Part 8/11:
Media coverage played a significant role in amplifying the controversy. Mainstream outlets, including CNN, sought experts—primarily university professors with progressive leanings—who framed the ad within dangerous narratives of white supremacy and white nationalism. Such interpretations are criticized as overreach; critics argue that the ad's playful nature about jeans has been gravely misconstrued.
The commentary suggests that had the celebrity in question been Black or another marginalized identity, the reaction might have been entirely different—possibly embracing her as a "brave" figure or ignoring the political implications altogether. Instead, the white, attractive, blond-haired, blue-eyed image of Sydney Sweeney became a focal point for cultural resentment.