The latest advertising campaign by the American brand American Eagle continues to be a topic of discussion, accused of conveying messages of eugenics and white supremacy .
The commercials feature twenty-seven-year-old actress Sydney Sweeney—a two-time Emmy nominee for her roles in the TV series Euphoria and The White Lotus—wearing a pair of the brand's blue jeans. "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans," the tagline reads. So far, so good: the problem arises with the pun. In English, the word "jeans" is pronounced the same as "genes. " Indeed, it's clear that the entire campaign plays on the ambiguity of the term. Sweeney buttons her pants as she says, "Jeans genes are passed down from parents to children and determine characteristics like hair color, personality, and eye color. My genes are blue," she concludes as the camera pans to her face.
Washington Post fashion critic Rachel Tashjian wrote that, regardless of whether the ad had racial overtones or was intended to convey more than simply selling jeans, "it's part of a wave of images of influencers, stars, and musicians that seem tied to the values of another era. In recent years, fashion and pop culture seemed interested, even committed, to body positivity. Now we're being fed images of thinness, whiteness, and unabashed wealth ." In the Guardian, according to Sophie Gilbert, a writer for the Atlantic and author of the book Girl on Girl, which explores how pop culture is shaped by misogyny, "The slogan 'Sydney Sweeney has nice jeans' is an obvious nod to the obsession with eugenics that is so prevalent on the modern right." On social media, some are going even further, calling it "Nazi propaganda": "A white woman with blonde hair and blue eyes is talking about her good genes, like, this is Nazi propaganda." They belittle Republican Senator Ted Cruz: "Wow. Now the crazy left has attacked beautiful women. I'm sure this will do well in the polls." Even Minister Matteo Salvini has jumped on the bandwagon: "In the United States, a controversy has erupted over this TV ad for a jeans brand. The left and feminists have even called it 'fascist' and stereotypical. Am I the only one who seems like crazy? " he asks on social media.
American Eagle defended its marketing effort as “bold and playful,” while the actress declined to comment. The "Sydney Jean" retails for around €70 and features a butterfly on the back pocket, which, according to the brand, is intended to raise awareness about domestic violence. Proceeds from the sale of these limited-edition pants will be donated to Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit organization that provides support to those struggling with mental health issues.
(Unioneonline)