The American Eagle campaign, with its presentation of Americana as a zombie slop of mustangs, denim, and good genes, is lowest-common-denominator stuff.

Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle campaign is receiving criticism for a “jeans/genes” pun that some say echoes eugenics and white supremacy rhetoric. Right-wing voices are celebrating the ad as a pushback against “wokeness.” pic.twitter.com/Q6LkOoAqbi

America has been turned upside down by an American Eagle jeans ad. A single campaign, starring Sydney Sweeney, has provoked an extended conversation about race, beauty, politics, Donald Trump, and sexuality.