeal has brilliantly triumphed. The advertised product is selling excellently, and Sydney Sweeney has gained additional publicity. Even the small part of America that didn’t know her before now knows who she is.
