Megyn Kelly stirred a storm online after retweeting Tiffany Fong's tweet, which appeared to recreate Sydney Sweeney's viral American Eagle ad. On August 1, 2025, Kelly shared Fong's post with the caption:"This is the way."For context, American Eagle’s ad campaign, titled "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans", had sparked widespread debate about Western beauty standards and race. Tiffany Fong, in her post, shared on July 31, 2025, wore yellow denim and mimicked one of Sweeney’s poses from American Eagle’s ad campaign. Her post was captioned:"My jeans are yellow!"Although on the surface the caption seemed a simple nod to the colour she was wearing in the photo, it had deeper connotations. By stating that her "jeans" were "yellow," Fong played on the homophones "jeans" and "genes." She also seemingly referenced her East Asian heritage and the stereotype of East Asians being referred to as "yellow-skinned." Kelly's retweet of Fong's recreation of the American Eagle ad with Sydney Sweeney triggered a wide spectrum of responses from netizens. One user referenced the original post, with Tiffany Fong, and engaged with the joke."Orange denim next! We need to find the mysterious orange blob," the user wrote.Some users criticized Kelly for engaging with Fong's post (which had seemingly racist undertones), particularly due to her political affiliations."I don’t get the hype about this…. Maga is weird now….. they love the woke," a netizen wrote."Feels racist," an X user commented."MAGA IS WOKE NOW," another user quipped.Some X users believed that both Fong's post and Kelly's engagement with it were intentional and clever. It was meant to critique the racial undertones of the original American Eagle ad campaign."She has a nice sense of humor," one X user remarked."Unfortunately most people wont understand the message," another X user pointed out."Doesn’t this prove you all understood the racist undertone of the ad?" a netizen said.Sydney Sweeney’s viral American Eagle ad sparks debate on race and beauty standardsThe 2025 Met Gala Celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" - Arrivals - Source: GettyAmerican Eagle's latest campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney ignited a widespread cultural debate, with critics accusing the brand of promoting outdated and exclusionary beauty ideals.As per an NPR News report dated July 29, 2025, the retailer launched its new promotional videos starting July 23 under the tagline:"Sydney Sweeney has great jeans."The slogan, a play on the homophones "jeans" and "genes", was intended to be clever wordplay but quickly drew backlash. The campaign featured the 27-year-old Euphoria star highlighting her physical traits, alluding to the idea that her blonde hair and blue eyes were a result of "great genes."As per the report, in one video, Sweeney said:"Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My genes are blue."This line in particular drew heavy criticism online, with many interpreting it as a thinly veiled reinforcement of Eurocentric ideals.Many social media users also argued that the ad hinted at eugenics. This is an outdated yet dangerous ideology often associated with white supremacist views on "genetic purity."Allen Adamson, co-founder of brand marketing firm Metaforce, suggested that the controversy might have been intentional. He explained that in an oversaturated media landscape, provocative messaging is often a strategy to stand out. In his view, the backlash was a calculated risk."It was a company figuring out how to break through in a world where everyone is screaming and saying, 'Look at me, look at me!'" Adamson said (as per NPR).An assistant professor of marketing at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, Marcus Collins, said that the backlash could have been avoided if the campaign had a diverse group of models conveying the same message.He explained that showcasing different racial and ethnic backgrounds would have made the "genes" pun feel inclusive rather than exclusionary (as per The New York Post)The campaign also drew comparisons to another controversial fashion moment. It was Brooke Shields' infamous 1980 Calvin Klein ad. Shields, who was only 15 at the time, sparked national outrage for her now-iconic line:"You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing."While Shields later called the backlash "ridiculous," critics at the time accused the brand of s*xualizing a minor.According to the NPR report, American Eagle has not issued a public statement addressing the controversy surrounding Sydney Sweeney's ad campaign.Apart from the American Eagle campaign, Sydney Sweeney has recently partnered with Dr. Squatch soap, Baskin-Robbins, and Laneige for ad campaigns. Beyond her commercial ventures, she continues to focus on her acting career, with upcoming projects including Masque of the Red Death, an untitled Christy Martin movie, and the third season of Euphoria.