Trends come and go, for better or worse. Body positivity might still be popular, but "skinny culture" and being "super skinny" are definitely making a strong reappearance—and valuing good genes has come right along with them.
Even if they're being disguised as good "jeans."
In a recent new partnership with American Eagle, actress Sydney Sweeney stepped out in front of the camera in a pair of their jeans, stating her interest in representing them.
Not everyone was impressed by the partnership decision.
@americaneagle/Instagram
@americaneagle/Instagram
@americaneagle/Instagram
@americaneagle/Instagram
@americaneagle/Instagram
The advertisement that American Eagle rolled out on Instagram was not the only clip of their campaign.
In another video, the videographer dramatically and purposefully zoomed in on Sweeney's breasts, which were accentuated by the denim button-up she was wearing.
As the camera zoomed in, Sweeney sensually drawled out:
"My body's composition is determined by my genes."
She then told the videographer that their eyes should be "up here," and the narrator said:
" Sydney Sweeney has great jeans."
The double-entendre of "genes" and "jeans" did not go unnoticed by the public, and they began to question the potential backslide in body positivity and body image this new jeans campaign could promote.
In another segment, Sweeney was lying on the floor as the camera provocatively panned up her body, showing the jeans first, followed by her bare stomach, and her denim button-up top suggestively tucked in around her breasts.
Sweeney drawled again, as she buckled the jeans:
"Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color."
"My genes are blue."
The text over the video then read:
"Sydney Sweeney has great genes."
Obviously, in each of these cases, the ad writers meant for Sweeney to be saying "jeans" as opposed to "genes" as a play on words, relating inherited attractiveness to wearable jeans.
But what's the message behind inherited "attractiveness" with fashion, especially when it's delivered by a white, blonde, and blue-eyed woman?
This was what TikToker @clear.rock began to question in her video, suggesting this was racism and eugenics at work, if not straight-up Nazism.
Many TikTokers understood TikToker @clear.rock's concerns about the questionable messaging of the advertisement.
@clear.rock/TikTok
@clear.rock/TikTok
@clear.rock/TikTok
@clear.rock/TikTok
@clear.rock/TikTok
@clear.rock/TikTok
Those who are concerned about this line of advertising have clearly been heard, because these two advertising segments are not widely available, even though these TikTokers and Twitter (X) users were able to obtain recordings of them.
That said, why they thought playing with the double-meaning of "genes" and "jeans" was a good idea to begin with, especially in today's problematic political climate, is anyone's guess.
@SecretaryBurgum/X
@Doug Ellin/X
@evanrachelwood/Instagram