Why Sydney Sweeney Keeps Making Headlines (2 of 4)

Many online commenters were appalled, contending that the imagery and messaging, which are centered around a conventionally attractive white woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, closely echoes disturbing historical rhetoric. One TikTok user likened the ad to 1930s fascist propaganda, noting its emphasis on physical traits in a way that felt racially coded. Yikes! Others accused the campaign of soft-pedaling eugenics under the guise of fashion marketing.

The experts? Oh, they had their opinions on the matter as well. Cultural studies academics pointed out the racial and gender implications of framing white femininity as aspirational and genetically superior, especially in a moment where the U.S. is reckoning with the normalization of conservative beauty ideals. Naturally, there were defenders of the ad as well, many who argue that everybody just needs to take a step back, relax, and recognize the taglines as nothing more than a harmless play on words.

The thing is, this wasn’t the first time Sweeney’s public image stirred political discomfort. In 2022, she posted photos from her mother’s 60th birthday party, which had a rustic, Western theme. The pictures showed guests wearing what appeared to be Trump-associated MAGA caps. However, if you looked more closely, you’d see that the slogan on them actually read “Make Sixty Great Again.” A lot of fuss over nothing? Perhaps. But it didn’t help that one of the guests also happened to be wearing a shirt resembling the Thin Blue Line flag, a symbol closely associated with Blue Lives Matter, which is a movement frequently seen as a reactionary counter to calls for police reform. The images ignited criticism, especially from younger fans who saw her as a progressive figure based on her role in Euphoria. Critics suggested the party’s aesthetic wasn’t meant to signify wholesome nostalgia, but instead served as a subtle alignment with conservative politics. Sweeney pushed back, saying the celebration was not intended to make any political statement and urging people to stop jumping to conclusions. Still, the controversy just wouldn’t go away easily. In later interviews, Sweeney “clarified” that the guests wearing the controversial apparel weren’t even family members, but friends of her mother. Well, if you put it that way…