A White House employee is blaming cancel culture?
In an unusual but pointed intervention, the White House has stepped into the cultural fray to defend actress Sydney Sweeney over her latest American Eagle jeans commercial – a simple ad that has become an unexpected lightning rod for online outrage.
The Ad That Sparked The Firestorm
The new American Eagle campaign features Sydney Sweeney, star of Euphoria and The White Lotus, playfully blending the word “jeans” with “genes.” In the spot, Sweeney stands in a pair of blue jeans and says, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”
On its face, the pun is harmless, but a handful of progressive activists and social media commentators argued the ad subtly elevates white beauty standards and thinness as an ideal. Some even went so far as to suggest the slogan “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans” was a dog whistle for white supremacy by highlighting her “great genes.”
Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle campaign is receiving criticism for a "jeans/genes" pun that some say echoes eugenics and white supremacy rhetoric.Right-wing voices are celebrating the ad as a pushback against "wokeness." pic.twitter.com/Q6LkOoAqbi
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) July 29, 2025
White House Response: “Cancel Culture Run Amok”
White House Communications Manager Steven Cheung didn’t hold back, denouncing the backlash in blunt terms. Posting on X, Cheung wrote:
“Cancel culture run amok. This warped, moronic and dense liberal thinking is a big reason why Americans voted the way they did in 2024. They’re tired of this bull****.”
Cheung’s statement reflects a broader strategy by the current administration to lean into cultural pushback when these controversies resonate with everyday voters. For many on the right, these flare-ups are proof that parts of the progressive movement have become out of touch with most Americans’ priorities.
Megyn Kelly: “It’s Absurd”
Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly also chimed in on her show, mocking what she called “lunatics on the left.”
“She’s advertising jeans, and yet the lunatics on the left think she’s advertising white supremacy,” Kelly said. “They’re upset because it’s about who gets to be the face of America’s Best Genes. They think it’s no accident they chose a white, thin woman. But they’re completely ignoring the obvious joke – it’s about her body, not her bloodline. It’s just absurd.”
Kelly’s comments echo a growing sentiment among conservatives who see such controversies as manufactured outrage designed to police harmless cultural moments.
I love how the leftist meltdown over the Sydney Sweeney ad has only resulted in a beautiful white blonde girl with blue eyes getting 1000x the exposure for her "good genes."
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) July 29, 2025
Sweeney’s Silence and American Eagle’s Gamble
So far, Sydney Sweeney herself has stayed silent on the uproar. She continues to post about her projects and brand partnerships, avoiding any direct comment on the backlash. Meanwhile, American Eagle hasn’t issued an apology or retracted the campaign – likely because the attention, both positive and negative, is boosting the brand’s visibility among Gen Z shoppers.
Marketing analysts note that in today’s social media landscape, even “bad press” often fuels clicks and sales. For American Eagle, the combination of Sweeney’s celebrity and the viral debate may prove to be a savvy – if accidental – marketing win.
Culture Wars Show No Sign of Slowing Down
The dust-up over Sweeney’s denim ad is just the latest chapter in an ongoing cultural tug-of-war between progressive activists, conservative voices, and brands caught in the middle. With the 2028 presidential race already on the horizon, many expect these seemingly trivial controversies to become bigger political talking points.
Whether you see the backlash as legitimate critique or performative moral policing, one thing is certain: Sydney Sweeney’s “great jeans” are now more than just a fashion statement – they’re another flashpoint in America’s never-ending culture wars.