After accusations of “making fascist propaganda” with its Sydney Sweeney ad campaign, an apology seemingly released by American Eagle has been spreading across social media – but is it real?
Sweeney appears in three brief ads. In one of them, she doesn’t speak: she fixes a car, gets in it, and does a donut, with text on the screen and a voiceover saying, “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.” In another ad, the actress playfully talks about the comfort of the jeans and how “they make your butt look amazing.”
The third ad has been the source of controversy. As the camera drifts up from her legs to her upper body, she says, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”
A harmless play on words, or a promotion of eugenics? That’s the debate, but if you believe you’ve seen American Eagle apologize for the commercials… you’ve been duped.
Did American Eagle issue an apology for Sydney Sweeney ads?
No, American Eagle hasn’t released an apology for its Sydney Sweeney campaign.
A fake, satirical response that jokes about Sweeney’s “general hotness” has been mistaken (accidentally and wilfully) for an official statement, with several right-wing accounts posting it on X/Twitter (one such tweet has amassed more than 500,000 views).
It originated from Karim Jovian, a content creator with over 2.5 million followers on Facebook. “American Eagle responds to the backlash from jealous women,” he wrote with a photo of the fake statement.
“To Whom It May Concern, we sincerely apologize for featuring Sydney Sweeney in our recent advertisement. In hindsight, we underestimated the combined impact of her blue eyes, blonde hair, and general hotness,” it reads.
“Also, we did not realize how big her boobs would be. Our marketing team has been sent to denim sensitivity training. Thank you for your feedback. Please stop emailing us. (We’re still trying to recover from the group chat fallout.)”
To be clear, this isn’t real, nor is the apology posted by Clickhole (a website that intentionally “panders to and misleads” its readers).
Has American Eagle responded to the backlash?
American Eagle hasn’t released any statement via its official channels, nor has the company apologized in response to the backlash.
According to TMZ, “sources with direct knowledge” of the campaign aren’t bothered by the controversy. “This is yet another example of how social media is just not reflective of real life,” they told the outlet.
“The absurd response from some corners of the internet is absolutely not reflective of how American Eagle’s customers feel.
“The bottom line is that this was about creating a great pair of jeans and supporting a very worthy cause through some of the proceeds going to domestic violence prevention. Anything beyond that is noise that is not registering with the average person.”
Why is the Sydney Sweeney ad so controversial?
Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad has been accused of reinforcing eugenics: a largely discredited theory that humans can be improved by selective breeding to promote particular traits.
While it originated in the 19th century, it’s most commonly associated with Nazi ideology, with Adolf Hitler incorporating eugenics in Mein Kampf and his support of an “Aryan master race” (and, in turn, the persecution of those falsely said to have “diseased, inferior, or dangerous genetic material”, such as Jews).
Sweeney has blonde hair and blue eyes, the traits typically attributed to Aryanism. That’s why one TikToker described the ads as “weird, like fascist weird, like Nazi propaganda weird.”
“Should we be surprised that a company whose name is literally American Eagle is making fascist propaganda like this? Probably not, but it’s still really shocking,” they continued.
“Like, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, white woman is talking about her good genes. That is Nazi propaganda.”
Dr Kristin, a psychologist on TikTok, also linked the ad to Nazi campaigns about “Aryan” women and the “global rise of white nationalist movements, especially in the US.”
While the ad has been praised by right-wing commentators (one hailed that the “woke era is over”), American Eagle hasn’t shied away from diversity in its marketing. In 2017, it released a denim hijab, with a Somali refugee turned American model praising the company for “encouraging young America to follow their passions, express their individuality, and pursue their unique paths” (via the NY Post).
Its Aerie lingerie brand has also been praised for catering to a wider range of sizes and championing body confidence.
However, there could be a wider problem beyond American Eagle. According to Jazmin Baurrell, founder of brand consulting agency Lizzie Della Creative Strategies, there have been more ads in general that feature white models.
“I can see us going back to a world where diversity is not really the standard expectation in advertising,” she told The Independent.
This also comes after Sweeney promoted “Bathwater Bliss”, a soap made by Dr Squatch infused with her actual bathwater – which sold out almost immediately. This year, she’s also appeared in ads for Dr Squatch bodywash and Hey Dude.
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