Halseyis sticking up for her movie Americana as fans boycott it due to co-star Sydney Sweeney‘s controversy!
Last month, American Eagle came under fire for the infamous “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” ad campaign. Social media users called advertisements “tone deaf” as she wore “The Sydney Jean,” which features “a butterfly motif on the back pocket” to represent domestic violence awareness, an important cause to the Euphoria actress. Funds from the sale of the jeans are being donated to the cause. Because of the highly sexualized ads, many folks thought they weren’t taking the issue seriously enough. And that was only part of the issue surrounding the campaign! Many people also accused the fashion brand of promoting eugenics through the play on jeans versus “genes.”
Related: How Sydney Sweeney Handled ‘Her Engagement Falling Apart’ While Trying To Act In New Movie
Sydney and American Eagle were ripped apart for the ad! Even as the company argued that the campaign is only about denim jeans, and nothing more. However, that hasn’t stopped the backlash! Several fans vowed to boycott Sydney’s new film Americana, as a result! Well, the numbers are in for the project! And they’re not good! According to The Hollywood Reporter, the movie only earned around $840,000 after premiering in 1,100 theaters across the country. It came in 16th place. Yikes.
Halsey, who uses she/they pronouns, apparently isn’t too happy about the weak debut because they took to Instagram Stories on Thursday to slam everyone boycotting the movie because of Sydney’s controversy! The singer wrote:
“you should go see this movie. because [director] @tonytost made an exceptional film, in honor of a genre he knows intimately. Because his work and his vision are greater than the 24 hr gossip tabloid denim bulls**t. If you love cinema, then you should know that cinema comes first. This is cinema. He’s an incredible artist who made a great film with a group of hardworking, talented people. If you love cinema, then you should know that cinema comes first. This is cinema.”
It’s not just “denim bulls**t,” though. When you have a White, blonde-haired, blue-eyed American woman like Sydney in a campaign playing on the words jeans versus genes, it sends a very problematic message. American Eagle is basically promoting those specific genes. They’re publicizing the same exact ideology as Hitler during a time when Nazis are coming out every single day. Words matter. All this is not OK. And people are understandably upset and hurt by what happened.
Halsey later clarified that she agrees “that our words are important in this climate,” and made it clear she is only sticking up for director Tony Tost and the crew members:
“I don’t, however, think that it’s fair for the news cycle to predatorily rip a hardworking director and his hardworking crew for this film that is completely separate-from and unrelated-to a (pretty dumb) advertising take. If it’s not clear who the actual people I’m standing up for are. I’m sorry look closer.”
Hmm…
At this time, Sydney hasn’t reacted to the controversy — and she most likely won’t because she reportedly thinks it was “blown out of proportion.” What are YOUR thoughts, Perezcious readers? Sound OFF in the comments!
[Image via MEGA/WENN, Lionsgate Movies/YouTube]
The post Halsey Slams Fans Who Are Boycotting Film <i>Americana</i> Because Of Co-Star Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle Ad Controversy! appeared first on Perez Hilton.