Sydney Sweeney's jeans ad sparks backlash over 'eugenics-coded' messaging
Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle ad has fans divided with some saying it's cheeky while others claim it echoes a darker beauty ideal rooted in eugenics. But is it just about jeans, or something deeper
Sydney Sweeney’s recent jeans advert has sparked furious backlash over its ‘eugenics-coded’ messaging. The Euphoria star recently teamed up with popular brand American Eagle for their Fall 2025 campaign and while the ad first appeared cheeky and light-hearted, fans are picking up on deeper racial and genetic undertones.
In the ad, Sydney says: “Genes are passed down from parent to offspring, often determining traits from hair colour to personality and even eye colour - my genes are blue.”
A voiceover then adds: “Sydney Sweeney has great genes." In the US, American Eagle's billboard ads show the word 'genes' crossed out and replaced with 'jeans'. The controversial ad comes amidst the release of adult content creator Bonnie Blue's Channel 4 documentary.
While some think the campaign is harmless, many say it taps into the ideology of eugenics - the belief that the human race could be “improved” by increasing the presence of traits considered desirable, traits historically linked to whiteness.
Eugenics was developed in the late 19th century by Sir Francis Galton, and later used to justify discrimination against minority groups and people with disabilities. Although the ideology is now widely condemned, it helped lay the groundwork for how society continues to define beauty and value.
At the time of writing, the ad appears to have been pulled following mounting backlash but it hasn’t stopped the flood of reactions online.
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But TikTok users are far more divided. One influencer said: “If you’re not media illiterate, you probably think this is harmless. However, this perpetuates a long line of racism and eugenics that has been present in not just America but all over the world.”
“In the extremely conservative climate we’re in today where right-wing, white nationalism and patriotism is rising, this advert is a dog whistle to the racists out there, confirming their way of thinking and way of life is correct.”
Another TikTok user agreed, while comparing old eugenics ads to the American Eagle Campaign saying "Through certain types of imagery we can very much tell that this is a eugenics ad, this ad subliminally encourages the reader to reproduce with a certain type of woman."
"I would even say that Sydney Sweeney's ad is more direct than these two, the highly sexualised ad to reframe the viewer's mind of what ideal genes are."
On the other hand, an X user wrote: "The backlash to Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad campaign is just insane. My God, you can like the ad or not, but there’s nothing racist about it.”
A TikTok user agreed with the above comment saying "If Sydney Sweeney was ugly, you'd have no problem with her saying she has good genes - you'd be saying, yes girl!"
The backlash has also reignited a wider conversation about beauty standards in marketing and how brands, even unintentionally, risk reinforcing outdated ideals through careless copy and campaign choices.
As the fallout continues, sources close to the company told TMZ that the online backlash is "absurd." The insider said that, according to their independent polling, many actually like their ad. According to TMZ, 71% of the people who AE polled found the infamous Sydney jean ad to be "appealing."
In response to the negative reaction to the ad, the source said: "This is yet another example of how social media is just not reflective of real life. The absurd response from some corners of the internet is absolutely not reflective of how American Eagle's customers feel.
"The bottom line is that this was about creating a great pair of jeans and supporting a very worthy cause through some of the proceeds going to domestic violence prevention. Anything beyond that is noise that is not registering with the average person.
"Regardless of how people feel about the ad, we hope they can agree we should be doing more to support and empower those who are experiencing domestic violence."
The insider, according to American Eagle, is not a representative for the company. The Mirror requested further comment from American Eagle and Sydney Sweeney.
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