The Sydney Sweeney Vibe Shift Is Futile

Sydney Sweeney’s campaign for denim brand American Eagle is not very good. In one deleted video the actress, 27, is writhing on the ground and trying to pull on her jeans, in imitation of a controversial Calvin Klein ad from 1980 starring a 15-year-old Brooke Shields. (“Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality, and even eye colour,” she says sultrily). In another she’s striding through a mirrored room, doing reverse psychology. (“This is not me telling you to buy American Eagle jeans”). At the end of each ad we find a slogan overlaid in big white letters. “SYDNEY SWEENEY HAS GREAT JEANS.”