With recent diversity, equity and inclusion rollbacks and legislative changes, citizens are on high alert, and Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad has sparked controversy for being branded as eugenics propaganda.
Based on Charles Darwin’s theory of Natural Selection, eugenics, a discredited theory rooted in Darwin’s ideas and precursor to Nazi idealism, was used to justify white supremacy and colonialism by promoting selective breeding to eliminate those deemed genetically inferior.
Thistheorydeveloped into “eugenics laws,” such as Buck v. Bell, which mandated the forced sterilization of those deemed unsuited to procreate by the state. These laws were aimed at individuals considered “mentally deficient,” racial, sexual and religious minorities, the impoverished, those with mental and physical disabilities and women who were considered “promiscuous.” As many as 70,000 people were sterilized in the early 20th century.
Eugenics caused many horrific events, including the Tuskegee syphilis experiment, one of the most notorious eugenics experiments in American history. As well as the creation of the ugly laws, which legallybannedthose who did not fit beauty standards from public spaces.
Nearly a hundred years later, the practice is making headlines. Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle Ad campaign is under fire for promoting the ideal of white, cisgender, fit, able-bodied people being deemed the “perfect” beauty standard.
One of the ads, still circulating online despite being removed from American Eagle’s official platforms, shows Sweeney lying down, pulling up and buttoning her jeans with her open jacket covering only her breasts and her diaphragm exposed, as the camera pans up her body to her face.
“Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue," Sweeney said.
Another adshows her sitting in a chair, getting up to look at the jeans in the mirror, then walking back to stand in front of it. This particular sequence was criticized for its focus on her cleavage and lower half before finally zooming out to show her full figure, ending with the tagline, “Sydney Sweeney has Great Jeans.”
Sweeney’s ad has drawn comparisons to Brooke Shields’ infamous 1980 Calvin Klein commercial, controversial for sexualizing the 15-year-old actress, which ended with the tagline, “You know what comes between me and my jeans, nothing.”
During the ad, Shields recites the theory of natural selection while also comparing “genes” to “jeans.” Shields has since talked about the ad’s negative impact on herself and her image, including the vitriol she received from the public.
TikToker @williammcniff called the American Eagle ad “gross,” stating that he originally thought that the public may have been overreacting until he watched the ad.
TikToker and neuroscientist Dr. Jia, a queer Asian woman, criticized the American Eagle ad and recalled a Harvard lecturer who, while discussing Darwin’s theory during her grad studies, told her she would “naturally be selected out” amid her back injury.
The criticism of the ad campaign hasbeenoverwhelming. In comparison, GAP’s newest ad featuring international girl group KATSEYEhas become a global sensation, garnering 51.4 million views on TikTok. The extended 90-second version gained 11 million views on YouTube since its debut Aug. 19.
The GAP ad has been praised for showcasing the international group with creativity, sexiness and artistic appeal that resonates with younger audiences. The dance from the advert has gone viral, with netizens going to GAP to recreate the dance and brands like Duolingo joining in on the trend.
Many chimed in, showing contrasting GAP and American Eagle ads, with commenters stating things like “take notes, American Eagle,” “American Eagle could never,” and “Best GENES and JEANS.”
While the American Eagle ad has received backlash, some are praising it for “killing ‘woke’ propaganda.” In a country ever divided by politics and stances on DEI, campaigns like American Eagle and GAP say a lot about the state of the nation.
