Actress Sydney Sweeney has found herself at the centre of yet another controversy, this time over an American Eagle denim advert that has sparked a bizarre online flame-war involving accusations of white supremacy and eugenics. The ad, which features the Euphoria star, has seen American Eagle's shares climb 23% in a week, while deranged TikTokers claim it promotes eugenics.
Sweeney's commercial brand partnerships have also come under fire, including deals with Miu Miu, Armani Beauty, and a men's grooming product firm for which she recently did a tongue-in-cheek ad to sell soap containing trace elements of her bathwater. Critics have questioned the extent of her commercial endorsements, but fashion analysts note that she seems unembarrassed and unashamed by promoting all these different projects.
Last year, Sweeney offered a candid assessment of the Hollywood movie business, telling Vanity Fair: 'This entire industry, all people say is 'women empowering other women'. None of it's happening. All of it is fake and a front for all the other shit that they say behind everyone's back.' Her comments have been praised as a 'correct opinion' by some, but may affect her casting in future female-led films.
Some commentators argue that Sweeney's behaviour is exactly what movie stars should do: be gorgeous, fantastical, and completely ridiculous. They suggest that ordinary people want their celebrities to be unashamedly hot and to tell it like it is, rather than being boring and just like us.
The controversy has also drawn in US politics, with President Joe Biden commenting on the jeans row, and Fox News seizing upon the 'usefully idiotic' statements from Sweeney's online adversaries. The incident has been described as a 'showbiz masterclass' by some, but others warn that it may be degrading the global reputation of the American left.
