WWE Legend Sgt. Slaughter Defends Sydney Sweeney Amid American Eagle Ad Backlash

Sydney Sweeney has faced significant backlash over her American Eagle advertising campaign featuring the pun "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans," originally "Genes," which some critics claimed carried racial and eugenics undertones. The campaign sparked controversy on social media with accusations of promoting white supremacy and thinness ideals, while others saw the backlash as an overreach of cancel culture. WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter publicly defended Sweeney on social media, encouraging her with the message, "YOU GO GIRL & That’s An Order!!" despite mistakenly tagging a fan account. The debate over the ad's intent persists, with some analysts acknowledging the problematic interpretations and others defending Sweeney and the campaign’s concept. Fox News commentator C.J. Pearson argued that critics' outrage stemmed from discomfort with Sweeney's youth and appearance and a backlash against woke culture. The controversy briefly impacted American Eagle’s stock price, which fluctuated amid the public debate.