Sparkling blue eyes. Long, wavy, golden hair. Fair white skin and a tight pair of jeans.  Sydney Sweeney has stirred up quite a conversation within the past year, practically breaking the internet with her American Eagle collaboration. Celebrities as big as U.S. President Donald Trump have called it “the hottest ad out there.’’

     Sweeney is a prominent actress, best known from her roles in “Euphoria,” “Anyone But You” and “The White Lotus.” She’s made many questionable choices in her career, most recently allowing herself to be objectified in different ads and products. 

     These hypersexualized ads are a bad influence on young, impressionable girls who need the confidence to be themselves without comparing their bodies to women like Sweeney.

     She has always been a controversial figure, especially since the release of “Sydney’s Bathwater Bliss,” a bar of soap said to be made with her own bathwater. Released by Dr. Squash, a brand known for men’s personal care and soap products, the sexualized campaign was an inappropriate thing for her to associate herself with.
    “I think [the soap] is more funny than anything. I don’t know if it was meant to be weird. It’s kind of a weird choice, but I think it’s funny,” senior Scout Brummett said.

     Who knows if Sweeney’s bathwater is actually in that bar of soap? For all we know, it could just be a sham. Either way, it’s a strange thing to put your name on. As disgusting as the product is, what’s even grosser is the fact that it sold out within seconds upon its release on June 6, 2025. 

     The infamous Sydney Sweeney American Eagle ad floating around everyone’s “For You” Page generated controversy for obvious reasons.

     This isn’t the first time an intensely sexualized jean ad has surfaced. In 1980, 15-year-old Brooke Shields accepted an offer by Calvin Klein to model in an ad for jeans that she was told would be full of literary references and wordplay. Shields didn’t know that it would become the most controversial ad of the ‘80s. 

     “[The Shields and Sweeney ads] definitely gave me the same vibes. [The models] were definitely sexualized in both of them,” freshman Zoe Eichenbaum said.

     There’s no doubt that the resemblance of Sweeney’s ad to Shields’ is uncanny. Both are advertising denim jeans in a very sexual way and use inappropriate wordplay. However, some believe the Shields ad was far more controversial due to her blatant objectification — especially as a minor.

     On the other hand, a 28-year-old Sweeney should’ve been well aware of what the American Eagle ad was promoting and chose to proceed regardless of the impact it might have on her audience. 

     Not all brands feed into this over-sexualization of women, however. Almost a month after the Sweeney ad dropped, Katseye — a pop girl group — collaborated with Gap. The ad was a lot more entertaining, appropriate and exciting for viewers.

     “Their videos [are] very inclusive. Katseye [is] a very inclusive group, and it’s like they were promoting diversity…and they were also promoting their jeans,” sophomore Taniyiah Ellison said.

     What upset many viewers about the Sweeney ad was its lack of inclusivity, particularly regarding its focus on Sweeney having “good genes,” unlike the Katseye ad, which shows how it doesn’t matter what you look like or where you’re from because everyone has unique “genes.” If more companies took this approach to include everyone, regardless of their appearance, it would help girls rather than hurt them.

     Sydney Sweeney isn’t a good role model for girls. She often hypersexualizes herself, catering more to a male audience than anyone else. We should inspire young girls to be themselves and make decisions that bring them happiness, rather than pressuring them to look a certain way to feel pretty.