Sydney Sweeney breaks silence on American Eagle ad controversy, calls Donald Trump’s reaction ‘surreal’
Sydney Sweeney became the focus of the entire nation with her advertisement for American Eagle jeans. The video featured Sweeney wearing the advertised product and claimed that she possesses ‘great jeans’ – a play on the word ‘jeans’, which sounds identical to ‘genes’.
Many claimed that the ad had racist undertones due to the implication that Sweeney, a white lady, has superior genes. Many others, though, saw the video as merely banking upon her good looks.
Now, Sweeney has spoken out, and has given her side of the story. In an interview with GQ, a clip of which was uploaded on Instagram, the 28-year-old has talked about the issue.
When asked about the reaction the ad drew, she said:
“I did a jean ad. I mean, the reaction definitely was a surprise, but I love jeans. All I wear are jeans. I’m literally in jeans and a T-shirt every day of my life”.
She was later asked about the fact that President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social about this ad. She responds by saying that it was “surreal”.
The controversial ad
According to CBC, the American Eagle ad in question was seen as containing an undertone of eugenics, the discredited ideology that seeks to enhance the human race by selective breeding.
The contentious promotional clip has Sweeney saying: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”
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When the backlash started, there was a response from the company as well. They asserted that there was no racial component in the advertisement.
“We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone,” American Eagle said, according to CBC.
President Trump, not known for shying away from controversial views, described the clip as the “HOTTEST ad out there.” This further fuelled the ideological component of the debate with views being decided based on political slants of individuals.
The company, though, benefited from the controversy, registering an increase in sales and a rally for their stocks.
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FAQs
What was the controversial ad all about?
The controversial ad featured Sydney Sweeney talking about her ‘jeans’, which was seen as implying genes as well. It was an ad for the jeans produced by American Eagle, but was accused of having undertones of eugenics.
Who is Sydney Sweeney?
Sweeney is an American actress known for movies such as Euphoria and White Lotus.
What did President Donald Trump say about the controversial ad?
He described it as the “HOTTEST ad out there.”
