Overview
- In a widely shared GQ clip, interviewer Katherine Stoeffel asked whether white people should joke about genetic superiority, and Sweeney replied, “I think that when I have an issue that I want to speak about, people will hear.”
- Sweeney reiterated she viewed the project as a simple denim campaign, saying, “I did a jean ad,” and described the online reaction as a surprise.
- Photographer Misan Harriman urged Sweeney to acknowledge that racists celebrated the spot, and actress Aimee Lou Wood appeared to react negatively with a vomiting emoji on Instagram, though that post was not independently verified.
- Conservative commentators praised Sweeney’s composure and refusal to apologize, echoing months of right‑leaning support that included President Donald Trump calling the ad “fantastic.”
- American Eagle has maintained the campaign was about jeans and not genetics, and while some outlets have cited a 38% stock rise tied to the ad, the precise commercial impact remains inconsistently reported; Sweeney said she was aware of internal numbers and dismissed negative retail headlines as inaccurate.