Megyn Kelly took aim at what she called the “lunatic left” for their critical reaction to Sydney Sweeney’s recent American Eagle ad campaign. The controversy erupted over the campaign’s wordplay, which focuses on the actress’s “genes” as a pun for “jeans,” sparking heated debate online.
Details of the Advertisement and Online Backlash
The commercial features Sydney Sweeney, star of the series Euphoria, promoting American Eagle’s denim collection by highlighting her “great jeans” as a playful take on her genetic makeup. Some visuals in the campaign show Sweeney altering billboards from “Sydney Sweeney has great genes” to “jeans.” However, some social media users have condemned the ad as tone-deaf, arguing that it appears to celebrate whiteness and thinness in a problematic way.
Kelly’s Defense of Sweeney and Critique of Critics
Kelly expressed strong frustration with the accusations aimed at Sweeney, explaining the uproar brought by those who claim the ad promotes white supremacy. She stated,
“She’s being called a white supremacist by people who don’t like her latest ad, which is for American Eagle,”
and added,
“She’s advertising jeans, and yet the lunatics on the left think she’s advertising white supremacy. This is obviously a reference to her body and not to her skin color, but the lunatic left is going to do what the lunatic left is going to do.”
Kelly further remarked on the objections regarding who represents “America’s Best Genes,” noting,
“They’re upset because it’s about who gets to be the face of America’s Best Genes. They think it’s no accident that they’ve chosen a white, thin woman because you’re, I guess, not allowed to celebrate those things in any way, shape, or form. But they’re completely ignoring the reference to her body, which is the thing she’s famous for. It’s just absurd.”
Arguments Surrounding Controversy and Campaign’s Message
Critics of the ad have gone as far as to suggest that the campaign subtly endorses ideas related to eugenics, Nazi ideology, and master race propaganda, amplifying the backlash. Meanwhile, in the ad, Sweeney directly references the biological definition of genes, stating,
“Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color,”
before concluding, “My jeans are blue.”
Current Status and Next Steps
American Eagle has yet to respond publicly to the criticisms surrounding the campaign. As the conversation continues online, the controversy highlights ongoing tensions about representation and messaging in advertising. The debate over Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad may influence future campaigns and how brands approach sensitive themes related to identity.
