Kulturkampf

[Alpacx]

MSNBC: Sydney Sweeney's ad shows an unbridled cultural shift toward whiteness

She embodies the near mythological girl-next-door beautiful but low-maintenance sexy femininity that dominated media in the 1990s and the early 2000s. Together, the campaign feels regressive and not retro, offensive and not cheeky.

The advertisement, the choice of Sweeney as the sole face in it and the internet’s reaction reflect an unbridled cultural shift toward whiteness, conservatism and capitalist exploitation. Sweeney is both a symptom and a participant.

People outraged at this ad are telling on themselves with the premise only white people can be beautiful or have good genes.

Still, her willingness to participate in such an obviously damaging — and, depending on who you ask, even dangerous — advertising campaign as the latest American Eagle collection is disappointing.

Citation needed

Advertisements, from American Apparel to the notorious Pepsi campaign with Kendall Jenner to a 1960s advertisement likening a new stove to a happy marriage, reflect what is pervasive in American culture at the time. Ads are always mirrors of society, and sometimes what they reflect is ugly and startling. Popular American culture is, indisputably, becoming more puritanical and more conservative.

Liking tits = puritanical

It isn’t just that far-right ideology is proliferating on the fringe; our entire cultural ethos has moved further right

What did you expect to happen after sneaking DEI and "trans women are women" into institutions through the backdoor?

Hannah Holland is a producer for MSNBC's "Velshi" and editor for the "Velshi Banned Book Club." She writes for MSNBC Daily.