Sydney Sweeney’s ‘Good Jeans’ are Being Mocked on the Internet

Actress Sydney Sweeney might be the new queen of controversy in town. The “Euphoria” star has found herself the target of criticism in the past, but her new American Eagle ad might make fans fly the coop.

Known for her blonde hair, blue eyes, and voluptuous figure, Sweeney fits the bill for an advertiser's dream. Some suspected that American Eagle’s big dream is to sell eugenics instead of jeans.

The campaign used questionable wordplay to describe the product to viewers. In several videos, Sweeney spoke directly to the camera in her denim fits. The most troubling of the ads feasted on the actress’s denim-clad figure, featuring a slow pan from her legs to her face. At the same time, she delivered the lines: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color."

The camera lingered on Sweeney’s blue eyes as she stated, "My jeans are blue.” A tactic that truly broke the internet, a portion of netzines clocked the double meaning behind the words, and it had nothing to do with jeans.

In recent years, the actress from “Anyone But You” has been promoted as a blonde bombshell. Her public image has sparked considerable debate among certain circles, who view her persona as overly reliant on the male gaze. The advertisements argued that the ads' emphasis on Sweeney’s ‘good’ genes was regressive and served as a platform for the glorification of Whiteness.

Why is the internet offended by the American Eagle ad campaign?

The mythology around blonde hair and blue eyes has dominated racist and White supremacist messages. Eugenics, a term coined by Francis Galton, Charles Darwin’s cousin, first appeared in 1883. Galton’s book inquired about human fertility and development. He concluded that physical traits determine a person’s intellectual capacity and aptitude for social decorum. In his writings, her asserted that “unsuitable races” would prevail if they mixed blood (genetics) with “suitable races.”

The pseudoscience behind eugenics has plagued the media with subliminal and overt messages about selective breeding. Various outlets have attempted to rid the Earth of ‘undesirable traits’ by ‘improving’ the human gene pool. The most notable of these efforts would be the Holocaust, which targeted Jews, Sinti and Roma, the LGBTQ+ community, disabled people, and other marginalized groups, claiming at least 400,000 victims.

Additionally, the United States also pushed for racial hegemony after eugenicists feared the growing number of non-White populations would result in “race suicide.” US laws promoted discrimination against marginalized communities, including immigrant populations. The 1924 Johnson-Reed Act, which limited immigration by national origin under federal law, excluded Asians. By the 1970s, at least 60,000 African Americans, Native Americans, non-White Latin groups, poor Whites, and people with disabilities were involuntarily sterilized, according to the National Human Genome Research Institute.

Sydney Sweeney has had a controversy related to politics in the past

Critics contend that the American Eagle advertisements, whether intentional or not, support the same ideals that justify racial violence. It is difficult for some people to ignore a campaign that promoted Sweeney’s genes as the epitome of beauty in the political and social climate of today. The language becomes even more unsettling with the name American Eagle attached to it.

Sweeney’s political affiliation has been a topic of conversation since her mother wore a MAGA hat in an Instagram post from 2022. She responded to rumors about her beliefs: “An innocent celebration for my mom’s milestone 60th birthday has turned into an absurd political statement, which was not the intention,” she posted. “Please stop making assumptions. Much love to everyone.”

The actress’s reluctance to distance herself from beliefs held by countless Trump and MAGA supporters unsettled fans. The American Eagle promotion may be the final nail in the coffin for a portion of Sweeney fans.

Senator Ted Cruz defends Sydney Sweeney against criticism on X

For every person who claimed the American Eagle campaign was problematic, opponents asserted that the radical left made a mountain out of a molehill.

Texas sen. Ted Cruz, best known for reading Green Eggs and Ham to filibuster the Affordable Care Act, replied to a New York Post article about the controversy.

“Wow. Now the crazy Left has come out against beautiful women,” Cruz posted on X. “I’m sure that will poll well….”

Many users agreed with Cruz, calling the criticism targeted at the ad woke and overly sensitive.

“They dared to mention ‘gene,’ which is verboten among progressives,” one commentator wrote.

The New York Post also ran with the narrative that critics think the promotion is “Nazi propaganda.”

“I will be the friend that’s too woke, but those Sydney Sweeney American Eagle ads are weird. Like, fascist weird. Like Nazi propaganda weird,” another said.

Doja Cat mocks Sydney Sweeney’s ‘good jeans’ campaign amid controversy

As backlash brews, memes and parody videos have popped from the woodwork, despite the seriousness of the situation.

Doja Cat is no stranger to controversy herself. The self-proclaimed internet troll can’t resist an opportunity to clown on an easy target.

But what fun would a difficult conversation around racism and female sexuality be without good old-fashioned trolling?

The “Paint The Town Red” musician took to TikTok to recite Sweeney’s monologue in an exaggerated country accent.

The twelve-second video has accumulated 18.8 million views and 4 million likes as of July 30th.

Fans took to the comments section to share their opinions. The top commenters expressed, “Doja Cat mocking Sydney Sweeney was not in my bingo card this year but I ain’t complaining.” And another stated: “Doja on the right side of history as usual.”

Sydney Sweeney claims all proceeds will be donated to domestic abuse organization

The star is in high demand, collecting brand deals like Pokémon. Sweeney has lent her star power to Baskin-Robbins, Ford, HeyDude, Armani Beauty, Miu Miu, and Laneige. She also partnered with Dr. Squatch to sell her fans her bathwater in a soap formula. The American Eagle campaign is but one of her multiple brand deals.

Sweeney’s custom denim cut, “The Sydney Jean,” was created in collaboration with American Eagle. It is a limited edition cut with butterfly embroidery stitched onto the back pocket. The motif is supposed to represent domestic abuse awareness, done in support of the Crisis Text Line. American Eagle campaign material stated that 100% of the proceeds would be donated to the crisis line, a nonprofit that offers free 24/7 mental health support.

The purpose of the campaign may be admirable. However, the backlash has overshadowed the foundation benefiting from the sales. If there’s any consolation, we can all send American Eagle congratulations. Following the promotion that led to a 10% increase in their stock.

This article was edited on July 30th, 2025, at 11:08 PM.