Many people have spoken up about Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle collaboration, each with their own opinion. So do I. By now you may have seen the backlash Sweeney has faced for her Dr. Squatch and American Eagle ads, and plenty of people are talking about it—for all the wrong reasons.
A Vanity Fair article titled “Sydney Sweeney Under Fire After Controversial American Eagle Ad Campaign” points out that Sweeney’s ad is strikingly similar to Calvin Klein’s 1980 campaign that sexualized a minor—a comparison that has raised eyebrows.
The ad may not have been Sweeney intentionally objectifying herself, but it certainly looked like it. Between the camera angles and her body positioning, the ad seemed to hint at sexual behaviors aimed at the male gaze. The same can be said for her Dr. Squatch commercial, and at this point, doing both collaborations creates a questionable image for her.
Some men have shrugged it off, asking, “She’s hot, so what’s the problem?” To them I say: women should not be objectified—and they should not feel pressured to objectify themselves for male approval. It’s inappropriate, and it can lead to exactly the kind of backlash Sweeney is facing.
If you’ve seen the ads, you might agree with me. I almost feel bad that your eyes had to see them and your ears had to hear them.
To get a range of opinions, I asked three students at this school whether they thought Sweeney was objectifying herself in the American Eagle campaign.
Tj Policarpe said:
“Sydney Sweeney was trying to appeal to an audience the jeans weren’t even meant for, and honestly, it was awkward and painful to watch. I would say she was objectifying herself in the sense that she was trying too hard to look good and sound sensual. The ad was for women’s jeans, not men’s, so it made no sense for her to talk in such a sultry way and throw in weird comments like ‘having really good jeans.’ We all know why she said that, and it gave me the ick. It came off odd, and she was objectifying herself—but more than that, it felt like she was trying to appeal to the wrong audience.”
Nadia Mora added:
“Yes, I do [think she objectified herself], because throughout the ad the camera shifts toward her chest and butt. Another big part of the ad is that Sydney has ‘good genes,’ which implies that she is attractive.”
Finally, Keaton Johnson offered a mixed view:
“I mean yes … and no. Because yes, she was doing odd poses, but it’s also an ad, so it really could have been her team making her do it and people are just overreacting.”
While I don’t fully agree—since Sweeney still had a choice in whether to participate—it’s worth hearing different perspectives. At the end of the day, everyone has their own opinion.
