A former teacher turned influencer is the latest to weigh in on the spiraling Sydney Sweeney–American Eagle controversy and go viral, because of her claims that it gives her trauma.
The post was met with criticism from right-wing political commentator Colin Rugg, who reposted the video on X—an action that has since attracted 24,000 likes, with a large percentage of them slamming the former educator.
Highlights
- Former teacher says Sweeney’s American Eagle ad reawakened her trauma around “white beauty” standards.
- Right-wing commentator reposted the clip, calling Desai a “professional victim.”
- Bill Maher mocked the controversy, pointing out the contradiction between anti-gene rhetoric and online dating habits.
According to Rugg, Payal Desai, who produced the video, is “a professional victim.”
The woman with “trauma” says she would have given her name for blonde hair and blue eyes when she was 13
Image credits: payalforstyle
“I can’t help but think of the 13-year-old brown girl who gets all of her denim at American Eagle.
“Who already struggles to see her beauty and worth in a world that continues to value white beauty standards,” Desai’s missive goes.
“I naively thought by this point we would have moved the needle on.”
She said that when she was 13, she would have given anything, including her name for blonde hair and blue eyes.
Image credits: payalforstyle
“It took me so long, too long in my life to look in the mirror and see beauty and I hate that it becomes a shared experience for young brown girls in this country.”
Critics think the 33-year-old is jealous of Sydney Sweeney
Rugg took to the ether on July 30 and posted Desai’s Instagram video alongside Sweeney in her American Eagle denims, and wrote: “The professional victims are relentless.”
His followers reacted to the post en masse with one person saying, “If your self worth crumbles at the sight of Sydney Sweeney in jeans, I’ve got news for you: The problem isn’t whiteness. It’s you.”
“Why do they always play the victim role?” asked another, to which Rugg answered: “For many, their entire identity is being a victim. Take their victimhood away and they have no identity.”
“Translation,” observed another, ridiculing Desai, “I hate myself and I’m jealous.”
Bill Maher thinks it's ironic that women advocates decry the idea of good genes, then swipe left on Tinder every time they see a bald guy
Image credits: americaneagle
Rugg and his followers are far from the only people who see the furore around the Euphoria star and her self-proclaimed “good (American) jeans (or genes)” as a ridiculous overreaction.
Funny man Bill Maher picked the frenzy as a talking point on his show Real Time on August 2 when he quipped, “In other uncomfortable racial news, sad news, we found out this week that Sydney Sweeney is a N**i.”
Image credits: americaneagle
“No she’s not, but you’ve seen the ad … This is a very important ad that we’re seeing now, there she is dressed like Jay Leno in all blue denim,” he continued before telling his audience:
“I also like it’s pretty funny that all the online social justice girls are like ‘it’s racist, there is no such thing as good genes. Right, and then you go on Tinder and swipe left on every bald guy.”
Musicians Lizzo and Doja Cat have also joined the fray
Image credits: americaneagle
On the side of those who see things Desai’s way are musos Doja Cat and Lizzo. The former broke her ongoing hiatus from the spotlight on July 30 to mock Sweeney’s AE ad monologue.
Her fans were surprised, firstly, to see her on TikTok at all and, secondly, that she surfaced over a denim ad with Sweeney in it.
Image credits: payalforstyle
Next in line was Lizzo mimicking the 27-year-old Idaho native's AE pose and the caption: “If the democrats won the election.”
Her take was not afforded the same enthusiasm, and one netizen wrote: “Don’t you have harassment charges you should be worrying about?”
AE jeans is sticking by its guns, while Sweeney has refrained from commenting
The closest the clothing brand–whose share price jumped by 8 percent when it announced its campaign with Sweeney–came to a reaction was an August 1 post with the words:
“Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans, and then, “We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way.”
Image credits: sydney_sweeney
As for Sweeney, she simply posted a bouquet of flowers with a little heart scrawled on the picture, and as can be seen by numerous reports, outlets are doing their utmost to connect it to the swirling chaos.
The fact that the controversy is getting AE publicity is not lost on the public
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