Sydney Sweeney has returned to social media after a month of silence. She posted behind the scenes photos from her new movie Americana, calling it a project she filmed with friends. She posted it right when people were still mad about that American Eagle ad, and there were plenty of arguments still brewing online. In the ad she says, “My jeans are blue,” while a voiceover adds, “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.”
Critics argued the wordplay between jeans and genes promoted genetic superiority. Others said the campaign objectified her and compared it to the Brooke Shields Calvin Klein ad from the 1980s. Comments poured in under her movie post. Some were harsh, like “Perfect, won’t be watching it.” And then others tried to back her up, saying things like “Do your thing, Sydney! Don’t let those haters get to you!” American Eagle released a statement denying any racial undertone, saying the campaign “is and always was about the jeans.” They stressed that great jeans look good on everyone.
And even with all that going on, she still pushed the movie. Americana tells the story of people caught up in violence over a stolen Native American artifact called a ghost shirt. Some critics slammed it, saying it was slow and kind of boring. Others liked it though, saying the writing worked and the cast was strong. Americana hits theaters on August 15.