American Eagle responded to criticism regarding Sydney Sweeney’s recent jean advertisements, emphasizing that their focus has always been on jeans.
In an Instagram post, American Eagle expressed its commitment to celebrating how individuals express themselves through their jeans. This comes after Sweeney faced backlash from some on the left, who labeled her as “Nazi” in reaction to the ad.
The company mentioned, “ ‘Sydney Sweeney has great jeans’ has revolved around jeans until now: her jeans, her narrative.”
They further stated, “We will keep celebrating how everyone confidently wears AE jeans. Amazing jeans look good on everyone.”
As earlier mentioned by other outlets, the ad features Sweeney discussing her “genes” while promoting her jeans, which has led to negative reactions from certain groups. She noted, “Genes are inherited from parents and can influence traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”
The ad concludes with the statement, “Sydney Sweeney has some great jeans.”
In the wake of the ads, many critics on social media condemned American Eagle as a “fascist propaganda” company, suggesting that Sweeney’s portrayal contained elements of “Nazi propaganda.”
Another commentator questioned if American Eagle was engaging in “eugenics ads,” highlighting the emphasis on a blonde, blue-eyed woman discussing her “good genes” as a concerning narrative.
In light of the backlash, White House communications manager Stephen Chen remarked that the critiques reflected a troubling aspect of culture, linking them to support for the upcoming presidential election. He commented on social media, “Cancel Culture is out of control. This flawed liberal thinking is a significant reason Americans voted as they did in the past.”
During an interview on a podcast, Vice President J.D. Vance found humor in the accusations of “Nazi” applied to Sweeney and the beauty praise directed her way. He mused about whether the Democratic party would learn from past election results, suggesting, “The notion that they would refrain from extreme denunciations seems lost. Their lesson is to label Sweeney as a Nazi for being regarded as beautiful. An excellent strategy.”
