If you've been living under a digital rock, you may have missed the furore about Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle commercial.
The actress, best known for her roles in Euphoria and The White Lotus, starred in a callback to its retro ads, where she crooned and delivered a punny joke comparing blue jeans to her blue eyes.
Netizens were enraged on TikTok and X, stating that American Eagle was setting a worrying beauty standard by celebrating Sweeney's “Aryan features”. This comes at the height of Donald Trump's political campaign which has brought Nazi sympathisers to the surface, with Sweeney apparently a poster child for their beliefs.
While some found it an overanalysis, the recent news from documents uncovered from public files by The Guardian found that Sweeney was a registered Republican voter who supports Trump. Some fans were concerned when a family member of hers was seen sporting a red Maga (Make America Great Again) parody campaign cap.
In the past, stars like Sweeney were revered for their looks. Look no further than Marilyn Monroe, Jane Mansfield and Jean Harlow, who became global sensations.
Ironically, Sweeney wasn't born with most of their features . Their eventual successors like Pamela Anderson and Anna Nicole Smith have also become voluntary blondes. The archetype has opened doors for women like Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian, reimaging what it means to be a sex symbol in the modern age.
However, tides have turned in Hollywood and at large; gone are the days of celebrity lovers being in awe of unattainable beauty standards, and there is mounting pressure on public figures to reflect public opinions. Unlike some of her predecessors, Sweeney's fame exists in a generation that is holding her accountable for opinions or decisions that might offend minorities or race groups different to hers.
We could see this tide change with Beyoncé, who has offended many with her silence on the conflict in Palestine. Kardashian, who has also dabbled as a blonde, has often been called out for appropriating the image of black women as a modern-day bombshell. Even Dolly Parton has been called to account for defending the snub that Beyoncé got at the Country Music Awards after the release of her country album.
Next to leading lady Zendaya and viral sensation Alexa Demie, Sweeney is one of the few success stories to break out of Euphoria with a small role that has opened many doors for her.
Following in the footsteps of Monroe or Kardashian, she is set to be a more critically acclaimed bombshell than Beyoncé, who is more revered for her artistic merit than her looks. However, for Sweeney's career to prosper in the age of political celebrity, she will have to think twice about which campaigns and roles she takes, as audiences scrutinise the subliminal meaning behind everything pumped out of Hollywood.
The classic Hollywood starlet is no longer bootylicious and blonde. Audiences need stars and public figures who can stand up against bigotry and hate speech without participating in it.
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