Why Sydney Sweeney's response to ‘disturbing’ American Eagle jeans campaign has caused even more controversy

Sydney Sweeney's response to her 'good jeans' campaign has caused even further controversy.

The campaign featured Sweeney, who is white, blonde, and with blue eyes, donning the trousers, with the tagline saying: "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans."

While on the surface, the ad appeared to be a pun on Sweeney being attractive, many people raised concerns with having a blonde white woman like Sweeney alongside a tagline which jokes about genetics.

Some argued that in the current political climate in the US, jokes about genetics, which could be seen as tied to eugenics and white supremacy, were highly charged and inappropriate.

But while the ad itself caused controversy, Sweeney has since caused further outrage by refusing to comment on it or to even acknowledge why the campaign might have been seen as problematic.

In an interview with GQ's Katherine Stoeffel, Sweeney repeatedly ducked questions about the controversial campaign.

Sweeney declined to address the controversy (Maya Dehlin Spach/Getty Images)

Stoeffel asked: "Is there something that you want to say about the ad itself? The criticism of the content was basically that, maybe specifically in this political climate, white people shouldn’t joke about genetic superiority."

Sweeney replied bluntly: "I think that when I have an issue that I want to speak about, people will hear."

With this response, people Sweeney did not want to speak about the topic further.

But her reply has only resulted in further controversy, with many people taking to social media to criticise the actor.

One suggested that Sweeney's unbothered response could indicate that she actually agrees with the subtext, writing: "Oh sh*t she might actually be racist."

Sweeney's response only increased the controversy (Maya Dehlin Spach/WireImage/Getty)

Another pointed out that Sweeney's fame comes from Euphoria, a show which features a diverse cast of characters, writing: "You are famous because of a show featuring a black woman and a trans woman at the forefront."

A third person highlighted that Sweeney had not always been so 'cool and unbothered' when at the centre of controversy, writing: "Sydney Sweeney trying to act cool and unbothered like she didn’t post that video a few years ago sobbing about people on twitter calling her ugly."

One person drew attention to how other celebrities also court controversy.

They wrote: "The biggest issue to me is that she really doesn't have the offscreen charisma to get away with the kind of shenanigans she's pulling.

"She clearly wants to be some kind of celebrity troll, but she doesn't have the charm to keep anyone interested."

UNILAD has approached representatives of Sydney Sweeney for comment.

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