Actress Sydney Sweeney’s recent ad with American Eagle has stirred controversy, especially from the Left — fuming at its portrayal of beauty standards.
American Eagle responded with an Instagram post stating that the campaign “is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”
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The story got another life as BuzzFeed revealed Saturday that Sweeney is registered to vote as a Republican in Florida. Many people commented about the story on social media and attacked her.
On X, Anna Horford wrote, “I think people feel betrayed when someone they thought they liked ends up being a let down, morally speaking. Today’s Republicans stand for women’s oppression, hatred towards anyone who’s not white/straight, anti-working class, etc…Aligning yourself w/that will prompt backlash.”
Another X user chimed in, “If Sydney Sweeney is now a registered Republican in Florida, that puts her in the same camp as Trump, whose politics thrive on division and distrust. The real question is whether she will stand up against the damage he causes or quietly accept being part of his machine.”
And @Hitsandcharts wrote, “She pretends to stand with women, yet votes against their rights and freedoms. Claiming solidarity while actively working against the very people she claims to support. We truly gave the spotlight to the wrong person.”
Even President Donald Trump weighed in, defending Sweeney on Monday.
This isn’t the first time Sweeney has been attacked online for something related to politics. She was criticized after posting pictures from her mother’s 60th birthday party, because one of the attendees wore a Blue Lives Matter shirt and others wore “Make sixty great again” hats. It wasn’t even an explicitly political post, but it still got her in hot water. After all the negativity, she tweeted, “You guys this is wild. An innocent celebration for my moms [sic] milestone 60th birthday has turned into an absurd political statement, which was not the intention. Please stop making assumptions. Much love to everyone <3 and Happy Birthday Mom!”
It seems that Sweeney may be falling into a trap that many public figures have encountered. A celebrity can try to address people’s criticism or downplay their action, but liberals will attack if they just suspect someone is a conservative.
And this isn’t an uncommon scenario. Even some in Hollywood seem to be aware of how liberal women react to finding out one of their friends might be a Republican. An episode of The White Lotus from the most recent season depicted a situation that many conservative women know all too well. During the third episode, three female friends are having dinner at a resort in Thailand. One of the women starts to talk about how she attends church at home in Texas every Sunday. Her friends begin to ask her questions, wondering if it’s uncomfortable for her to be around conservatives or potentially talk politics with them. During the tense exchange, one of the friends asks her, “You didn’t vote for Trump, though, did you?” She replies, “Are we really going to talk about Trump tonight?”
Many conservative women would tell you they have been in that exact situation. Whether it’s with coworkers, classmates, or childhood friends, they have experienced uncomfortable moments with peers who are shocked that a woman holds conservative beliefs or voted for a Republican candidate.
Can someone please tell liberal women that it is ok for a woman to be a registered Republican?
Feminism was supposed to encourage everyone to see women as the thoughtful, capable people that we are. Not force women to all think the same, hold the same views, or support the same candidates. Men don’t all vote for the same candidate. So why should women?
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The way modern feminists often treat conservative women reminds me of the movie Mean Girls. If you aren’t in, you are out. This leaves many conservative women feeling alienated from the very feminist movement that is supposed to empower them.
For many young women, it’s easier to stay quiet. But the way to make conservative views more socially acceptable is to speak out. The more women who speak out, the harder it is for the Left to ostracize them socially. Let’s hope Sweeney’s decision to register as a Republican will inspire more young women to make similar choices that go against mainstream political expectations. And that she won’t apologize for her voter registration. In today’s world, that takes courage.
Karin Lips (@klips) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. She is the founder and president of the Network of enlightened Women and a senior fellow with the Independent Women’s Forum.