원본보기 아이콘

"Sydney Sweeney has great jeans"

"Jeans are inherited from parents. Sometimes they even determine hair color, eye color, complexion, and personality. My jeans are blue."

Jeans advertisement featuring a Hollywood actor with blue eyes and blonde hair

The controversy surrounding this advertisement has escalated with President Trump joining in, heating up the United States

The controversial advertisement is part of a jeans campaign series released last month by the clothing brand American Eagle. In the ad, Sydney Sweeney (28), wearing jeans, says, "'Genes' are inherited from your parents. Sometimes they even determine hair color, eye color, complexion, and personality. My 'genes' are blue." A narrator then adds, "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans."

In another version of the ad, Sweeney approaches a jeans advertisement poster that reads, "Sydney Sweeney has great genes," erases the word "genes," and writes "jeans" instead.

On July 31, an advertisement poster of Sydney Sweeney wearing American Eagle jeans was displayed on the streets of SoHo, Manhattan, New York. Photo by UPI

원본보기 아이콘

Both ads play on the homonym "jeans/genes," making it possible to interpret that Sweeney has good genes (jeans), and her genes are blue. Because Sweeney is a white woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, some have pointed out that the ad contains elements of racial superiority. Some critics have argued that "using a white actress with blue eyes promotes racism" and that it evokes eugenics. Others have even claimed it resembles Nazi propaganda.

American Eagle Outfitters homepage

원본보기 아이콘

The Associated Press noted, "Whether intentional or not, it appears to hint at eugenics." Eugenics is a theory that seeks to improve the human race by selectively breeding for certain genetic traits.

Marcus Collins, a professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, commented, "If the ad had featured models of various races and made a pun about 'genes,' it could have avoided criticism. This was either ignorant, lazy, or intentional." CNN pointed out that it recalls a comment made by President Donald Trump last year, when he referred to undocumented immigrants who committed crimes as having "bad genes."

원본보기 아이콘

원본보기 아이콘

원본보기 아이콘

원본보기 아이콘

원본보기 아이콘

원본보기 아이콘

President Trump fueled the controversy by publicly supporting her. On August 4, he posted on his social media, "The jeans ad featuring Republican Sydney Sweeney is a total sensation right now. The jeans are flying off the shelves. Well done, Sydney!"

Together with his message of support, President Trump also wrote, "Jaguar, which did a stupid woke (woke·깨어 있음미국 흑인들이 20세기부터 사용한 단어로 알려져 있다. 원래는 인종적, 사회적 불의를 흑인들이 인식한다는 의미였다고. 2014년 미 미주리주 퍼거슨에서 경찰이 흑인 청년 마이클 브라운을 사살한 사건 이후 ‘워크’라는 용어는 미국 흑인 커뮤니티 밖에서도 더 자주 사용되기 시작. 이후 이 단어가 인종문제, 사회운동, 이후 젠더·소수자문제까지 확장해 일상적으로 인용·보도되고, 2020년대 들어 모든 진보주의 운동·정책·기업광고·공공담론에서 ‘각성’을 상징하는 용어가 되었다.) commercial, was a complete disaster. Jaguar should have learned from the Bud Light ad. They experienced unprecedented market share destruction with their 'woke ad.' Look at 'woke singer' Taylor Swift. She’s not hot anymore. 'Woke' is for losers. Becoming a Republican is the path you want to take."

원본보기 아이콘

원본보기 아이콘

With Sweeney’s ad going viral, the US Department of Defense also posted a parody photo of the ad featuring Secretary Pete Hegseth. On X (formerly Twitter), the Department posted a photo of Secretary Hegseth stepping off a plane in jeans, captioned, "The Secretary of Defense has good jeans."

Vice President J.D. Vance also pushed back against criticism of Sweeney’s jeans ad. On a podcast on August 1, Vance said, "It’s just a beautiful, ordinary American girl in a jeans ad, but they’ve completely lost their minds. Keep calling everyone who finds Sweeney attractive a 'Nazi,'" criticizing the opposition for politicizing the controversy.

Bud Light, formerly the world's largest beer company under Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), has become embroiled in a boycott due to transgender marketing controversy. Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender influencer, promoted Bud Light. /Photo by Bud Light capture

원본보기 아이콘

Among conservatives, there is strong backlash against what they see as an overreaction rooted in PC주의정치적 올바름. 인종, 성별, 장애, 종교, 직업 등에 관한 편견이나 차별이 섞인 언어 또는 정책을 지양하려는 신념, 혹은 그러한 신념을 바탕으로 추진되는 사회 운동. (political correctness). Especially after reports that Sweeney is a registered Republican in Florida, there has been a growing movement to defend her. According to Newsweek, Sweeney was registered as a Republican in Florida.

Former Fox News host Megyn Kelly wrote on X, "The left’s overreaction has only drawn more attention to a beautiful blonde woman." Steven Cheung, Director of Communications, wrote on X on July 29, "The fact that anyone can see 'white supremacy' in a jeans ad shows just how stupid this is. These ridiculous attacks are exactly why President Trump won re-election." MAGA figures have also joined in, further fueling the controversy.

원본보기 아이콘

원본보기 아이콘

원본보기 아이콘

After President Trump’s open endorsement of Sweeney, American Eagle’s stock price soared 23.65% compared to the previous day. Bloomberg reported, "This is the largest increase since 2000."

The industry now sees American Eagle, which thrust the United States into the center of controversy with this ad, as the ultimate winner. Although American Eagle’s sales for the February-April quarter fell 5% year-on-year, after announcing Sweeney as their model, the stock price rose by more than 4%.

"This phrase was always about jeans, her jeans, her story"

"Everyone will continue to celebrate wearing American Eagle jeans confidently, in their own way"

"Good jeans look good on everyone" - American Eagle -