months after Sydney Sweeney showed off her jeans in an American Eagle ad, the actress is finally speaking about the controversy it created – at least, sort of.
In an interview with GQ, the Euphoria and White Lotus actress stood by the ad while downplaying how much attention she paid too the internet back-and-forth that ensued.
“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,” Sweeney told the magazine.
In the ad, Sweeney makes a play on words between jeans (the clothing item) and genes (the genetic material), which some internet users read as having eugenicist undertones. Eugenics is a discredited idea that the human race could be improved by selectively breeding for certain traits.
“Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color.My jeans are blue,” Sweeney says in the ad.
WATCH | what Sydney Sweeney’s jeans ad says about the brand’s marketing:
Morgan Westcott, a marketing professor at the british Columbia Institute of Technology, says the American Eagle ad does not signal a ‘shift,’ but rather reflects a ‘recycled concept’ and a clear call to their target market.
American Eagle responded to the backlash at the time, saying the ad was just about jeans, not about genetics.
“We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone,” the company said in an Instagram post.
But sweeney stayed silent despite much media coverage and online debate – even after U.S. President Donald Trump called