American Eagle’s new denim campaign featuring actor Sydney Sweeney has sparked backlash over a “genes" pun. Here’s what’s behind the controversy—and why it’s drawing so much attention.

The performer's savage TikTok clip gives more oxygen to discourse about Sweeney's latest campaign, which has countless users online debating whether it's a fun play on words or something more nefarious.

Reacting to the backlash, White House communications manager Steven Cheung wrote, “Cancel culture run amok. This warped, moronic, and dense liberal thinking is a big reason why Americans voted the way they did in 2024. They’re tired of this bulls***.”