Campaign led by Sydney Sweeney accused of being "Nazi" and "supremacist"

BarcelonaActress Sidney Sweeney, known for her roles in series such as Euphoria and The White Lotus, is embroiled in a controversy over a fashion campaign she did for American Eagle that has been labeled "racist." The various ads she stars in for this jeans brand constantly play with the confusion, in English, between the word jeans —which means cowboys— and genes —genes—.

One of the most criticized videos begins with a billboard in the middle of the street where it says: "Sydney Sweeney has good genes." The actress approaches, scratches the word and writes over it jeansThe campaign has drawn widespread criticism for allegedly spreading a "Nazi" message.

This play on words is not anecdotal but rather the common thread throughout the campaign, and it is where some see a dangerous eugenicist message behind it.

In another video, the camera pans over the actress's body as she says, "Genes are passed from parents to offspring and determine characteristics such as hair color, personality, or eye color." When the camera focuses on the actress's face, she says, "My genes—or jeans"—are blue."

Some social media users have accused American Eagle of echoing rhetoric associated with white supremacy. Others highlighted the oddity of featuring "a white, blonde, blue-eyed woman" in a campaign focused on genetics, and many relate it to the current political situation in the United States, with the Trump administration determined to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.

There have been those who have warned that the campaign is nothing more than a wake-up call that demonstrates the rise of conservatism in the United States, recalling that the words and slogans that are chosen for the ads They are never used involuntarily, but are loaded with meaning..

There have also been supporters and defenders of the campaign and some conservative politicians have shown their support, assuring that it is "the end of advertising" woke".

At the moment, the brand has not responded to the criticism and has refused to comment on the controversy.