There is no doubt that at 28 years old, Sydney Sweeney is one of the faces of the moment in the world of show business. And that means that their every move is scrutinized. So, at the end of July, he played … a huge controversy for a commercial for American Eagle brand jeans and now he has responded in the most forceful way to the whole mess that has been created. “I am against hatred“, he proclaimed.
Accustomed to success, Sydney Sweeney had to think during these months about how heads do not always appear on the coin. There was the controversy over his jeans, but also the criticism of the film “Christy”, which went unnoticed at the box office. Even if he hopes to make up for it with “The Assistant”, which seems to have awakened more enthusiasm among the critics.
Reflecting on the American Eagle controversy, Sydney Sweeney must have felt the mental erosion that anger can display on social media over the summer. There he was subjected to intense scrutiny by the campaign called “Sydney Sweeney has cool jeans‘, which premiered on July 23. The marketing action sparked a debate over the use of the word ‘jeans‘like a play on words with’Genoa”, which many associated with racial burden and supposed genetic superiority. Others criticized her for appealing to the male gaze and taking inspiration from an old and controversial jeans campaign she starred in. Brooke Shields in 1980.
Sydney Sweeney’s arguments
“Honestly, I was surprised by the reaction,” Sydney Sweeney told ‘People’. “I did it because I love jeans and I love the brand. I do not share the opinions that some have chosen to recount the campaign. Many have assigned reasons and labels to me that simply aren’t true.“, he insisted.
“I do not share the opinions that some have chosen to recount the campaign”
Shortly after the ad aired, American Eagle defended its proposal on social media in response to all the comments posted online, many of which in a very aggressive tone. In an Aug. 1 Instagram post, the brand wrote, ““Sydney Sweeney has some great jeans. » is and always has been about jeans. His jeans. His story. “We will continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, in their own way. »
Record sales figures
“Anyone who knows me knows that I’m always trying to bring people together. I am against hatred and division. In the past, my position has been to never respond to the press, negative or positive, but recently I have realized that my silence on this issue has only widened the divide, instead of bridging it. So I hope that this new year we will focus more on what connects us rather than what divides us,” was the conciliatory message that Sydney Sweeney offered in “People.”
“I hope that this new year we will focus more on what connects us rather than what divides us”
However, as is often the case in these cases, the American Eagle campaign, and the controversy and hatred it generated on the networks, it only served to skyrocket jeans sales. In a statement, the company said it had recorded “record numbers,” with double-digit growth in men’s and women’s denim. The jacket that Sydney Sweeney wore during the campaign sold out in one daywhile his jeans were all sold out in a week.