I’m sure we’ve all seen the street interviews where the interviewer asks the guy, “Do you think you could beat a woman in any sport?” And the macho alpha male responds, “Oh yeah. Absolutely. ANY”
I mean, come on, is there anything more self-righteous than a man validating his fragile masculinity by belittling powerful women?
That being said, it’s no secret that women in sports are often criticized, underestimated, and held to a completely different standard. Take Serena Williams, an absolute icon and highly skilled tennis player. Despite dominating one of the world’s most popular sports, she has spent her career fighting against unjust stereotypes and criticism, ranging from her appearance to her athletic ability.
Despite this, women in sports seem to make progress every year. Could our society finally be evolving?
AND NEVERMIND
Enter: Sydney Sweeney. You know her; you (probably don’t) love her, but needless to say, she is infamously known. From her rise as Cassie in Euphoria to her fall as “MAGA Barbie,” Sydney Sweeney has had quite the social journey. Once adored, now abhorred, Sydney’s controversy most notably began with her partnership with American Eagle, “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.”
The ad features Sydney saying, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”
Kind of weird, right?
To many viewers, Sydney’s ad seemed to be promoting eugenics. The video shows different shots of Sydney, as the narrator repeated: “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” a wordplay on “genes”. Sydney, blonde-haired and blue-eyed, discusses her genes and the passing of genes to offspring. The controversial scientific/social movement of eugenics supports selective breeding among humans to get desirable traits, often viewed as discriminatory.
Fans reacted in outrage, like, helloooo, do our genes not matter too?? Sydney’s social standing took another hit as Katseye released a jean ad with GAP, absolutely winning over the internet. Looks like Sydney took “My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard” a little too literally.
Maybe take some notes next time, Sydney.
Needless to say, Katseye absolutely murdered Sydney’s social standing, and after her relationship with Scooter Braun was revealed (ew), Sydney seemed to disappear from the spotlight for a little while.
That is, until her latest stunt, all about SPORTS!
EVEN CASSIE WORE MORE CLOTHING
Sports, Sports, Sports, Sports.
No pants, no shirt, hair flip, hair flip, andddd a football?
You’re welcome; no need to watch her newest advertisement. You know the entire plot.
Let me introduce you to Novig: a CFTC-regulated sports prediction market that allows users to compete against each other through sports predictions.
Sydney Sweeney partnered with Novig and appeared in an ad on September 9, where she was presented using sports equipment, including footballs, basketballs, and hockey sticks, as props while repeatedly saying the word “sports” as the camera panned between different poses.
Classy.
The ad’s sexualized portrayal of Sydney has angered several female athletes, who argue it diminishes their achievements and reinforces the idea that women’s bodies, rather than their athletic skill, should be the primary focus.
Want to know what I think?
I think it’s an insult to women EVERYWHERE.
Sydney Sweeney’s ad feels like a degradation to women who spend their lives proving they’re more than a nice body and a pretty face. And listen, I am all for women doing whatever they want with themselves. Your body, your choice. But it feels like every single ad and promotion Sydney partners with is aimed at men, men, and men.
And I am SICK OF IT.
By repeatedly portraying herself in these sexually focused advertisements, Sydney contributes to the very narrative women have spent decades fighting against: that their bodies are worth more than their intelligence, talents, and accomplishments. And again, if that’s what you want to do, it’s what you want to do. But I hope Sydney recognizes the effect that this kind of advertising can have on women already suffering from unjust stereotypes and presumptions in male-dominated fields.
REINSTATING FEMALE EMPOWERMENT
Several well-known female athletes have criticized Sydney’s advertisement, and they seem determined to let her know what they think.
Here’s a list of my personal favorites.
- Ariarne Titmus, four-time Olympic gold medalist: “Not only is it a kick in the face to every woman who had dedicated her life to perfecting her craft, but every woman who enjoys sports for what it really is – teamwork, friendship, dedication, excellence, unity…”
- Amy Hunt, a British runner, spoke directly into a BBC camera, “Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like. Muscles, hard work, sweat, blood, tears.”
Along with a viral TikTok trend that stitches Sydney’s ad into videos of women in sports, all this controversy leads us back to the broader issue: Will women ever be fully respected in sports and in sports marketing?
And to be honest, I don’t know.
But what I do know is that women should be able to decide how they present themselves without being reduced to their appearance. And when female athletes speak up about how they want to be represented, they deserve to be heard.
So, Sydney. Next time, how about you give us a little less no-clothes-hanging-on-a-basketball-hoop, and a little more sports.