*Sydney Sweeney’s new American Eagle fall campaign has stirred heated debate over its tagline, “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.”
Intended as a playful denim pun, the slogan has been criticized for evoking “great genes,” a phrase tied to eugenics and white beauty standards. One ad shows Sweeney “painting” over “great genes” to read “great jeans,” amplifying the controversy.
Critics on social media argue the campaign, featuring the blonde, blue-eyed actress, echoes troubling historical rhetoric. “Maybe I’m too … woke,” one viral post stated, “but getting a blue-eyed, blonde, white woman and focusing your campaign around her having perfect genetics feels weird…”
Some likened the slogan to eugenics-era language promoting white superiority, pointing to its use in justifying discriminatory practices like forced sterilizations. The backlash hasn’t gone unnoticed. Stephen Colbert addressed the uproar on “The Late Show,” calling it an overreaction.
“I don’t want to alarm you, but the internet is mad about something,” he quipped, suggesting the genes-jeans wordplay was harmless, even joking about “Mein Kampfort Fit Jeans.”
I’ve lost count of how many Hollywood agents rejected me, saying ‘white blondes’ are the least in demand.
Sydney Sweeney is undeniably blessed with great genes.
Do you support her American Eagle ad? pic.twitter.com/YLuJjnomY9
— Angela Belcamino (@AngelaBelcamino) July 29, 2025
The White House also weighed in, with spokesman Steven Cheung decrying the criticism as “cancel culture run amok” and “moronic liberal thinking.”
Despite the controversy, the campaign, which promotes a “Sydney Jean” collection benefiting Crisis Text Line, has driven a 16% spike in American Eagle’s stock. However, critics remain unsettled. “It’s not just about the jeans. It’s about who gets to be the face of America’s ‘best genes,’” one commenter noted, highlighting concerns about representation and cultural insensitivity.
American Eagle has yet to respond to the criticism.
View this post on Instagram
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Julianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney on Crafting the Heart-Wrenching Mother-Daughter Bond in ‘Echo Valley’ | EUR Video Exclusive
Sign up for our Free daily newsletter HERE.
The post Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle Campaign Sparks Controversy Over ‘Great Jeans’ Slogan appeared first on EURweb | Black News, Culture, Entertainment & More.
