We Break Down Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle Ad Campaign & The Right-Wing MELTDOWN
America’s got a long and shameful history with eugenics, and, while history doesn’t repeat itself, it rhymes. As white supremacist ideology permeates everything from Silicon Valley startups to domestic policy in 2025, is it really that far-fetched to notice it in that American Eagle “good jeans” ad featuring Sydney Sweeney? This week, Akilah Hughes joins Erin to break it all down. They wrap up with a petty rant about modern attention spans and how South Park is maybe the only TV show doing it right.
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CHAPTERS
00:00 – Intro
00:25 – Sydney Sweeny jean campaign
12:57 – Ad break
15:47 – Eugenics and tech
32:05 – Ad break
37:20 – Sani/Petty
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Listen to Akilah’s New podcast, How Is This Better?
https://couriernewsroom.com/how-is-this-better/
Political commentator and comedy writer Erin Ryan and former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Alyssa Mastromonaco are joined by a bicoastal squad of funny, opinionated women to talk through everything from reproductive rights to romcoms. They break down the political news of the week, plus the topics, trends, and cultural stories that affect women’s lives. New episodes drop every Thursday. Get in touch: hysteria@crooked.com.
Photos courtesy of AP Photo Archive
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@superlifter
September 5, 2025 at 7:51 pm
akilah is funny af, i'm going to have a look at her podcast. massive agree on the 'it doesn't matter whether they mean it/believe it' thing. fucking sick of everybody consulating body language experts and fucking ouija boards to ascertain people's true motivations
@FlawlessP401
September 5, 2025 at 7:51 pm
People who think this was identity group coded belong in asylums.
@jenniferhawkins9020
September 5, 2025 at 7:51 pm
Thanks!
@mikebasting483
September 5, 2025 at 7:51 pm
Akilah is way more attractive! As a woman,than Ms. Sweeny. Who is attractive, ( in an Eastern European) woman, looking person! Coming from a white American male .
Besides that the conversation is totally spot on!
@FinsLeft
September 5, 2025 at 7:51 pm
I don't think the left was in an uproar over this. I think a few people pointed it out that the ad is offensive to some in today's cultural environment.Then the right latched onto that modest amount of displeasure, and f**king went off the walls with it and extremely overhyped any kind of outrage that existed on the left.
@leslieq958
September 5, 2025 at 7:51 pm
they are screening for defects that can't be changed. come up with real gene splicing first.
@onepeach73
September 5, 2025 at 7:51 pm
Of course it's a dogwhistle, it's advertising…intended to draw attention from a particular demographic. What really bugs me is the come-fuck-me vocal fry.
@novlangst3767
September 5, 2025 at 7:51 pm
En France South Park est censuré 😅
@novlangst3767
September 5, 2025 at 7:51 pm
Fanx to talk about nazis influences. You forget France, we are still in ❤
@novlangst3767
September 5, 2025 at 7:51 pm
Scott Walker : a wanker (fanx wikipedia) 😅
@toadeepants
September 5, 2025 at 7:51 pm
Sidney’s vocal fry doesn’t help.
@charlescharlemagne4907
September 5, 2025 at 7:51 pm
"the right wing meltdown"…good Lord, what gaslighting. It was LEFTISTS who were all over TikTok crying about how racist the ad was. What a lazy propaganda channel this is.
@MichaelcDownum
September 5, 2025 at 7:51 pm
The sexualization was pretty standard fair. But I did have to do a double take to make sure I heard what I heard. And, yes, the rhetoric was intentional, but not overly malicious. I think they thought it would be more run of the mile like the others ones.
@hepcatliz
September 5, 2025 at 7:51 pm
5:30 Hanlon's Razor!! Live my life by that rule 😅
@postscript7783
September 5, 2025 at 7:51 pm
30:00 sorry this is just factually incorrect. look at other “first world” countries, with better maternal/paternal leave policies and support. they also have below-replacement birth rates. when women have bodily autonomy and independence, we choose to have fewer children on average. maybe because women are still implicitly, culturally expected to do the majority of child-rearing work even in countries where we have legal rights. I support throwing money at families with children because it’s the right thing to do but there is no evidence it is going to increase the birth rate to replacement levels. I can tell you as a childless woman no amount of subsidies will bribe me into having kids
the solution to demographic pressures, at least in the short term, is immigration. in the long term, there need to be cultural advances towards real gender equality, and technological/medical advances to make pregnancy/birth safer
@welcb8733
September 5, 2025 at 7:51 pm
Gives me the ick – because however old Sweeney is, she looks like a teenager. 🤢
@marcusdavey9747
September 5, 2025 at 7:51 pm
As a Darwinist (who’s been making lame jean-gene jokes for decades), the weird part of the ad is that genes can determine “even eye color”. They definitely determine eye color. That they could determine personality is more controversial.
Also, though I’m not a eugenicist, while Sydney Sweeney is attractive, her eyes are at least 2mm too far apart.
@thesilentdiva
September 5, 2025 at 7:51 pm
It got attention but it may get them canceled….
This is not the 80s where you can just run with anything
@KrazyManuel
September 5, 2025 at 7:51 pm
Crying over a jeans ad 😂😂😂😂😂
@charlesloeffler333
September 5, 2025 at 7:51 pm
I enjoy your shows, but with respect the genetic testing of pre-kids and what people might do with the result, are you arguing against “choice”. This is not meant to start a deep felt argument, but rather to ask a question at the edge of your points
@Seth1830-h7f
September 5, 2025 at 7:51 pm
You leftists are so gullible and stupid. Wow.
Comments are closed.