American Eagle Following backlash around the "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans" campaign, American Eagle shared in a statement on Instagram that the campaign was "about the jeans" Some critics claimed the campaign is "pro-eugenics" and catering to the male gaze Sweeney has not shared a statement about the campaign Following backlash surrounding the "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans" campaign, American Eagle issued a statement onInstagram. On Aug. 1, the brand wrote in a graphic, "'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans'" is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We'll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone. Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle campaigninitially sparked a social media firestormdays after it launched, over its perceived messaging. Thefall campaign titled "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,"released by the retailer on Wednesday, July 23, the 27-year-old actress serves up her signature sex appeal while modeling various denim styles. The campaign sees theEuphoriaactress in fall-centric denim, pulled together by her stylist Molly Dickson. One look sees her in a modern Canadian tuxedo with bold blue jeans and a matching jacket, while another includes super-baggy light-wash jeans with a white tee and then a similar pair but distressed, worn with a white tank. It's not the clothing that's dividing fans, though — it's the script. https://people-app.onelink.me/HNIa/kz7l4cuf In one of the campaign videos that appears to have been removed from some of American Eagle's social media channels (itremains on the brand's Facebook), the star is seen zipping up her jeans while lying down. "Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color," she says as the camera pans to her face. "My jeans are blue." Then, a narrator in voiceover says, "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans." American Eagle and Sweeney did not respond to PEOPLE's requests for comment. American Eagle Some critics claim the usage of the word "jeans" as a play on "genes" hints at eugenics. Per theNational Institute of Health(NIH), eugenics "is broadly defined as the use of selective breeding to improve the human race." Author, physician and scholar Sayantani DasGupta, who teaches a course on Narrative Medicine at Columbia University, took to TikTok to break down the controversy, in avideo that now has close to 4M views. She shares that she'll be using the ad as a teaching moment in her classroom this semester as a tool to spark discussion about race and the current political climate. Others suggest the campaign as a whole caters to the male gaze. "The tagline is simply bizarre," writesWashington Postfashion critic Rachel Tashjian. "Are they trying to say that what matters is not what you look like but what you put on your body? Or that you are assigned a denim style at birth and you must never waver from it? Also: Is Sweeney the every girl or the only girl?" The campaign is also drawing comparisons to Brooke Shields' controversial Calvin Klein ad from 1980. The actress' age (she was 15 at the time) sparked controversy due to the commercial's provocative tagline: "You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing." Despite the controversy, American Eagle's stock increased 10 percent in just a few days, adding more than $200 million to the group's value, perVanity Fair. American Eagle Sweeneytold PEOPLE she was "freaking out"and "so excited" to join the brand's campaign when she was first asked, noting that they are "the comfiest jeans I've ever worn." Read the original article onPeople
