Dr. Phil McGraw pushed back Monday against comparisons made by some left-wing critics between actress Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle jeans ad and Nazi propaganda, calling the accusations “insulting” and “dangerous.”
The controversy centers around the ad’s tagline, “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” which sparked backlash online, particularly from TikTok users who claimed the phrase was a coded reference to white eugenics, citing Sweeney’s blonde hair and blue eyes.
“The woke left is again jumping at the opportunity to shame and cancel everyone and everything that rubs them the wrong way,” Dr. Phil said during his episode of The Real Story on YouTube. “Instead of having a civilized conversation, they’re screaming at their social media feeds, comparing the ad to Nazi Germany.”
He then played a viral July 26 TikTok clip that made the comparison. “These Holocaust analogies are insulting,” he said. “The Holocaust was one of the greatest travesties in human history.”
“How dare you trivialize mass murder and Hitler’s Final Solution to a blue jean commercial? What the hell are you thinking?” he continued. “Words can be dangerous, but not as dangerous as being ignorant. Not as dangerous as being overreactive.”
The American Eagle ad features Sweeney narrating a pun-filled line: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring … My ‘jeans’ are blue,” as the camera focuses on her appearance.
Critics argued the ad promoted white supremacy under the guise of fashion branding. Supporters, including Dr. Phil, dismissed those claims as an overreach rooted in ideological outrage rather than substance.
American Eagle addressed the controversy Friday, stating on Instagram: “‘Sydney Sweeney has great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. Great jeans look good on everyone.”