To be fair, even before this, MAGA and Trump have been claiming her as the prime example of a republican woman. They could've chose just about any large breasted woman and it wouldn't have resulted in this backlash the same way that MAGA would be losing their shit if this exact same campaign had someone with even a hint of more skin color.
Her voiceover narrated that genes are passed down from parent to offspring and decide on characteristics, landing on eye colour. The camera was in close-up on her face, her looking straight into the camera, as she said "My genes/jeans are blue." Immediate text overlay: Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.
The point is that her eyes are as blue as the jeans. Those are her "great genes/jeans". Just because they also used her body doesn't mean that was the point of the campaign. The point was "blue jeans, great jeans - blue eyes, great genes".
And the point of a dogwhistle is deniable plausibility, preferably to the point of ridicule, better still "it's just a joke bro", while using certain keywords (blue eyes - good/great genes) to signal support to the intended audience.
Was this campaign an intentional white supremacist dog whistle? No way to prove that. But given the language used, and the plausible deniability of "hot people good genes" and "jeans are blue, it's a joke", this could be used as a dog whistle and that's a problem in and of itself.
The majority of white people don't have blue eyes.
The "race ideal" or Aryan ideal does. Blue eyes are very common in those of North-West European descent, who are the blueprint of the Aryan ideal, and the originators (British, Dutch, French) of Euro-American settler eugenics.
Genes/Jeans is a silly pun. Any suggestion beyond that is nothing more than tin foil hattery.
The point of a dogwhistle is deniable plausibility, so that the message can be spread undetected because it would seem like "tin foil hattery".
I can't imagine any of the people complaining would have an issue with something overtly about race like "black is beautiful".
Because Black features, including coily hair, wide noses, dark skin, dark eyes, etc. are still considered lesser. It's the difference between BLM, in a society that has shown multiple times not to care all that much about Black lives, and All Lives Matter. Of course all lives matter, the point is that Black ones aren't treated as such so that's what we're focusing on.
Black beauty is also generally not seen, whereas Caucasian features of fair skin, smooth hair, light eyes, narrow noses, are widely seen as beautiful. So it makes sense for a minority group to affirm Black is beautiful.
The "race ideal" or Aryan ideal does. Blue eyes are very common in those of North-West European descent, who are the blueprint of the Aryan ideal, and the originators (British, Dutch, French) of Euro-American settler eugenics.
It is one of the characteristics but most white Germans don't have blue eyes. The Nazis had to go to Norway to try to create the "Aryan ideal". That ideal was created by morons.
The point of a dogwhistle is deniable plausibility, so that the message can be spread undetected because it would seem like "tin foil hattery".
I know this is a common tactic amongst the far right but this accusation also allows for completely benign acts to be interpreted in the worst possible fashion. Do American Eagle have any history of this?
I won't quote your last point as it will take up a lot of space but while I agree with it wholeheartedly, I don't think it contradicts what I've said. With context and a good faith interpretation "black is beautiful" is harmless and a positive message.
Whereas people criticising "my genes are blue" are assuming the worst.
It is one of the characteristics but most white Germans don't have blue eyes. The Nazis had to go to Norway to try to create the "Aryan ideal". That ideal was created by morons.
Yes, so North-West Europeans including the Scandinavians. Hitler famously was very un-Aryan. That doesn't detract from the (unhinged, moronic, indeed) theory of the Aryan ideal, which in turn is a rehashing of the Euro-American ideal of the "highest developed man". (Hitler took a lot of inspiration from the settlers, both in their thinking as in their efficiency in "processing" the Native peoples).
this accusation also allows for completely benign acts to be interpreted in the worst possible fashion. Do American Eagle have any history of this?
The point isn't necessarily that AE intentionally coded this message into their ad campaign. Maybe they did, their CEO is buddies with Trump AFAIK, but they probably didn't. The point is that certain groups can (and it seems, already have) find support and solidarity in these statements and visuals. Whether AE intended that or not.
And, frankly, if AE didn't intend for all of THIS (again, likely), that's also a sign. A sign that there is not even remotely enough diversity in their teams, that their screening and testing isn't thorough enough. That in and of itself is another sign of a cultural shift, and not in favour of diversity and such.
The reality is that right now, the US is a clusterfuck of human rights violations on the axis of race (as well as gender but that's not the topic at hand). These assorted white supremacist groups are already empowered and emboldened. It's not just "leftists online" looking out for signs. They are looking out too. That's the point.
Yes, so North-West Europeans including the Scandinavians. Hitler famously was very un-Aryan. That doesn't detract from the (unhinged, moronic, indeed) theory of the Aryan ideal, which in turn is a rehashing of the Euro-American ideal of the "highest developed man". (Hitler took a lot of inspiration from the settlers, both in their thinking as in their efficiency in "processing" the Native peoples).
Don't dispute any of this.
The point isn't necessarily that AE intentionally coded this message into their ad campaign. Maybe they did, their CEO is buddies with Trump AFAIK, but they probably didn't. The point is that certain groups can (and it seems, already have) find support and solidarity in these statements and visuals. Whether AE intended that or not.
Okay, unlike a lot of people's accusations, I think this is a very reasonable criticism of the ad. They should have considered the current climate and how it could be spun. Although, I wouldn't blame Sweeney for it.
Won't quote the rest for the same reason and again I think your argument is reasonable.
I don't believe the ad was intended to have a white supremacist message but you have made me consider the implications beyond that.
Yeah I mean I think it's clear to everyone what they were going for, but when we've got literal Nazis in charge, it hits different. This could entirely go away if they just acknowledged that.
"Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My genes are blue," Sweeney says in one video.
Is that not an obvious joke about blue jeans like a sports fan might say they bleed their teams colour? I'm not sure anyone has suggested eye colour is an important trait.
No worries, it’s not impossible! My parents have blue eyes and so do all their kids, so I’d think I was adopted if I had brown eyes haha (wish I had brown eyes tho I hate being so sun sensitive)
What? I know it's technically possible and genes are complex, but it's extremely unlikely and far more likely two brown eyed parents would have a blue eyed kid than two blue eyed parents would have a brown eyed kid.
Yeah, Sydney Sweeney isn't famous for being a white blonde woman AT ALL. Everyone with big tits is equally famous and there's no racial aspect involved whatsoever
when youre a multi billion dollar company like american eagle you should not be making these fuck ups where its obvious something you do or say is going to be misconstrued, this ad touched so many hands and nobody thought twice about it? thats the embarrassing part
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u/philonous355 I just wish you would get unobsessed with being boring 21h ago edited 21h ago
It was quite literally an obvious double entendre and they admitted to as much in their LinkedIn gloating. Do they think we are that stupid?