What more can we say about Sydney Sweeney? Apparently, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar has something to share. In a piece for The New York Times titled “What I Didn’t Say About Sydney Sweeney,” she dives into the topic.
“Finally,” one might imagine a chorus of Klobuchar supporters exclaiming, “our older senators are caught up in a celebrity controversy that’s quickly losing steam.” While the political implications of a blonde actress in jeans aren’t really explored, Klobuchar does manage to get her thoughts out.
In her own words, she notes, “[A] I gave my views on actress Sydney Sweeney’s jeans in a viral fake video.” Klobuchar seems surprised to be discussing Sweeney’s jeans at all. It wasn’t her; it was AI.
I didn’t expect to give my opinion on Sydney Sweeney jeans. That’s because I didn’t. It was AI.
Deepfakes are now tough to spot, especially when businesses and authorities use them. You need to control your image in America.
– Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) August 20, 2025
Klobuchar goes on to express her surprise upon hearing a vulgar critique of Sweeney’s jeans from a deepfake AI version of herself. “I can’t wear jeans, or am I too ugly to go outside?” she reflects, adding some ambiguity to her own stance.
But what about Sweeney? Does she have the “perfect” attributes? Are Democrats really too out of shape for jeans? It’s hard to say. There aren’t straightforward answers here, not least because Klobuchar is busy pitching her new bill.
This proposed law would allow individuals to ask social media companies to take down deepfakes that misuse their likenesses while still protecting certain speech rights under the First Amendment, as Klobuchar explains.
Check out the Klobuchar video for yourself; it’s intriguing and might just be worth your time.
“What we want to convey is representation,” she states, asserting that if Republicans have appealing figures in their ads, Democrats should do the same.
Many might read this as blatant parody. And there’s a risk that Klobuchar’s legislation could veer into areas that conflict with First Amendment protections.
No one is more innovative in the realm of “bad technology bills” than Senator Klobuchar.
– Max Gulker (@maxg_econ) August 20, 2025
Are AI-generated videos significantly different from human-produced impressions? Should a clever Biden parody even show up in media? There are plenty of troubling uses for AI, such as when Jim Acosta interviewed a digital representation of a deceased teenager, which didn’t seem to veer into parody.
Klobuchar’s concern is evident: “Why are there no repercussions for those who create and distribute deceptive deepfakes?”
What does she hope to achieve? An apology tour? Fines? Jail sentences?
Choosing a strict approach like this doesn’t usually fare well with public sentiment.
