'Disgusting' Ad Sparks Fiery Feud Between White Lotus Stars
A heated exchange has erupted between The White Lotus co-stars Aimee Lou Wood and Sydney Sweeney, leaving fans divided and social media ablaze. But here's where it gets controversial: the root of the conflict is a seemingly innocent ad campaign that some are calling 'racist' and 'tone-deaf.'
It all started when celebrity photographer Misan Harriman called out Sweeney's recent American Eagle ad, which featured the tagline 'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.' Harriman didn't hold back, accusing the campaign of inadvertently promoting eugenics and white supremacy. He wrote, 'The undertone of the campaign is that your genetics are superior to others... racists LOVED it!' And this is the part most people miss: the ad's play on words – 'genes' vs. 'jeans' – was seen by many as a dog whistle to those who glorify certain genetic traits, particularly blond hair and blue eyes.
'This Ain’t It,' Harriman declared, urging Sweeney to acknowledge the harm caused. Enter Aimee Lou Wood, who responded to the controversy with a single, powerful emoji: someone throwing up. Her reaction went viral, with fans flooding social media with support. 'You’re a real one, Aimee Lou Wood!' one fan exclaimed, while others inundated her comment with heart emojis.
The ad itself is a masterclass in unintended consequences. In one scene, Sweeney, dressed head-to-toe in denim, walks toward an American Eagle billboard and paints over the word 'Genes,' correcting it to 'Jeans.' Another clip shows her buttoning up her jeans while lying down, accompanied by a voiceover discussing how genes determine traits like hair color and eye color. Sweeney, with her blue eyes, ends the video by saying, 'My jeans are blue.'
But is this really Nazi propaganda, as some TikTok users have claimed? The debate rages on. While some argue it's a harmless play on words, others insist it's a racialized dog whistle. 'Who approved this campaign?' one user asked, while another pointed out, 'This is what happens when you have no people of color in the room.'
Sweeney's response? In a recent GQ interview, she brushed off the backlash, seemingly unaware of the deeper implications. But now, with Aimee Lou Wood's public condemnation, the issue has taken on a new life. Is Sweeney's ad campaign genuinely problematic, or are critics reading too much into it? Weigh in below – this is one controversy that's far from over.
