Great genes, great divide? A Christian perspective on beauty, race and the Sydney Sweeney controversy

In the wake of American Eagle’s latest campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney, writer Hope Bonarcher, herself a black model, offers her Christian lens on beauty standards, identity, and the deeper worth found in Christ alone.

“Sydney Sweeney has great jeans”, is the slogan for American Eagle Outfitters’ controversial new marketing campaign, featuring the buxom, blue eyed, blonde starlett. Those of us who grew up in the 80s and 90s (with similar adverts featuring Brooke Shields, Claudia Schiffer and Anna Nicole Smith), understand the only modern difference is American Eagle saying the quiet part out loud.

After years of encouragment to accept the likes of trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney and one time morbidly obese singer, Lizzo, as norms of cultural beauty, many are happy to embrace the invitation back to societal standards of beauty that match up with our eyesight. The concepts of lust and female objectification aside (we can all agree the world’s standard in this area goes against that of God’s holy Word), the main controversy of the campaign isn’t the spokesmodel’s desirability, but her ethnicity.